Understanding the drysuits available on the market

[2airishuman]

At some point I'm going to get a drysuit for wreck diving in Lake Superior. I doubt if I will use it for anything else, because I am cold tolerant and find my wetsuit comfortable for less demanding dives.

I'm trying to understand the market, how the suits for sale differ, which are obsolete, and which make sense for my situation. I am reluctant to depend on the various LDSs in my area for advice, because each sells only one or two brands and like any retailer they sell what they have.

The various magazine articles and on-line overviews aren't much help and appear to be out of date. Suit manufacturers' web sites aren't much help because they use trademarked terms for their materials and don't explain what their products are actually made out of.

Last thing I want to do is spend $1000 on the wrong suit. I am difficult to fit due to long arms so used suits aren't a practical alternative for me and the total package price will probably have to include some customization costs.

 

[JohnN]

At some point I'm going to get a drysuit for wreck diving in Lake Superior. I doubt if I will use it for anything else, because I am cold tolerant and find my wetsuit comfortable for less demanding dives.

I'm trying to understand the market, how the suits for sale differ, which are obsolete, and which make sense for my situation. I am reluctant to depend on the various LDSs in my area for advice, because each sells only one or two brands and like any retailer they sell what they have.

The various magazine articles and on-line overviews aren't much help and appear to be out of date. Suit manufacturers' web sites aren't much help because they use trademarked terms for their materials and don't explain what their products are actually made out of.

Last thing I want to do is spend $1000 on the wrong suit. I am difficult to fit due to long arms so used suits aren't a practical alternative for me and the total package price will probably have to include some customization costs.

So what is your short list? $1K for a new custom suit doesn't seem very reasonable.

 

[tbone1004]

your best bet is to talk to Mike at DRiS, he is surprisingly unbiased and conveniently sells most of the suits on the market. As a textile engineer who does a lot of this type of stuff for a living, including consulting for different suit manufacturers as well as the companies that make the laminates I offer you the following advice.

If you are not planning on travelling, crushed neoprene is probably the most durable suit material on the market. It is prone to pinhole leaks, but they are easy to find and repair. It suffers from more evaporative cooling than other types of material, takes long to dry, is heavy, and will roast you in the sun when it is hot, but also offers some inherent warmth, and stretch.
Trilam suits like the DUI FLX, USIA Techniflex, etc etc are very durable and robust suits made from cordura nylon are the next best for what you are wanting to do, but they don't fit like a wetsuit because they won't stretch.
Bag suits like the TLS350 are made primarily with polyester instead of nylon which is good for weight, drying, and overall comfort in the water, however they do not have the same durability to abrasion and puncture as the other options. This would be a poor choice for your type of diving.
Breathable suits rely on basically GoreTex, and this has a finite lifespan and are also relegated to the lightweight suits similar to the TLS350. This would be a poor choice for your type of diving.

Money no option, prefer Made in USA-Custom cut DUI CF200 or CF200X if you don't want help zipping up
Money no option, don't mind made in Europe-O'Three Ri 2-100, it is backzip only, but I think that this is a better suit than the DUI.
Price conscious-USIA Techniflex-custom cut. Make sure to go through DRiS for this as USIA has had some issues with custom cut sizing in the past where they like to make the suits a bit on the large side. Mike has a good relationship with the company and has the best luck helping you here. This is worth the trip to Chicago alone for fitting and seeing the suit in person. I have owned 2 of these suits in the past and they are top notch in terms of build quality and represent the best bang for buck in custom cut suits on the market.

 

[2airishuman]

So what is your short list? $1K for a new custom suit doesn't seem very reasonable.

I don't have a short list or a budget. I just picked a number out of the air.

 

[sheeper]

drysuits get a bad rap because too many people buy a "cheap" suit only for those really, really cold dives. that's why so many people don't like drysuit diving.

Well, with the right suit, drysuit diving is AWESOME. I love my DUI Flx-Extreme. And i dived it most of the (south florida) winter. It was hard going back to my 3mm for summer! Yes the DUI suit is expensive; yes i did get a custom fit suit. But it is oh, so worth it!

 

[tbone1004]

he has anything but a cheap suit. He just had a bad installation of the valves

 

[JohnnyC]

Call Mike at DRIS. Seriously. If you want to save some cash on a custom cut suit, check out Seaskin drysuits out of the UK. They're all made-to-measure and quite inexpensive, but not lacking in quality. I cave dive with them, I know Forrest Wilson does as well, and others have mentioned their happiness with them as well.

 

[T-rex12]

How much does a good DUI dry suit that is custom fit typically cost? Has anyone used the Hollis or bare dry suits? Is DUI the only company that custom fits?


I have been wondering about dry suits for a while now seeing that I live in the Pacific Northwest and there isn't any warm water dives here. I am used to diving a thick wet suit but have heard dry suits are the way to go. Opinions?

 

[tbone1004]

If you live in the PNW, support local business and buy USIA. You are less than an hour from the factory if you are in the PNW, how much better can it get?

Custom cut DUI suits are minimum $3k for the durable ones *not that the other suits are bad, but for PNW or Wreck diving, you don't want a 30/30 or a TLS, they aren't designed for it*, and depending on options, can easily hit $4k. You need a P-valve, pockets, butt pad, etc. and that adds up.

Hollis rebrands and aren't the best. Bare makes good suits, but not sure if they custom cut. They probably do, but I've never looked into them.

 

[guruboy]

Which category does the Whites Fusion Sport fall into? Bag?

From what I have read, it has a stretchy inside and kind of fits like a wetsuit.