Drysuit advice for me - women's

Hi everyone,
I am currently diving a Pinnacle Evolution Tri-Lam drysuit. I've had it for over a year now and I've realized that it's just too restricting for me - legs aren't long enough and arms can't reach like I'd like. I am switching over to neoprene.

I am having a HARD time deciding what I want. I had my heard set on the UK's O'Three suit - the Ri 2/100 (which is the one Jeff is getting) and it's nice 2.5mm compressed neoprene and I like it, but they don't have a cut for women. They suggested thier 5mm MSF 500tb, but I haven't made up my mind. I looked at the DUI CF200, but in all honesty, I don't really like it (and they don't show women's sizes??)

I looked online at other kinds: Whites, Diving Concepts, Bare, Mares...any I could think of and I haven't found anything I love. And my wants are simple! Ideally I'd like a compressed (or crushed) neoprene - and one that will fit my voluptuous curves - and looks nice. I don't mind paying a little extra to have one custom, but I have to like it, so DUI is out. (I know that pains some of you!)

I dive New England year round and anticipate visiting some local wrecks, so I want something quality.
So - go ahead, get out the popcorn and start posting!! What is your favorite and why? Ladies - don't be shy.

Thanks in advance!
Lisa

Look at my avatar. It's a White's Catalyst. It's a bit long, but as I'm a bit rotund, I need something to fit around the middle. A very comfortable suit. They don't have specific cuts for women, but the do have sizing for women. Because of my physical make- up I had to go with a men's suit (that's whay it's long on me, but not too bad).

Thanks Tammy!
It looks like your suit is tri-lam - am I looking in the right place? It seems like a great suit, but I was looking for neoprene.
Thanks for the reply, and I hope you continue to love your suit!

I've used a CF200 for years. Dove quite a few other suits and it is still my favorite. The material has give so it seems less restrictive to me that trilam style suits. I also had a neoprene suit for awhile, it had it's momemts fit well (it was custom) but was waaay too buoyant...

I do agree with the fit issue on the DUIs though. My suit has extra material accross the chest and waist. I know they offer more tayloring options than they used to... Maybe a semi-custom?

I have the pinnacle evolution also and I love it and will not go back to neoprene. I dove neo 3 times. Pinnacle does have sizing for women however it does come down to personal preferences. Here is the link...

http://www.pinnacleaquatics.com/size-chart.aspx

Hope this helps

Yes, my suit is a Tri Lam. White's does make a crushed neoprene suit & a hybrid suit. I'm not sure if they have a thicker neoprene suit or not. I wanted the Tri Lam because, divig in the quarries, I wanted to have the option of changing the under garments to match the environment.

Diving Concepts has a wonderful compressed neoprene fabric. It comes stock in the Neo-Z suit, which is not expensive, if you can fit into any of the stock sizes. Custom, it's the Pinnacle, which IS expensive. Although I have had some problems in the process of getting mine, in the end, they are going to have done a beautiful job of fitting the suit. It is well made, and the fabric is stretchy and also very warm, and it is quite sharp looking.

Hi Lisa,

I have about 400 dives on my BARE Tech X-CD "crushed" neoprene suit (2mm), in SoCal waters ranging from 49 to 72 degrees. The suit is 19 months old, and I have many things to recommend about it.

Disclosures:
This is my first drysuit. I dived wet for 2 years before switching.
I've not dived any other neoprene suit.
I have dived a borrowed, well-fitting DUI tri-lam during the summer.
I dive often from rocky shores so I chose crushed neoprene for its toughness.
I get cold easily, so I chose crushed neoprene for its increased insulation.

What I love about the BARE Tech X-CD neoprene suit:

• It's tough. I've been bounced on rocks that would have shredded a tri-lam. No damage. I get surged against urchins frequently. No damage. It protects my bones from heavy doubles rigs.
• It's warm. I was noticeably colder in the tri-lam, partly because I was wearing the same undergarments that I use with my neoprene suit. I believe I would need much thicker undergarments to dive tri-lam all winter. The neoprene neckseal keeps my neck warmer than does a latex neck seal. (I have a short drysuit hood. A hood with a longer cowl would likely keep me warm even with a latex neck seal.)
• It stretches a bit. It's a closer fit than a tri-lam. Less drag in the water.
• It's affordable. I fit the men's stock medium pretty well. About $1200. I dive a snug Backplate/Wing rig, so the little bit of bagginess in the upper body is compressed away. It was challenging when I had a Balance BC, and the extra room in the shoulders collected air.
• It's the same buoyancy as tri-lam. I didn't need to change my weights when diving the Tri-lam.
• Self-donning. Easy to do. Never a zipper leak or malfunction. Never.
• Diving Concept's Dry Glove system fits perfectly on the suit. The same rings did NOT fit on the Women's stock large Tri-lam from DUI. The sleeves are too narrow and do not stretch.
• Stock Bell-shaped latex wrist seal. More comfortable to me than the latex cone seals.
• Soft feet, so I use big, cheap wetsuit booties on the outside. When they wear out, I replace them for about $30 without needing to send the suit away.

What I don't like so much about the BARE Tech X-CD neoprene suit:

• It's heavy!! It's heavy when dry. It's really HEAVY when wet. This get tiring when doing 3-6 dives a day. The Tri-lam is easier to deal with out of the water. MUCH easier. I crave a tri-lam for boat diving in summer and fall. It's a lot of work to don and doff the suit. Tri-lam is EASY.
• It's stiff: It feels bulkier underwater. I don't get pinched when the suit squeezes, as tri-lams can do, but I feel like I'm wearing stiff, tough cardboard. I have to keep enough air in the suit to keep it flexible.
• The inflator valve has stuck several times. I read the instructions and have learned to use spray silicone to prevent this. I disconnected the d.s. hose often when taking classes requiring lift bag deployment. This may have introduced salt water into the inflator valve.
• The neoprene neck seal stretched with use. It was perfect when new and exactly my size according to the factory recommendations. But it stretched after about 75 dives and seeped often. The Apollo Bio-Seal neck thing stops this. Superior Dry Suit repair did a wonderful job of cutting out a wedge and making the seal fit perfectly again. As it relaxes, I need the Apollo Bio-Seal again. However: 400 dives and it's the original neck seal. I'm on my second set of latex wrist seals.
• Slow to dry: If the inside gets wet, it stays wet all day. The tri-lam can dry significantly during a one-hour SI. After diving, I use 3 small fans to dry the suit in my garage. It takes about a day.

I hope this helps. Good luck in your search.

~Claudette~

If you can find one, my wife loves her BodyGlove Desire neoprene drysuit. She is 5' 1", with size 4 feet, and the suit fits her perfectly. It is warm, comfy and she can move around in it just fine.

Sadly, BodyGlove discontinued it (at least here in the UK) in favour of sticking with their tri-lam version, but if there are any kicking around in your area, it might be worth checking out.

Mark

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! I'm still on my search but will post back with my decisions and reasons once I hand my credit card over.

HBDiveGirl - Thanks for the excellent reply. Your pros and cons of your drysuit really helped me put my wants and needs into perspective, and you brought up points that I wouldn't think would be a big deal until I read your comments. Sounds like you lucked out on your first drysuit, glad you love it!