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Cold water Q's
- Thread starter LakerPride
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Twilodiver
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KD8NPB
Contributor
No love for Viking drysuits anymore?
CamG
Contributor
I love Dry suits they make 2hr+ dives a lot more comfy!
Cold water / warm water after 2hrs it does not matter you can be cold all the same!
Awesome advice given here on many suits what I am going to add is simple.........
Buy one commit to learning how to dive it safety and train to dive the dives you wish to do.
I have had the opportunity to try many dry suits different makes and models and each will have his or her favorites.
Basics are best cover the pros and cons then decide what suits your style of diving.
Just remember it is a suit and they wear out with use some faster than others.
The suit will get you started then train wisely to dive cold water!
It is beautiful but can be very deadly as well it is different than warm water make no mistake.
Slow and steady wins the race!
Take your time gaining experience and training hook up with other experienced divers to mentor you along once you have the training.
The learning curve will be present but pleasant not horrific and painful!
CamG Keep Diving....Keep Training....Keep Learning!
Cold water / warm water after 2hrs it does not matter you can be cold all the same!
Awesome advice given here on many suits what I am going to add is simple.........
Buy one commit to learning how to dive it safety and train to dive the dives you wish to do.
I have had the opportunity to try many dry suits different makes and models and each will have his or her favorites.
Basics are best cover the pros and cons then decide what suits your style of diving.
Just remember it is a suit and they wear out with use some faster than others.
The suit will get you started then train wisely to dive cold water!
It is beautiful but can be very deadly as well it is different than warm water make no mistake.
Slow and steady wins the race!
Take your time gaining experience and training hook up with other experienced divers to mentor you along once you have the training.
The learning curve will be present but pleasant not horrific and painful!
CamG Keep Diving....Keep Training....Keep Learning!
Whites just introduced a new drysuit for under a grand. Pretty cool Whites Diving Homepage - Whites Diving
My wife and I both dive Whites, her a Fusion and me a Catalyst 360
My wife and I both dive Whites, her a Fusion and me a Catalyst 360
For an entry-level suit, I don't think you can beat the new Fusion One. It's a back zip version of the Fusion, and they're selling it for $999. A thousand dollars for a well-made, comfortable dry suit with a strong track record of durability is a win in my book.
Anyway you go, and as there are no cheap Drysuits, with this you need to put comfort into balance.
Mine is a crushed neoprene one, as there is plenty of air space for different types of undergarments, so I can mix and match for different temperatures.
Mine is a crushed neoprene one, as there is plenty of air space for different types of undergarments, so I can mix and match for different temperatures.
I'm a Fusion fan- dive my drysuit about 25-30 times a year- so not a heavy drysuit user. I will probably greatly increase that number next year when I move north. My issue is wide shoulders, very long torso, very short legs, and very short arms- quite the mental picture 
, heh. I have a Diving Concepts (crushed neoprene) that I bought used, dove for a little while, but just too tight in the shoulders- had issues reaching the values.
Have tried a number of dives in multiple DUI and Seasoft suits, and the only course of action for me was a custom suit, which tallied into a lot of dollars for a limited number of dives per year. Enter the Fusion... while it is closer to a trash bag covered in stretchy neoprene, I can finally easily reach valves, put on my fins, and put it on myself without any problems. I even don't find it that difficult to put on after the first few dives. In my area, I was able to get the Fusion Tech, replacement neck seals with silicone, for about half of what a DUI custom would cost (I do use DUI Rock boots). OTOH, I thoroughly agree that the Fusion is NOT for everyone. If I didn't have the Fusion option, or dove a drysuit many times a week, I would probably go with the custom DUI.
The big thing for me was I was able to drop 6 pounds of lead over the other suits I have tried or owned- I use less with MK2 underwear than I do with my 7 mil fully body wetsuit. And with a bad back, that is most important.
My biggest complaint is the bag- excellent functional design with shoulder straps, but the main compartment zipper sucks! After several uses with a gentle hand, both my first bag and a replacement one have lost zipper teeth- the zipper is really cheap.
, heh. I have a Diving Concepts (crushed neoprene) that I bought used, dove for a little while, but just too tight in the shoulders- had issues reaching the values. Have tried a number of dives in multiple DUI and Seasoft suits, and the only course of action for me was a custom suit, which tallied into a lot of dollars for a limited number of dives per year. Enter the Fusion... while it is closer to a trash bag covered in stretchy neoprene, I can finally easily reach valves, put on my fins, and put it on myself without any problems. I even don't find it that difficult to put on after the first few dives. In my area, I was able to get the Fusion Tech, replacement neck seals with silicone, for about half of what a DUI custom would cost (I do use DUI Rock boots). OTOH, I thoroughly agree that the Fusion is NOT for everyone. If I didn't have the Fusion option, or dove a drysuit many times a week, I would probably go with the custom DUI.
The big thing for me was I was able to drop 6 pounds of lead over the other suits I have tried or owned- I use less with MK2 underwear than I do with my 7 mil fully body wetsuit. And with a bad back, that is most important.
My biggest complaint is the bag- excellent functional design with shoulder straps, but the main compartment zipper sucks! After several uses with a gentle hand, both my first bag and a replacement one have lost zipper teeth- the zipper is really cheap.
bj139
Contributor
If you can't try it on before buying, get a Fusion. I bought a used one that way (*bay) and it fits and dives fine. I did not care that it would make me look fat. If you're fat, lose weight. I don't think diving should be a fashion show. Maybe I'm old enough not to care.
I recently bought a used DUI CF200 at my LDS since it sat there for two weeks calling my name. It fit OK but was a little tight around my belly (too fat). For $200 it was a great deal. The neck seal was cut a little big and leaked a little with no hood. Wearing a hood presses down on the neck seal and then it does not leak. I will probably need to replace neck and wrist seals this winter.
The DUI crushed neoprene suit does feel a bit warmer than the Fusion. It is also much heavier, especially when wet and takes several days to dry. They both work fine and are FAR warmer than diving wet. This is all I know about drysuits from firsthand experience. I never took a drysuit course ( or a wetsuit course) and have over 100 drysuit dives. If you have any awareness of where you are when you are diving you can easily feel buoyant feet and just kick to correct it. If you do not pay attention to what you are doing then taking a course will fix that.
I recently bought a used DUI CF200 at my LDS since it sat there for two weeks calling my name. It fit OK but was a little tight around my belly (too fat). For $200 it was a great deal. The neck seal was cut a little big and leaked a little with no hood. Wearing a hood presses down on the neck seal and then it does not leak. I will probably need to replace neck and wrist seals this winter.
The DUI crushed neoprene suit does feel a bit warmer than the Fusion. It is also much heavier, especially when wet and takes several days to dry. They both work fine and are FAR warmer than diving wet. This is all I know about drysuits from firsthand experience. I never took a drysuit course ( or a wetsuit course) and have over 100 drysuit dives. If you have any awareness of where you are when you are diving you can easily feel buoyant feet and just kick to correct it. If you do not pay attention to what you are doing then taking a course will fix that.
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