Are dry suits worth it?

[Doby45]

I dive 12lb with 5mm and an aluminum tank. I dive 16lb with same tank and my Fusion with medium undergarments down to 45* water. Same drysuit and a steel 100 I only use 8lb of lead. I would not call any of those numbers an undo burden of lead thanks to a drysuit.

 

[Marie13]

Yesterday in rental drysuit (Fusion Sport) with a medium weight fleece undergarment for my second OW pool day, I had 20 lbs of weight in addition to my 6lb steel back plate. A friend of mine says he needs 27 pounds with his heaviest undergarment (jacket style BCD).

And I didn't feel overweighted. I needed something like 14 lbs without the dry suit.

 

[Storker]

I love having a 3 mm wetsuit and no weight

I'd love that, too. If my waters were diveable in that kind of a suit.

They aren't, so I put on my drysuit and stay toasty warm both before, during and after the dive (unlike how it'd been if I were diving wet).

 

[Peter69_56]

I must admit I have much better control now I have used it for a while. When I first got it I had a lot of lead, but have reduced that significantly.

I have a waterproof D1 which I like but it does seem to trap air, still more use of it will get me used to it. I tend to go wet where I can as it simplifies workload.

With regard to tanks, I have 2 12.2 steels but can be also carrying 2 to 3 aluminium deco tanks too so I have to weight for end of dive conditions which is a pain. Getting the balance right when changing dive conditions is always a balance.

But they are nice and warm over wet so worthwhile.

 

[Germie]

I only dive in drysuit. I like it and I do technical diving.
But remember, the suits are expensive and 2 things doesn't exist in diving: Stainless steel and drysuits.

A drysuit need more care, sometimes leaks, need new seals, etc. And you need to be lucky to find one out of a good batch from a good brand.

 

[pinshootr]

Germie I don't know what kind of suit you are diving but if you have a good brand it should not leak!!!!

 

[toby43]

Does a bear poop in the woods? Damn straight they are.

I bought a used Fusion Bullet for just over $600 (suit retails for $1999) I have added about $200 to install wrist rings and soon to be neck ring. I have now about 30 dives on my drysuit with no "certification" and it is just as comfortable to me as my 5mm wetsuit and basically dives the same. Seals can be replaced in 5 minutes (if I am drunk) and about 2 minutes sober. No need to miss a dive. The seals are rather inexpensive at $25 for a PAIR of wrists and $30 for a neck seal. Silicone is of course a bit more but STILL cheaper than other major brands seals. I have no issues with my suit as far as leaks go. The Fusion Sport skin is shown below, got it from @decompression

View attachment 379753

+1 for the Whites/Apeks Fusion. Got mine second hand too. Works well, you can operate the zip yourself. Takes a bit of time to dry is only drawback, but so does a wetsuit. No leaking problems to speak of. Dive it with a Fourth element Arctic and Xerotherm layers. If you are buying off the peg or second hand trilam, determine how much layering you need for the water temperature, buy that first and then try on the drysuit.

 

[AJ]

Germie I don't know what kind of suit you are diving but if you have a good brand it should not leak!!!!

There are two kind of dry suit divers: those who got wet and those who are about to get wet.....

In the end every suit leaks sooner or later. It's just a matter of diving enough to wear out seals and zippers.

 

[kodiak81]

I must be crazy but I ordered my dry suit last night. I was at DRIS a bit early for my SDI OW online digital review classroom session. Pool sessions Thursday and Saturday. I was taking to shop staff that I intended to order later in the year, but I actually found out they would do their darndest to get it to me in time for my OW dives on Sept 17 and 18th. Mike the owner told me that himself that they would call the manufacturer and explain the situation. I was impressed. Another example of excellent DRIS customer service.

I ended up going with a USIA Techniflex suit. DUI would have been more than $1K higher, give that I needed a custom suit. A friend has a USIA and really likes it. I got purple trim, would have preferred pink, but USIA's pink is this insipid pastel shade. I wanted hot pink! Front entry, Velcro pockets, neoprene socks, replaceable seals. Will figure out which rock boots to get as well as which dry gloves.

I must be insane to get it before my pool sessions, but given the issues DRIS has had trying to fit me with a rental dry suit (I'm doing the dry suit specialty with my OW), it will be very nice to have my own properly fitting suit for the OW dives.

For cheap and stylish rock boots I'm using a pair of high top Converse shoes. They go well with ankle weights, get many "I like the shoes" comments, and only spent $30.

 

[admikar]

For cheap and stylish rock boots I'm using a pair of high top Converse shoes. They go well with ankle weights, get many "I like the shoes" comments, and only spent $30.

Would you mind putting pictures of your cheap high top Converse? I had one as a kid and I was crazy about them, indestructible, only changed them after outgrowing them.