DUI CF200X question???

Quick question...

I have the opportunity to get the DUI CF200X for a good price as a second suit. It doesn't have pockets, nor zip seals and it comes with turbo soles. Manufactured in 1999 and in excellent condtion.

I dive a CLX450 and was wondering if the CF200X passes as a typical DIR suit? I have heard the the drysuit of choice is the TLS 350 among DIR divers, is this information correct?

Any feedback would much be appreciated.

Thanks,

Mike G

I've made it thorough 2 GUE courses with the CF 200. I'm not a big fan of the zip seals and although they are acceptable for GUE they aren't very DIR in my opinion. You will need pockets for the courses if you go that route. For the diving that I am doing at home in the Great Lakes and St Lawrence the pockets are essential - so is a P-Valve. The Turbo Soles were preferred by GUE when I took the course and they are on mine. The CF200 is a kick ass suit. Mine was born in 1995 and is still in great shape. If its a great deal grab it if you can.

mikeguerrero:

Quick question...

I have the opportunity to get the DUI CF200X for a good price as a second suit. It doesn't have pockets, nor zip seals and it comes with turbo soles. Manufactured in 1999 and in excellent condtion.

I dive a CLX450 and was wondering if the CF200X passes as a typical DIR suit? I have heard the the drysuit of choice is the TLS 350 among DIR divers, is this information correct?

Any feedback would much be appreciated.

Thanks,

Mike G

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Mike, the CF200 is fine; the crushed neoprene doesn't cause any buoyancy issues, and it's warmer than a tri-lam suit. It's also quite heavy, especially when wet, takes a few days to dry, and is fairly bulky. In short, it's not a good travel suit, and the TLS350 is. That being said, my 13 year-old CF200X (I've had it for 2+ years) is going strong, and it's probably lower drag than any of the DUI tri-lam suits. I've put a new zipper on it, added a Halcyon pocket to one thigh (it has a DUI zip pocket on the other, which I should replace), and replaced the seals a few times. My turbosoles now seep/leak, but I haven't gotten around to replacing them. For the $340 I got it for it was an excellent deal, even allowing for the new zipper, and the eventual need to replace the turbosoles with another pair or some neo socks.

So, if you really want a back-up suit now and you can get it for a really good price, go for it. Personally, if I blow a seal I just use my wetsuit, but I've already got that. Your CLX450 is pretty new though, so why would you need a backup now? Given the option, I think I'd hold the cash, save up for a Fusion or whatever comes on the market that's better down the road, and use the CLX450 as your backup when that time comes.

Guy

Guy Alcala:

For the $340 I got it for it was an excellent deal, even allowing for the new zipper, and the eventual need to replace the turbosoles with another pair or some neo socks.

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That sounds like the sort of drysuit I'm holding out for

my CF200 has been through a few GUE courses.

in tech1 in puget sound i was amused by all the shivering the TLS350 wearers were doing in the water.

i'm also constantly amused by how skilled TLS (The Leaky Suit) wearers are at repairing pinhole leaks.

so far my CF200 has required one major zipper repair (which seems to plauge DUI zippers) and replacement seals, but otherwise hasn't had any leak issues.

i continue to get crap on the forums for using a strokey neoprene suit and defenders of the TLS continue to claim that there's zero difference in thermal insulative properties. i continue to be amused.

i also took my CF200 to mexico and dove it for 2 weeks in the cave. i probably brought a few extra pounds of cave water back with me in my luggage, but otherwise it was fine and i simply used a thin layer of polypro (more for chafing protection than insulation) under it.

CF200 >> TLS350

(and the suit in my avatar in my CF200)

lamont:

my CF200 has been through a few GUE courses.

in tech1 in puget sound i was amused by all the shivering the TLS350 wearers were doing in the water.

i'm also constantly amused by how skilled TLS (The Leaky Suit) wearers are at repairing pinhole leaks.

so far my CF200 has required one major zipper repair (which seems to plauge DUI zippers) and replacement seals, but otherwise hasn't had any leak issues.

i continue to get crap on the forums for using a strokey neoprene suit and defenders of the TLS continue to claim that there's zero difference in thermal insulative properties. i continue to be amused.

i also took my CF200 to mexico and dove it for 2 weeks in the cave. i probably brought a few extra pounds of cave water back with me in my luggage, but otherwise it was fine and i simply used a thin layer of polypro (more for chafing protection than insulation) under it.

CF200 >> TLS350

(and the suit in my avatar in my CF200)

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Have you seen or dove a Santi yet? I'm a TLS350 user who is obviously used to patching leaks time and time again, and I'm drooling over the Santi. They're becoming real popular with the sidemount guys here because it's one of the most durable suits on the market. I tried one and was very surprised at how little difference in "stiffness" there was between that and my TLS. The TLS has more mobility, but not near enough to justify the leaks.

ucfdiver:

Have you seen or dove a Santi yet?

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Nope. I need to figure out how many dives I need to put on this CF200 before it wears out first...

Lamont,

Thanks for your response on the CF200 suit. I appreciate your direct feedback on this matter. Here in Mocal, I hear a lot of DIR divers talk about the TLS350 as the choice of drysuits when going GUE.

I dive the CLX450 and wanted to get info on the CF200 as it came up as an option for a second suit.

My dive local entry is rather rough, there are jagged rocks and sometimes surge that pushes you up against rocks.

I'm not sure what a DIR drysuit is. However, I have had a few different suits, and here's my opinion. I used to have the 50/50 suit that is compressed neoprene on the bottom and cordura (or whatever) on top. I now dive the TLS. My only complaint about the CF material was that in the face of a poorly fitting suit (which mine was), it is a bitch to manage. I have a TLS that is way more ill-fitting than my old 50/50 was, but the extra material just crushes down nicely in the water. Not so much with the CF. Also it was crazy heavy when wet, which I just found annoying.

I also had very few problems with that suit leaking. In fact, I don't know if it ever leaked other than through the neoprene socks (from bunching up in the rockboots). But I don't have a lot of leaks in my TLS's either... it's one of life's great mysteries. I routinely crawl/drag myself out of the Lobos ramp, sans kneepads, and don't get many leaks, whereas Rob never does that kind of stuff and his suits constantly leak.

mikeguerrero:

My dive local entry is rather rough, there are jagged rocks and sometimes surge that pushes you up against rocks.

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Cove 2 on a -2 ft tide doesn't have a lot of surge, but you can't see all the crap you're walking on (piling stumps, plates, big rocks, etc) and I've stumbled down onto a knee many times on entry or exit there. CF200 handles the wear just fine.

If DIR divers you any crap about the CF200, just ask them how many dives they can go between applications of aquaseal to their TLS =)