About trilam being lighter than neoprene drysuit

[Aerobics111]

I have a 4mm compressed neoprene drysuit from ScubaPro and recently got a trilam from Seaskin. Out of curiosity I measured the weight of the two suits and it turned out that the trilam is 11 lbs and the neoprene is only 9 lbs.

Of all the articles comparing the two types of suits, they say trilam is much lighter so I'm very surprised my trilam is 2 lbs heavier than my neoprene. Am I missing something?

 

[lexvil]

I have a 4mm compressed neoprene drysuit from ScubaPro and recently got a trilam from Seaskin. Out of curiosity I measured the weight of the two suits and it turned out that the trilam is 11 lbs and the neoprene is only 9 lbs.

Of all the articles comparing the two types of suits, they say trilam is much lighter so I'm very surprised my trilam is 2 lbs heavier than my neoprene. Am I missing something?

Get them wet.

 

[Boarderguy]

Are they equally equipped? Same feet? Same valves? Same zipper? Same rings or seals? Little things add up quick. The trilam will shed water and dry significantly faster than your neo suit.

 

[Whitrzac]

Older trilam suits were much lighter, they were thinner and had much less option bits on them.

I would bet my old tls350 with socks is <4lbs when dry

 

[Wibble]

Pockets; neck and wrist seals; metal zip; boots/socks; pee valve; better braces with a bib; heavy-duty tri-lam; kevlar panels on knees, etc.

Lots of things to compare.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I have a 4mm compressed neoprene drysuit from ScubaPro and recently got a trilam from Seaskin. Out of curiosity I measured the weight of the two suits and it turned out that the trilam is 11 lbs and the neoprene is only 9 lbs.

Of all the articles comparing the two types of suits, they say trilam is much lighter so I'm very surprised my trilam is 2 lbs heavier than my neoprene. Am I missing something?

Compare the weight you need to become neutrally buoyant. Just walk into the water with a mask and your scuba kit floating on the surface. Add weight until you are able to float in the water column, rising and falling with your breath.

 

[stuartv]

Different trilams - including modern ones - are made of different materials.

Examples, the material in the Santi E.lite suit is 525 grams per square meter.

The Santi E.motion is 260 g/m^2.

The Santi Enduro suit is 620 g/m^2.

Seaskin doesn't say what the weight is on their trilam material (that I can find). But, it is heavy - and tough.

I'm pretty sure you can get a trilam that is lighter than your neoprene suit. Just not a Seaskin trilam.


Side note:

One thing I never see people mention when they talk about this subject is the total weight, when you include undergarments.

It seems to be commonly accepted that trilams are better for travel because they are lighter. But, obviously, that is not necessarily true, as your weight comparison shows..

When you also factor in that you might need to take warmer undies along with your trilam, maybe the "trilam for travel" should not be considered axiomatic at all.

Especially if your dive plans will allow sufficient time for a neoprene suit to dry thoroughly before packing it to return home.

And now I'm going to have to weigh my 2 Seaskins and see how they compare. I keep them in identical bags, so I always have to partly unzip a bag to tell which is which. I think if one were lighter than the other, I would have noticed before in hefting the two bags.

 

[sea_ledford]

Compare the weight you need to become neutrally buoyant. Just walk into the water with a mask and your scuba kit floating on the surface. Add weight until you are able to float in the water column, rising and falling with your breath.

I think the OP was asking about shipping/travel weight, not weight required to dive.

I am curious how the two compare regarding total dive weight though. A neo suit with thinner undergarments, vs trilam with thicker undergarments; which needs less weight for equivalent warmth. "Equivalent warmth" would be the hard part to control for though, since all the divers would have some sort of bias, and humans are pretty crap at noticing temperature change.

I would imagine with all the variables they are about equal.

 

[Jcp2]

I have three laminate suits. One is a white’s tropic bilaminate suit with a plastic zipper that is really light and packs very small. I have a new Seaskin that is heavier with thicker material, a brass zipper, and socks. My third suit is a USIA suit with rubber boots and cordura overlays on the arms and legs that is really heavy.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I think the OP was asking about shipping/travel weight, not weight required to dive.

I am curious how the two compare regarding total dive weight though. A neo suit with thinner undergarments, vs trilam with thicker undergarments; which needs less weight for equivalent warmth. "Equivalent warmth" would be the hard part to control for though, since all the divers would have some sort of bias, and humans are pretty crap at noticing temperature change.

I would imagine with all the variables they are about equal.

Well, I'm a total wimp when it comes to temperature. I had a compressed neoprene dry suit first, and I use the same undergarment (4th Element Halo 3D) as I do with my trilam one. For trilam, I do have some more layers.

One thing to remember, I'm a total wimp when it comes to temperature. So YMMV as compared to mine. I found the neoprene more restrictive overall (I felt like a Michelin Man). However, it did come at a cost.

I am looking at Fortress Clothing for a warm/thin top to wear with my undergarment and heated vest.

Again, I'm an outlier on the extreme end of cold tolerance. I should not be used as a guideline, but a data point. Those with similarly poor cold tolerance, you're not alone!