First Diving Suit for Northern New England Diving

[lexvil]

Fits well, easy to put on and off, keeps me dry, ease of the seals to replace I.E. kneck and wrist. also the ease of finding someone to do repairs to it

If you can find a deeply discounted off the rack suit cool but if you are not “standard size” the seaskin is made to your provided measurements, perfect fit, optional seal systems from Si-tech make seals changes a snap also if you choose the oval system you get great dryglove options, very cheap seals too, a drysuit is a drysuit, anyone with at least one eye and 3 fingers can repair any drysuit.

 

[beester]

I'm not reading through all the posts (I'm sorry ) so maybe what I say has already been set!

- FIT FIT FIT: There are loads of decisions you can take with a drysuit (material, zippertype, seal type, wetgloves or drygloves, position of the valves, boots, socks or flexsoles, type of pockets and location) without even going into brands... if you make a decision on most of these and you find out later that it wasn't ideal you can change or you can live with it... but the number of beginning divers that I've seen with a drysuit that doesn't fit well... is quite frankly a LOT. They also don't know that the suit doesn't fit well... they think it needs to be this restrictive, but it should not! (I just googled drysuit fit and selected one from an unknown brand to avoid brand discussion :

)

- DIVER ADVICE: A drysuit is a big ticket item, probably the most expensive item you'll buy in your beginning diving career. Even the cheapest ones will set you back at least 1000 USD and they go north to over 4000 (wow to one of the posters... 4000+ USD for an flx extreme... I think I paid mine 5 years ago with all options 2700€). The problem is that many divers don't have deep owner experience with a lot of different suits and different brands. So they advice what they know, and a shop will advice what they sell. I've dived 6 different suits from 4 brands in my diving career... but even then I'm limited in giving advice because I tend to look for specific suits (for technical diving). But beware when someone defends brand A suit without pointing out any negatives

Some easy advice I can give you, except focus on FIT, is yes take the jump. In your waters, after the initial break in and gaining of experience diving a drysuit, you'll enjoy diving much more using a drysuit than diving wet or semiwet. I dived wet from 1990 until 2006 (winter and summer), and nowadays I only get wet when the water temperature is north of 25°C (77°F). Next if you can get in touch with your local community at least you can get some advice on what they dive (but always stay critical).

I know this is not a real answer with real specifics but I hope it helps!

Cheers and let us know what you've decided in the end.

 

[Jay Adams]

I'm not reading through all the posts (I'm sorry ) so maybe what I say has already been set!

- FIT FIT FIT: There are loads of decisions you can take with a drysuit (material, zippertype, seal type, wetgloves or drygloves, position of the valves, boots, socks or flexsoles, type of pockets and location) without even going into brands... if you make a decision on most of these and you find out later that it wasn't ideal you can change or you can live with it... but the number of beginning divers that I've seen with a drysuit that doesn't fit well... is quite frankly a LOT. They also don't know that the suit doesn't fit well... they think it needs to be this restrictive, but it should not! (I just googled drysuit fit and selected one from an unknown brand to avoid brand discussion :

)

- DIVER ADVICE: A drysuit is a big ticket item, probably the most expensive item you'll buy in your beginning diving career. Even the cheapest ones will set you back at least 1000 USD and they go north to over 4000 (wow to one of the posters... 4000+ USD for an flx extreme... I think I paid mine 5 years ago with all options 2700€). The problem is that many divers don't have deep owner experience with a lot of different suits and different brands. So they advice what they know, and a shop will advice what they sell. I've dived 6 different suits from 4 brands in my diving career... but even then I'm limited in giving advice because I tend to look for specific suits (for technical diving). But beware when someone defends brand A suit without pointing out any negatives

Some easy advice I can give you, except focus on FIT, is yes take the jump. In your waters, after the initial break in and gaining of experience diving a drysuit, you'll enjoy diving much more using a drysuit than diving wet or semiwet. I dived wet from 1990 until 2006 (winter and summer), and nowadays I only get wet when the water temperature is north of 25°C (77°F). Next if you can get in touch with your local community at least you can get some advice on what they dive (but always stay critical).

I know this is not a real answer with real specifics but I hope it helps!

Cheers and let us know what you've decided in the end.

OP Purchased a 5mm w4 semidry, he should be fine for nh diving 9 months out of the year

 

[beester]

If the temperature range is comparable to North/Western European diving (37-67°F)... I beg to differ and I've dived years and years diving wet and semidry, my longest cold wet dive was 120 minutes in 40° F water, so I believe I have an little idea what is involved (being young and stupid doesn't hurt).

YES by all means dive wet when you are only doing 10 summer dives a year, but if you are planning to make diving a significant part of your life (your main hobby), then make life easier and dive dry. By the way the OP is asking about a DRY suit... not your opinion on what is diveable.

 

[Marie13]

OP’s gonna freeze his arse off.

 

[Centrals]

OP’s gonna freeze his arse off.

How do you know?
Read #83.
Even he did, he won't be alone.

Why wouldn't some of you just leave him alone and let him dive for a while to find out the reality.

You people is just amazing.

 

[BoltSnap]

If the temperature range is comparable to North/Western European diving (37-67°F)... I beg to differ and I've dived years and years diving wet and semidry, my longest cold wet dive was 120 minutes in 40° F water, so I believe I have an little idea what is involved (being young and stupid doesn't hurt).

YES by all means dive wet when you are only doing 10 summer dives a year, but if you are planning to make diving a significant part of your life (your main hobby), then make life easier and dive dry. By the way the OP is asking about a DRY suit... not your opinion on what is diveable.

Yes indeed.

OP’s gonna freeze his arse off.

Exactly!! (in addition to other parts of his anatomy).

OP Purchased a 5mm w4 semidry, he should be fine for nh diving 9 months out of the year

He may be able to dive but he won't be fine or enjoy the dives especially when it is cold in and out of the water. It isn't going to be pleasant. He maybe able to do it just because of stubbornness and not having another choice not because it is enjoyable or pleasant.

How do you know?
Read #83.
Even he did, he won't be alone.

Why wouldn't some of you just leave him alone and let him dive for a while to find out the reality.

You people is just amazing.

You are actually the amazing one here. The OP came on his own here and started a thread soliciting other people's opinion on which way to go and people are giving their opinions based on their knowledge and experience. No one, to my knowledge, went to his house or knocked on his door forcing their opinion on him. This is what SB is all about. You can't take it, don't be here.

 

[Centrals]

You are actually the amazing one here. The OP came on his own here and started a thread soliciting other people's opinion on which way to go and people are giving their opinions based on their knowledge and experience. No one, to my knowledge, went to his house or knocked on his door forcing their opinion on him. This is what SB is all about. You can't take it, don't be here.

OP has given his answer on #83.
Have you read it?

Step by step, inch by inch.

You and few others just could not take it NOT me.

As for my presence here, NONE of your business.

 

[BoltSnap]

OP has given his answer on #83.
Have you read it?

Step by step, inch by inch.

You and few others just could not take it NOT me.

As for my presence here, NONE of your business.

Others with more experience have a different answer and opinion, why is that eating you? Stop being a bully attacking people who are giving different point of view.

 

[Centrals]

Others with more experience have a different answer and opinion, why is that eating you? Stop being a bully attacking people who are giving different point of view.

Bullying? Just the opposite! Read the comment/remark by the proponents of dry suit.
OP has given his reply two pages ago #83. Not good enough for some of you because he is NOT using dry suit as some of you had suggested. That bothered you more than anything else because he had chosen the other route!