Dry suit basics

[Carribeandiver]

I have been researching DSs, looking at brands, models and articles comparing them all. I came across a Scuba Diving Magazine article that listed the 10 best suits for under $1000.
Naturally, this caught my eye and interest. One suit, the DUI TLS350SE was listed at $998. The article went on to say it was the tester's favorite, had NO listed weaknesses, was 'extremely easy' to don and was a Trilam fabric.
However, I do not see this suit listed on the DUI site so I am guessing it is an older model.
Does anyone know if this suit is still made? Does anyone have any experience with this suit? And lastly, is this suit shoulder zippered or diagonal zippered?
One last unrelated question, I noticed that shoulder zippered suits are cheaper, is there any reason for that?

 

[Bobbin-along]

The suits that front or back zip from shoulder to shoulder are much less difficult to make, require less fabric, less man hours to create, and as a result are generally cheaper for you as a consumer.

 

[Rainer]

There is no drysuit certification required to participate in DOG days. They have instructors and such there to work with you for that very reason. Of course, you'd have to work pretty hard to hurt yourself in the little pools they have.

There is no certification requirement whatsoever for drysuit diving in general. Many people have been diving them for years without ever getting formally certified, and are experts in DS diving. That said, it IS possible to get yourself in trouble if you don't know what you're doing, so it's a pretty good idea to get the cert, or at the very least, start by diving with someone who really knows what they're doing. One final thought: You don't need a DS cert to dive your own suit, but most shops I know of who rent drysuits want to see a card before they send you off with a $1200 suit.

Personally, I bought a used suit, and mentored with a friend until I was comfortable. And then, about 20 dives later, I ended up taking the class anyway because I realized I wanted to rent some suits to try out some other models, and needed the card to rent. I learned a couple handy tips I did not already know, but nothing I was in jeopardy not knowing. YMMV.

DOG Days in MA is done in the ocean, not a pool. You need a DS cert to take out a dry suit *on your own*, otherwise you can just pair up with a DM, instructor, etc.

 

[CompuDude]

DOG Days in MA is done in the ocean, not a pool. You need a DS cert to take out a dry suit *on your own*, otherwise you can just pair up with a DM, instructor, etc.

Wow, open water? Cool, tho not how it's done everywhere. Makes sense if you're talking about taking a suit into open water conditions without direct supervision.

 

[Rainer]

Smart marketing. It's the first weekend in May, when local waters are still in the 40s. That DS starts sounding like a great deal to those who wouldn't otherwise be diving for another month or two.

 

[PerroneFord]

The suit is still made, it is on the DUI webpage (Value priced suits) and is that inexpensive for a reason. There are better suits out there that aren't much more expensive. DUI makes some great suits for sure, but it's like Ferrari making an economy car. They cut far too many corners to be in familiar territory. PM me and I'll give you some leads.



-P

I have been researching DSs, looking at brands, models and articles comparing them all. I came across a Scuba Diving Magazine article that listed the 10 best suits for under $1000.
Naturally, this caught my eye and interest. One suit, the DUI TLS350SE was listed at $998. The article went on to say it was the tester's favorite, had NO listed weaknesses, was 'extremely easy' to don and was a Trilam fabric.
However, I do not see this suit listed on the DUI site so I am guessing it is an older model.
Does anyone know if this suit is still made? Does anyone have any experience with this suit? And lastly, is this suit shoulder zippered or diagonal zippered?
One last unrelated question, I noticed that shoulder zippered suits are cheaper, is there any reason for that?

 

[BubblesUp]

I was told that zipseals are a must and read a little about them on the DUI website.

I've had my DUI CLX450 with Zip Seals (wrist and neck) for ~3 years and > 200 dives. I'm on my first pair of wrist seals and second neck seal. Yes, the seals cost a bit more, but it seemed a small price to pay when I was able to change out neck seals between dives during a charter on Lake Huron.

A note about zip neck seals...
My LDS wound up switching back to non-zip neck seals on their XL and larger rental suits because many larger divers found them too snug. I'm a smaller diver, and I have to be careful that my BC shoulder straps sit farther out on my shoulders, off the edge of the zip seal. Took me awhile to figure out that was why I ended every dive weekend with giant bruises on my collarbones.

Something else to think about...
Depending what type of diving you're going to do, thigh pockets can be a wonderful addition to a drysuit. I originally ordered my suit with a pocket on the right, later wanted two pockets for tech and used a Dive Rite thigh pocket on the left. Hated the drooping, twisting feeling of the Dive Rite and wound up having a second pocket added.

Good luck in your search. Hope you find a suit that's to your liking!