Review Seaskin Nova drysuit

[HeXx]

So my Seaskin saga somewhat related to 80's rockstar latex fit... during a recent trip to northern Vancouver Island, a helping hand from a dive buddy pulled hard on my partially plastic zipper before I had a chance to get the zipper sides/teeth close together - and pulled the car clean through the teeth on one side. Zipper is apparently not serviceable and will need replacement. This while stuffed in the suit wearing the Seaskin 250gm thinsulate layer.

I'll be sending my suit back to Seaskin for repair ( 126BP, 80BP x 2 shipping next day = 386BP total). I'm also going to discuss what can be done to make alterations to the suit for more crotch and shoulder room.

On a side note, I was lucky enough to have booked the God's Pocket trip through Ocean Pro Divers who (Shawn) had brought 1 spare XL Bare drysuit from their rental fleet. Saved by the loaner suit... this on dive day #2 of 5! Then down in Campbell River at Ocean Fix, rented a Bare "NextGen" for one day of diving with them.

I've had a lot of compliments about how well the Seaskin suit looks, but man, it's not like "I told you so" and had treaded this issue was just waiting to happen at some point. Sum total, 9 dives before user/helper error trashed zipper.

This was my first owned plastic zipper. Should I have Seaskin switch to metal?

I ordered mine with metal because of the feedback I read that metal zippers outlast by quite a bit the plastic ones.
I'm still waiting for mine to arrive.
In my opinion, like you said, the zipper was improperly handled and broke. User error.
If a Bare drysuit could handle that abuse? Maybe, but do they use the same brand and model zipper? Perhaps their high quality zipper is what justifies the price being double or triple what a Seaskin costs.
The feedback I read is that Seaskin is durable with many people reporting hundreds of dives without fail, and i'm really hoping they are because I have one ordered

 

[lexvil]

So my Seaskin saga somewhat related to 80's rockstar latex fit... during a recent trip to northern Vancouver Island, a helping hand from a dive buddy pulled hard on my partially plastic zipper before I had a chance to get the zipper sides/teeth close together - and pulled the car clean through the teeth on one side. Zipper is apparently not serviceable and will need replacement. This while stuffed in the suit wearing the Seaskin 250gm thinsulate layer.

I'll be sending my suit back to Seaskin for repair ( 126BP, 80BP x 2 shipping next day = 386BP total). I'm also going to discuss what can be done to make alterations to the suit for more crotch and shoulder room.

On a side note, I was lucky enough to have booked the God's Pocket trip through Ocean Pro Divers who (Shawn) had brought 1 spare XL Bare drysuit from their rental fleet. Saved by the loaner suit... this on dive day #2 of 5! Then down in Campbell River at Ocean Fix, rented a Bare "NextGen" for one day of diving with them.

I've had a lot of compliments about how well the Seaskin suit looks, but man, it's not like "I told you so" and had treaded this issue was just waiting to happen at some point. Sum total, 9 dives before user/helper error trashed zipper.

This was my first owned plastic zipper. Should I have Seaskin switch to metal?

First thing, it’s a self donning suit, nobody should be yanking on anything except maybe the docking, second thing other than you hoping they can make it bigger you may want to look at less “lofty” undies, in which case it won’t cost anymore to send it to DRIS and have a TiZip installed, which, in my opinion, is the best zipper available.

Third, for me personally I will NEVER buy a brass zip again.

 

[bpodbielski]

Check your spam folder, the dispatch email may have gone there. You may get the email Monday morning if it hadn't gone out Friday.

Email came today, so you were only a day off! Now I'm off to stare at the tracking information 24/7 until it shows up at my door...

 

[Litefoot]

Email came today, so you were only a day off! Now I'm off to stare at the tracking information 24/7 until it shows up at my door...

Rather than have 90 straight days of disappointment, it’s better to just put it in the back of your mind and have 1 day of joyful unexpected surprise.

 

[SeaIRL]

First thing, it’s a self donning suit, nobody should be yanking on anything except maybe the docking, second thing other than you hoping they can make it bigger you may want to look at less “lofty” undies, in which case it won’t cost anymore to send it to DRIS and have a TiZip installed, which, in my opinion, is the best zipper available.

Third, for me personally I will NEVER buy a brass zip again.

"self donning"

Along with my dry suit order also included the 150 & 250gm thermals which fit perfect according to my measurements provided. You'd think Seaskin would have allowed sufficient room for the 250gm without struggling/dislocating your shoulder to slip in and out of that. Plus the lack of crotch/leg room to do a proper full frog kick without restriction :/ Still, the last inch of the upper part of the zip is beyond what I can reach, hence the buddy effect and risk therein.

I don't find the 250gm thinsulate to be all that lofty and IME thinsulate seems to do better on multiple 46F dives than something like FE Arctic fleece when you are already a bit damp from the first dive.

Anyway, while I was away on the trip my wife called Seaskin to ask about our options. I haven't called them yet as I need to get the suit prepped for shipping first, but it sounds like they can make some alterations to a couple key areas. Wife simply told me to order a bigger suit for cold water and keep the skinny suit for warmer conditions since I have no issues in the 150gm (or FE Arctic) thermals

 

[Badger7]

Its not just you. After talcing the suit and practing donning multiple times, I'm able to easily slip right in wearing waterproof meshtech undergarments, which are a little bit thinner than other options. Just going up to 4e Arctics which are a little bit more lofty there is noticeably more work to get my right arm down and into the sleeve without stressing the zipper. I'm carrying enough BMI right now that dropping my caloric intake for a week or two would easily allow for thicker undergarments. I'm sure right now if I tried to stuff a 250gm or 400gm thinsulate suit in there with me I'd be in for some serious embarrassment. Thankfully, I'm finding (for me) that 40F dives for 45-50 minutes are perfectly comfortable with just the seaskin tech base layer, meshtec undergarments, and xerotherm glove liners. Pizza and beer are still on the menu this summer.

 

[lexvil]

Pretty sad when you young wiper snappers can’t dress yourselves, im on my 70th year, wear 3 or 4 layers (sometimes an electric vest) and can put on my own suit. I’ve had 3 shoulder surgeries too.

 

[DiverMZ]

Just dove my nova for the first time and had issues zipping up at first but just have to straighten out the edges. Love the suit.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Pretty sad when you young wiper snappers can’t dress yourselves, im on my 70th year, wear 3 or 4 layers (sometimes an electric vest) and can put on my own suit. I’ve had 3 shoulder surgeries too.

It would drive me absolutely nuts if I couldn't get my suit on myself. I am super stoked that you still can at 70 69.

70 is the new 55 anyway.

 

[lexvil]

It would drive me absolutely nuts if I couldn't get my suit on myself. I am super stoked that you still can at 70.

70 is the new 55 anyway.

Hey stop it, I’m not 70 yet!