Santi 400g or DUI 450 Flex?

[DiverLaura]

I have been putting in some long in water days with the XM450. At first blush, when i pulled it out of the box and went for a dive, it felt like i made a big mistake as it was like wearing cardboard, albeit really really really warm cardboard. They were simply too warm. I actually did a couple dives on them and threw them in the closet next to the 400g's. Then winter rolled around and my powerstretch even with 100g under it just wasn't cutting it anymore, so i dug em out. After a dozen or so dives, it's softened up very nicely... It is now my undergarment of choice. I worried that i would feel the panels, I think I notice them when i first get in the water on my knees, but after an hour with a partially flooded suit i did not notice an appreciable difference between the stretchy part and thinsulate part.

 

[LiteHedded]

i've heard Casey mention that the panels are noticeable on long dives. and I heard rumors of him snatching up all the old style 400 grams he could find. whether it would be noticeable to the rest of us or not is questionable though

the xm450 always seemed like a response to the santi undergarments to me ever since I saw the prototype. it just doesn't seem to be done nearly as well. although it certainly looks cool.

 

[HenrikBP]

Thanks for the Santi/Santi USA info. That's good to know and worth keeping in mind.

As for delivery of custom suits ... I feel similarly about DUI after seeing what a friend went through with a full custom TLS.

I may have to just keep diving my Fusion.

Henrik

 

[ucfdiver]

I own both ... and can't be as emphatic about that as you are. I like both of my suits ... Santi eSpace and DUI TLS350 ... but for different reasons.

Both are quality suits.

And FWIW - I have a Santi 400G undergarment sitting in my closet that I never wear. I prefer my Weezle Extreme ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

What do you like better about the TLS? I noticed a marginal flexibility difference when I dove a Santi (I admit, the TLS350 wins), but when it comes to comfort well....

TLS350 is a semi dry suit and the Santi tends to be a dry suit. I see lots of people around here who dive 4-5x a week and everyone with a TLS (myself included) gets wet, where as I know of one Santi leaking.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

What do you like better about the TLS? I noticed a marginal flexibility difference when I dove a Santi (I admit, the TLS350 wins), but when it comes to comfort well....

TLS350 is a semi dry suit and the Santi tends to be a dry suit. I see lots of people around here who dive 4-5x a week and everyone with a TLS (myself included) gets wet, where as I know of one Santi leaking.

Yeah, you pretty much nailed it on both points. My TLS350 feels like my favorite blue jeans in terms of comfort and fit. The eSpace is a bit less flexible ... but it does tend to keep me drier.

On the other hand, my eSpace is down there getting repaired right now because the boots didn't last more than a few months before they started "seeping". They don't leak ... they seep ... and wet feet in cold water is one of the most uncomfortable leaks you can get. They're replacing the boots under warranty ... so no complaints about that. But my suit's been gone for a month now, and lord only knows how much longer it'll be before I get it back ... AFAIK, he hasn't even received the replacement boots from Poland yet. My turnaround for repairs at DUI, in the five years I've been doing business with them, has never been more than three weeks ... and usually less than that.

For someone who dives as much as I do, not having my suit available for several weeks when it needs repairs is a major factor when making my next purchasing decision. I guess if I lived in Florida, and could take my suit directly to the guy who's responsible for fixing it, it'd be less of a concern ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[DiverLaura]

FWIW, the FLX material is MUCH thicker than the TLS. I'm not sure comparing the TLS to the Santi is a fair "material to material" comparison. I think someone once said it was closer to the CLX450 in weight.

I know i'm hard on suits, hence getting a CF200, and soon an FLXextreme for travel. The TLS has it's place, its just not in my lineup at this juncture. Whenever i dive one it is indeed light weight and comfy from that standpoint, but it's cold by comparison and I'm always rather concerned about walking by blackberry bushes and sitting on the bulkhead at the dive site. Could be overly OCD on my part, but i hate being cold and wet.

i found valve drills and assorted undergarments as follows, listed easiest --> most restrictive either due to material or simply bulk... YMMV, i'm kinda small, so the thickness of suit itself has more effect when it bunches or folds.

None of these were custom sized. I generally fit fine in a mens XS or womens small.

DUI Powerstretch 300 wins hands down, USIA superstretch, weezle wear extreme , DUI XM450, weezlewear extreme plus, Santi, waterproof warmtec, heavy Andys, DUI 400g


I have not tried the 4th Element, but i will hopefully at some point.

 

[PfcAJ]

The Santi thinsulate undergarments are better than DUI's, imo. The devil is in the details.

Get 'em while you can.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

... do you Florida guys really wear 400G undies?

Seems like a lot for 70 degree water ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[PfcAJ]

Ya, but its ~70 degrees for a decent amount of time

 

[ucfdiver]

... do you Florida guys really wear 400G undies?

Seems like a lot for 70 degree water ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

250g with underarmor under it doesn't last much longer than 2-2.5hrs for me.