Fourth Element Bewertungen 

We purchased a custom-fitted Fourth Element Argonaut drysuit and paid a significant amount of money for it, including essentially every available upgrade and extra feature. Given the price and Fourth Element’s reputation, we expected a premium product backed by equally good customer service. Unfortunately, our experience has been the complete opposite.

After only THREE dives, the zipper broke.

We brought the suit back to our local dive shop, where several staff members looked at it and immediately pointed out that the zipper stabilizer was missing. The shop contacted Fourth Element to submit a warranty claim, but Fourth Element insisted that the stabilizer was not necessary and refused to cover the repair under warranty.

What made this even more frustrating was that when the suit was brought to their repair facility, their own repair technician made the exact same observation about the missing stabilizer. Despite both our local dive professionals and their own repair technician identifying the same issue, Fourth Element still refused to warranty the repair.

We eventually got the suit back after having it repaired. On the VERY FIRST attempt to use it again, the zipper broke again.

We contacted Fourth Element directly a few weeks ago about the ongoing issue. We were told they would look into it and get back to us the following day. Weeks later, we are still waiting.

For what this suit cost, this experience is completely unacceptable. A premium custom drysuit should not suffer a major zipper failure after three dives, be repaired, and then fail again before even making it back into the water. More importantly, when multiple dive professionals—including their own repair technician—identify the same concern, we would expect the manufacturer to stand behind its product rather than repeatedly refusing warranty coverage.

We purchased Fourth Element because we had heard they were among the best. After the quality issues and the customer service we have received, we are incredibly disappointed.

Based on our experience, we cannot recommend the Fourth Element Argonaut drysuit, and we would be extremely hesitant to purchase anything else from Fourth Element. When you're spending this kind of money on specialized life-support equipment, product quality and manufacturer support matter. Unfortunately, we received neither.

I really wanted to give them a more positive review, the wetsuit I ordered is very comfortable and fits very well but the zipper flap constantly gets jammed in the zipper leading to damage and the top layer of neoprene around the zipper has started to peel up after only 5 dives.

Unfortunately you will received better customer service at a BMV. I did not reach out to customer service for my wetsuit as I purchased it though an online dive shop as a closeout. I ordered a 2nd thinner wetsuit for warmer water temps directly from their website and they sent me the wrong thickness. The average response time was about 7-10 days via email, no one ever answers the phone. I eventually filed a charge back with my credit card company before they finally sent a return shipping label.

I chose a Fourth Element Xenos wetsuit because the brand has an excellent reputation and is positioned as a premium manufacturer. At this price point, I expected outstanding quality and customer service.

Unfortunately, my experience has been very disappointing. After my very first dive, a seam started to come apart. A defect like this after a single use should simply not happen on a premium wetsuit.

What has disappointed me even more is the way my warranty claim has been handled. It has now been around eight weeks, and I am still waiting for a final solution. Because of this, I had to take my trusted Scubapro wetsuit with me on my diving holiday instead of using my brand-new Fourth Element suit.

For a premium brand, I expect not only excellent products but also fast and professional after-sales support. Waiting this long for such a straightforward warranty issue is simply not acceptable.

I really wanted to become a long-term Fourth Element customer, but this experience has changed my opinion of the brand. At the moment, I can’t recommend Fourth Element to other divers.

If the issue is resolved fairly and without any further delays, I’ll gladly come back and update this review.

Their official sizing chart is completely off in CM. I have now tried out 4 products from them, all didn't fit even after carefully measuring full body and highly detailed measurements. The Xenos Arc 7mm should have been a perfect fit, but it had way too much room under the arms and chest area, and the neck didn't seal at all. Furthermore, the Xenos' lock around the neck can't be stretched enough to create a seal due to its poor design.

A much cheaper suit from Cressi, following the same measurements, fits like a glove. I'm not sure if it's because someone poorly translated the sizing from Inches to CM, but it for sure requires a redo through all their products.

Furthermore, boots, gloves, and a hood didn't fit. I took exact measurements, and the gloves (XL) should have been a fit almost too large for my hand, but were too small, meaning their measurements are incorrect. The hood (XL) choked me to the point I felt ill for a while after having tried it on briefly - also poor sizing, especially around the neck. Something they're not even including on their sizing chart.

Before ordering, their support was decent and responsive, but now that I reached out to discuss sizing and returns/exchanges - no answer at all. I lost complete trust in what seemed to be a top-notch and exclusive brand.

Instead of trying to figure out the right fit and size, I'd rather return everything and buy from another brand at this point. Unfortunate. I'm giving 2 stars due to the quality of the items seemingly being good, but their price, sizing, service counts it down.

Bought the Xerotherm undersuit. Professional and timely handling from order to delivery. Fits perfectly, great material, light, comfortable, and warm. Exactly what I was looking for to wear under my neoprene drysuit

Very poor (amateur) customer service….

I recently purchased a Fourth Element Proteus Two 5mm semi-dry wetsuit, it has been used ONCE.

ONE single check dive (upon me arriving at Red Sea where it was bought to use),

in writing I am still here,

In its very first use it FAILED on the right hand cuff, the neoprene split almost right through, certainly right through to the outer surface material and right 100% through the neoprene cuff for maybe 50mm to 75mm in length,

By the time I finish this trip it’ll certainly have torn through to the edge of the cuff, goodness knows to what state…. It’ll be in ribbons I reckon.

I emailed Fourth Element with pictures and receipt, I asked their view….

They replied and told me I must have torn it with long nails or jewellery (I’m a 16st biggish bloke - not some sort of trans and no surprise I don’t have long nails or wear jewellery) and in spite it let go right by a seam, near a stitch line….

Their advise was for me to glue it!!!!….

It’s brand new FFS!!

I replied to suggest I expected a more “professional” response fitting of a premium supplier such as Fourth Element (which really should have been “sorry Mr Johns, use it whilst you’re away and we’ll sort it for you when you get back”) but noo….

They’ve now gone on to waste my time with a few nonsense emails back and forth since, utter waffle and diversionary tactics, including that as the local dive shop I’m using has glued the suit - following their advise that I have somehow now accepted a repair (for the purposes of meeting my statutory rights under Consumer Rights Act, which has provision for an authorised repair to be available as a warranty resolution) then advising me that as so my statutory rights aren’t affected and they’re not interested,

Right now, like the dive school who just glued it for me I’m not impressed at all….

The shame of it is the local dive shop will now inherit this when I leave to use as a hire suit (apparently, dive shops love knackered rubbish wetsuits)….

Me, I’m gonna make my first Fourth Element purchase my last and get something decent instead.

(And by the way, the five star “Andark” review here is a shop / retailer who are an authorised stockist for Fourth Element with vested interests…..Beware the bias and read the consumer reviews for an honest assessment of Fourth Element).

Highly impressed with customer support after we raised an issue concerning a mask we bought from them. Very responsive, friendly and exemplary service. Would highly recommend Fourth Element following this experience and will certainly now wish to purchase from them again.

Fourth Elements Argonaut 2.0 Hybrid drysuit becomes porous and lets water in

I had a water leak issue with my Fourth Elements Argonaut 2.0 Hybrid drysuit, after approx. 90 dives it began letting large amounts of seawater into the suit. At first, I thought it was user error, but it kept happening so I checked for leaks and couldn’t find any. My drysuit is in excellent condition, I use it approx. 12 times a year as Queensland, Australia only has a few cold months. The lower half of the drysuit is trilaminate, in perfect condition and does NOT leak.

Hmmm, so I contacted Fourth Elements, and they advised me to see one of their Australian Drysuit repair agents, which of course I did, and it turns out that the Fourth Elements Argonaut 2.0 Hybrid drysuit has a known issue ….. after a while the upper torso fabric becomes porous and lets water in.

Nice, but it gets worse, Fourth Elements are aware of this issue and have stopped using this faulty fabric, however there is no customer support or recall on these suits, the customer is simply told that the drysuit is nearing the end of its expected lifespan and they cannot assist in this regard.

Below is an exert from the Fourth Elements email reply to me:

“To be transparent, I haven’t encountered reports of the Stealth or Flex fabric becoming porous over time. However, there were known issues with the original Kevlar fabric in the first Argonaut models, which is why we redesigned the material to be more durable and robust.”

And the final goodbye email reply from Fourth Element was:

“We know from experience that the Kevlar fabric was very sensitive, that is to say, if not rinsed fully after each and every dive, and/or exposed to direct sunlight for prolonged periods, the material could delaminate and cause leaks. Whilst the fabric itself was not inherently faulty, the level of care required made it an unviable fabric and it was discontinued. Given the age of the suit, it falls outside of any warranty we are able to offer.”

Nice one Fourth Elements, use a faulty product, do NOT advise your customers or issue a recall notice when you discover the fabric becomes porous and then do not offer any support to your loyal unsuspecting customers. Rest assured, I will never purchase another Fourth Elements product and will take this to the ACCC, the ACCC is Australia's competition regulator and national consumer law champion.

Initially had a very bad experience with fourth element but they have turned it around making sure my needs were met. They’ve given me hope for returning products especially with fourth elements unusual sizing basically go up two sizes.

Yet again, more poor and disgusting customer service from fourth element, five months after bringing a dispute over, not receiving my Argonaut dry suit, the suit finally arrived but items did ie dry gloves, nine months now with a merry-go-round of lies. I am now taking it to the customer Ombudsman for advice and action against them.
I recommend, nobody buys anything directly from fourth element as I repeatedly fob you off and lie to you.

I placed an order with this company on 10th April 2021. I had the order confirmed, with an order number, and confirmation that payment had been made.
I waited. And waited.
Eventually I checked my account on their website, only to find that the order had been cancelled. I emailed their customer service because this was really odd, and payment was authorised (luckily I took a screenshot of the confirmation). No reply. As a result I have to keep checking my bank account to make sure no money is taken.
In case you read this Fourth Element, my order no. is 39626. I would love to hear your explanation.