There's a lot of good points brought up on both the shell and neoprene dry suits. I've used both and prefer the neoprene. Yes they do take longer to dry and are bulkier, however, I'm warmer and way more comfortable in the water with the neoprene suit. Either of the dry suits will be a major improvement over diving wet here in the PNW.
drysuit shell versus crushed neoprene.
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faye
Guest
Yah any dry suit is WAY better then any wet suit!! Give em' a try befor you buy man, thats the key!!
I dive here in the PNW so I'm familiar with Hood Canal and Puget Sound. I tried both the shell and neoprene suits, while it' true, the neoprene takes longer to dry and is heavier, I'm more comfortable in the neoprene suit. If possible try both out before you buy and see which one you prefer.
trevinkorea
Contributor
Hi all.
I switched from a neoprene to a trilam because I wanted to try something lighter and faster drying and becuase unfortunately my old suit doesn't fit as well as it used to.
I really like the self entry trilam but it is not at all flexible (stretchy) like the neoprene. It is more confortable both on the surface and in the water though.
I've got a question. It was mentioned that the shell suits are not a hard wearing and therefor not as good for wreck diving. It is my inderstanding that the DIR crew prefer shells. Since DIR divers are concerned with caves and other more advanced diving it doesn't make sense to me that they would choose a lighter duty suit.
I may be completely wrong here, and this may be a misplaced post but, I would really appreciate a comment on this or a link to a good reference.
I'm not DIR but I am very interested in learning from the positive aspects of the style.
I switched from a neoprene to a trilam because I wanted to try something lighter and faster drying and becuase unfortunately my old suit doesn't fit as well as it used to.
I really like the self entry trilam but it is not at all flexible (stretchy) like the neoprene. It is more confortable both on the surface and in the water though.
I've got a question. It was mentioned that the shell suits are not a hard wearing and therefor not as good for wreck diving. It is my inderstanding that the DIR crew prefer shells. Since DIR divers are concerned with caves and other more advanced diving it doesn't make sense to me that they would choose a lighter duty suit.
I may be completely wrong here, and this may be a misplaced post but, I would really appreciate a comment on this or a link to a good reference.
I'm not DIR but I am very interested in learning from the positive aspects of the style.
I was indoctrinated by DUI 20 years ago on the vast superiority of trilams and later CF200 suits. I lived with that predjudice for two decades but recently switched to a neoprene suit after borrowing one (a 7mm Atlan) when I had a serious zipper leak in my trilam. After one dive I decided I would never go back to a trilam and bought a neoprene suit a week later (a 5mm/7mm O'neil). They swim infinitely better in the water with wet suit like streamliing, the stretchy material allows more flexibility without excess fabric or bulk and they require less air as squeeze is much less severe.
In terms of storage and transport they are no more bulky than a shell suit and the heavier underwear required and in the water the weight required was comparable to what I used in a trilam with heavy underwear, and about 4 lbs heavier than a trilam with lighter underwear.
They do take a little longer to dry, but they are much warmer. Even with wet gloves in 35 degree water my hands stay warmer than they did on dry gloves in a trilam as my core stays much warmer. Last Sunday my spouse and I did 3 dives in 45 degree water at depths of 120 ft with run times up to 45 minutes with no feeling of being cold. The trilam suited diver with us did not stay nearly as warm. I also spent several dives with periods of 3 continuous hours in 35-40 degree water this spring while setting cables and anchors for the local marinas with much of the time spent floating on the surface waiting for the shore party to get their act together. Cold was not a factor as it was in other years in a trilam and I was not generally cold and miserable toward the end like the other trilam suited diver.
Another misconception is that at depth neoprene drysuits lose a great deal of insulation ability. They no doubt lose some insulation ability, but they are in my experience still far warmer than a trilam. I have dove all winter in mine with a pair of sweats for underwear and have had no problems with being cold even at depth and with deco stops. I have also found that even when wet inside, they lose virtually no insulation ability which is definitely not the case with a shell suit.
My spouse, never having been properly indoctrinated by DUI and being open minded enough to recongize a good thing when she saw it, has dove a neoprene drysuit for the last 5-6 years. She bought it used with an unknown number of dives on it and has put at least 300 dives on it herself. So while neoprene drysuit life may be shorter than shell suit life, when you consider that you can get into a new neoprene drysuit for around $500 (undergarments included) and then expect 300 plus dives out of it, the long term cost is less than or equal to the cost of a trilam and far less than the cost of crushed neoprene. A drysuit life one third as long as a trilam is acceptable when the cost of a neoprene drysuit is only one third as much as a trilam, plus you get 2 more new suits over the same 15 year span.
So my advice is to break away from the herd and give serious consideration to a neoprene drysuit. You will spend 1/3 as much cash and be warmer, more comfortable and more streamlined in the water.
In terms of storage and transport they are no more bulky than a shell suit and the heavier underwear required and in the water the weight required was comparable to what I used in a trilam with heavy underwear, and about 4 lbs heavier than a trilam with lighter underwear.
They do take a little longer to dry, but they are much warmer. Even with wet gloves in 35 degree water my hands stay warmer than they did on dry gloves in a trilam as my core stays much warmer. Last Sunday my spouse and I did 3 dives in 45 degree water at depths of 120 ft with run times up to 45 minutes with no feeling of being cold. The trilam suited diver with us did not stay nearly as warm. I also spent several dives with periods of 3 continuous hours in 35-40 degree water this spring while setting cables and anchors for the local marinas with much of the time spent floating on the surface waiting for the shore party to get their act together. Cold was not a factor as it was in other years in a trilam and I was not generally cold and miserable toward the end like the other trilam suited diver.
Another misconception is that at depth neoprene drysuits lose a great deal of insulation ability. They no doubt lose some insulation ability, but they are in my experience still far warmer than a trilam. I have dove all winter in mine with a pair of sweats for underwear and have had no problems with being cold even at depth and with deco stops. I have also found that even when wet inside, they lose virtually no insulation ability which is definitely not the case with a shell suit.
My spouse, never having been properly indoctrinated by DUI and being open minded enough to recongize a good thing when she saw it, has dove a neoprene drysuit for the last 5-6 years. She bought it used with an unknown number of dives on it and has put at least 300 dives on it herself. So while neoprene drysuit life may be shorter than shell suit life, when you consider that you can get into a new neoprene drysuit for around $500 (undergarments included) and then expect 300 plus dives out of it, the long term cost is less than or equal to the cost of a trilam and far less than the cost of crushed neoprene. A drysuit life one third as long as a trilam is acceptable when the cost of a neoprene drysuit is only one third as much as a trilam, plus you get 2 more new suits over the same 15 year span.
So my advice is to break away from the herd and give serious consideration to a neoprene drysuit. You will spend 1/3 as much cash and be warmer, more comfortable and more streamlined in the water.
large_diver
Contributor
Regarding the DIR comment -- there are many DIR folks out there who dive tri-lam, DUI CLX 450 (cordura), crushed neoprene.....so while you may read that tri-lam is the only way to go if you are DIR, the reality is far different.....(based more on personal preference)
I've also been in a GUE/DIR class where they criticized DUI drysuits.....at the same time 5 of the 6 instructors/assistants who were there were wearing DUIs......;-)
I've also been in a GUE/DIR class where they criticized DUI drysuits.....at the same time 5 of the 6 instructors/assistants who were there were wearing DUIs......;-)
I wonder if DougD has made up his mind about buying trilam or neoprene...it's only been two years since he asked for our advice...heehee 
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my Bare ATRHD (Trilam front entry) works perfect on the BC coast.
trevinkorea
Contributor
Amphibious:
I'm curious about the seals. I too use a Bare ATRHD (Trilam front entry) and i opted for all latex seals. I was told that a neoprene is better for the neck seal in cold water. Since you dive the same suit. What is your opinion on the latex vs. neoprene neck seal. I'll be back to BC at the end of the summer and want to get my gear all set up. Is it worthwile to switch over to neoprene for more warmth?
Thanks.
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I love my latex seals (wrists and neck), never had a problem with them. don;t notice the cold either. I wouldn;t worry about it. just get a good set of underwear
when you;re back in BC shoot me a PM
when you;re back in BC shoot me a PM
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