Rocky Shore Dives & Drysuits

I have just returned from a dive that began with a "semi-controlled plummet" entry. When I finished the dive I noticed a gash in my 7mm wetsuit and in my own knee. The knee will heal and the wetsuit is easily repaired. But it did make me think of the drysuit in my future.

In the next year or two I will move back to California and dive primarily at Monterrey. I have reluctantly determined that this will require a drysuit purchase. I assume that people that use Rockboots (or clones) are doing the same rocky shore dives I do now.

My question is how tough and repairable are drysuits compared to wetsuits? I have two Bare wetsuits, and even with graceful shore entries they abrade over a few dives. Do drysuits require frequent minor surface repairs with rocky shore dive entries?

I've done some pretty gnarly entries with my DUI CF200 and it's holding up rather nice. Not rips or tears, and doesn't even look like the granite rocks and other nasties have touched it. I do have kevlar kneepads on it, and I think that makes a difference. My wetsuit would've been ripped to shreds on some of the divesites that I've been to.

There are a few pics of one of the sites in my scubaboard gallery a few pages back, to give you some kind of an idea on how rough these entries/exits can be.

FishDiver:

I have just returned from a dive that began with a "semi-controlled plummet" entry.

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This is beautiful and I'm going to use it in the future and give you credit! (Of course I hope I don't have cause to use it often :scared:.)

Been bounced there. Dented that.

After 2 years of wetsuit diving in SoCal, I bought a BARE compressed neoprene drysuit (XCD2 TechDry).
I've pounded the thing through hundreds of rocky entries and it's a suit of armor. 2 years and 500 dives later, I'm impressed with it's durability. The factory knee pads peeled on the edges after 250 dives. They had 2 tiny pinholes that were successfully sealed with aquaseal 300 dives ago. Mark Owens at Superior Drysuit repair replaced them last summer with sewn Kelvar pads that are much heavier.

It's a heavy beast of a suit, stiffer and heavier than my dive buddy's lovely DUI compressed neo suit. On sunny days of boat diving, I sometimes wish I had a lighter-weight suit. When I'm between a rock and crashing wave, I take completely for granted that my drysuit will endure and protect me. The suit is my last concern when the entry or exit gets rough.

I have the soft feet, and wear 5mm zippered neoprene dive boots over the top. I replace them about twice a year.

I'm still using the original neoprene neck seal. It stretched after 250 dives, and Mark cut out a wedge and resealed it to make it fit once again.
I use the Apollo BioSeal for comfort and to prevent tiny seeps on long surface swims.

The BARE XCD2 TechDry suit is a rocky-shore-diving beast. I love it.

Have a great time coming back to this side of the pool!!

~~~~~~
Claudette

Good drysuits are pretty tough. You'd be surprised what kind of punishment they'll take, even the Trilam suits (as compared to the iron-tough crushed neoprene suits Claudette referred to). Scrapes and normal shore entries are less of a concern than urchins in the surge, ironically.

This is beautiful and I'm going to use it in the future and give you credit! (Of course I hope I don't have cause to use it often.

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Quote at will!

After 2 years of wetsuit diving in SoCal, I bought a BARE compressed neoprene drysuit (XCD2 TechDry).
I've pounded the thing through hundreds of rocky entries and it's a suit of armor. 2 years and 500 dives later, I'm impressed with it's durability. The factory knee pads peeled on the edges after 250 dives. They had 2 tiny pinholes that were successfully sealed with aquaseal 300 dives ago. Mark Owens at Superior Drysuit repair replaced them last summer with sewn Kelvar pads that are much heavier.

It's a heavy beast of a suit, stiffer and heavier than my dive buddy's lovely DUI compressed neo suit. On sunny days of boat diving, I sometimes wish I had a lighter-weight suit. When I'm between a rock and crashing wave, I take completely for granted that my drysuit will endure and protect me. The suit is my last concern when the entry or exit gets rough.

Click to expand...

This IS good news, since this is the suit I had planned to buy.

I have the soft feet, and wear 5mm zippered neoprene dive boots over the top. I replace them about twice a year.

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You are truly an Amazon if you wear out two sets of boots a year! I have thought of going this route as well. Why did you you choose the soft boot/neo dive boot combo vs. alternatives?

I'm still using the original neoprene neck seal. It stretched after 250 dives, and Mark cut out a wedge and resealed it to make it fit once again.
I use the Apollo BioSeal for comfort and to prevent tiny seeps on long surface swims.

The BARE XCD2 TechDry suit is a rocky-shore-diving beast. I love it.

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OK, OK, I'm sold. Do you work on commission?

CompuDude:

Scrapes and normal shore entries are less of a concern than urchins in the surge, ironically.

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We have no lack of urchins over here. In fact, there are huge bright blue fish called blue groupers (gropers?) that follow divers, hoping we will dislodge urchins and feed them. They are so tame/fearless that photographers often shoo them away.

The groupers that is, not the urchins.

FishDiver:

You are truly an Amazon if you wear out two sets of boots a year! I have thought of going this route as well. Why did you you choose the soft boot/neo dive boot combo vs. alternatives??

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Ha!!! I do dive rather a lot . I took the advice of local divers who do lots of beach and rocky shore diving: Get soft feet on your suit because it's easier and cheaper to replace separate boots than it is to replace the entire foot of the dry suit. I don't have to worry about flooding the suit due to a hole in the boot.

I just fell into trying regular wetsuit dive booties first. It's what was available at the LDS where I fill tanks. I wear size 8 when diving wet. I use size 10's over my drysuit feet. I don't wear out the soles. Rather, I replace them due to wear on the top of my foot where my Rocket fins rub. I don't feel the abrasion, but the neoprene breaks down there. I replace them so my drysuit feet remain protected from the fins.

I use pretty flexible boots (just a rubber flat sole glued on the bottom.) Yes, I feel the rocks more that I would with a bigger, tougher boot, but it's not bad. The trade is that I have a good feel for the rocks and can feel for balance. Also, I can use the same fins whether diving my dry suit or my wet suit. I would need bigger fins if I wanted to have big, hiking-boot style booties.
I shore dive either an hp130 or double lp80s. This is dense gear. The flexible-soled booties work fine for me.

FishDiver:

OK, OK, I'm sold. Do you work on commission?

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hee-hee... I wish. Just a reasonably humble diver, pleased with gear that's given me good service. The online sizing guide from BARE worked well. I LOVE the bell-shaped latex wrist seals that BARE installs. I like the BARE D.S. hood, but I'm going to buy an OtterBay custom hood for diving colder water such as Monterey.

It's a workhorse of a drysuit.
Check with the NoCal forum divers. I saw a wide variety of drysuits being used at shore sites in Pt Lobos, Monastery Beach, and the Breakwall.

~~~~
Claudette

Agree that drysuits are generally rather durable. Definitely echo the kevlar kneepads recommendation - a real asset. Certainly, a DS is not amenable to user repair as is a wetsuit. But, there are also several reliable companies that specialize in DS repair, and have good websites) in the event you get a serious tear.

Claudette knows what she is talking about. When I saw this thread I fugured that of all the divers I know she would be the best authourity for the information you seek.

Mark Vlahos

HBDiveGirl:

This is beautiful and I'm going to use it in the future and give you credit! (Of course I hope I don't have cause to use it often :scared:.)

Been bounced there. Dented that.

After 2 years of wetsuit diving in SoCal, I bought a BARE compressed neoprene drysuit (XCD2 TechDry).
I've pounded the thing through hundreds of rocky entries and it's a suit of armor. 2 years and 500 dives later, I'm impressed with it's durability. The factory knee pads peeled on the edges after 250 dives. They had 2 tiny pinholes that were successfully sealed with aquaseal 300 dives ago. Mark Owens at Superior Drysuit repair replaced them last summer with sewn Kelvar pads that are much heavier.

It's a heavy beast of a suit, stiffer and heavier than my dive buddy's lovely DUI compressed neo suit. On sunny days of boat diving, I sometimes wish I had a lighter-weight suit. When I'm between a rock and crashing wave, I take completely for granted that my drysuit will endure and protect me. The suit is my last concern when the entry or exit gets rough.

I have the soft feet, and wear 5mm zippered neoprene dive boots over the top. I replace them about twice a year.

I'm still using the original neoprene neck seal. It stretched after 250 dives, and Mark cut out a wedge and resealed it to make it fit once again.
I use the Apollo BioSeal for comfort and to prevent tiny seeps on long surface swims.

The BARE XCD2 TechDry suit is a rocky-shore-diving beast. I love it.

Have a great time coming back to this side of the pool!!

~~~~~~
Claudette

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What she said. It's bullet proof.