Rubber vs crushed neoprene

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perpet1

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Scuba Instructor
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I am looking to buy a drysuit that I need to last at least 250 -350 dives. I am an Instructor and I will be using this suit a lot. I am a transplant to the northeast and I will be diving year round including icediving.

I have done some of research (on this board / online / and word of mouth) and there seems to be a couple different schools of thaught.

Rubber and high end crushed neoprene (2mil).

What do you use and what are the benifits? For the diving I am going to be doing I have pretty much ruled out trilam unless somone has a compellling arguement.
 
Rubber, much cheaper than tri-lam or crushed neoprene and very easy to maintain and repair.

These suits are very durable, try:

Hunter
Amron
Viking


Good luck on whatever suit you decide on...

Jeff Lane
 
The 2mil "crushed" neoprene is proprietary to DUI- very popular and high quality, also very expensive. You could also consider compressed neoprene such as found in Poseidon suits. There seems to be less of a bouyancy issue with the compressed (5mil apx) vs std 7mil neoprene. Depending on the type and temps of your diving with compressed neoprene you would need less additional thermal protection. With a suit failure at depth with most anything other than compressed or std neoprene you could be diving a water bag. I would also consider the types of seals available. I don't think you can get a DUI suit with neoprene seals- only latex. They will require more maitanance and are maybe more prone to degrading and tearing. I would look at what type of seal replacement kits are available for a particular manufacturer. Trying to get 300 dives out of a suit when you figure seal replacement costs and lost time may be an issue.
 
While the durability of a vulcanized rubber suit & a crushed neoprene suit are close to the same, the vulcanized will give you FAST drying & the ability to be repaired & back in the water in about an hour if need be. A crushed neo suit takes at least a day (sometimes 2) to dry unless you have good drying conditions. Vulcanized can be dry & in its bag in less than half an hour.
With a vulcanized suit, a nice option to consider for cold water is the attached neoprene hood. It keeps the back of the neck warm in the area of the neck seal, a cold spot sometimes if your undies don't reach up that far.
I've often got over 10 years out of both my Vikings & Unisuits, aside from the ones that had to stay in containment or have been repeadedly oil soaked.
 
yknot once bubbled...
The 2mil "crushed" neoprene is proprietary to DUI- very popular and high quality, also very expensive. You could also consider compressed neoprene such as found in Poseidon suits. There seems to be less of a bouyancy issue with the compressed (5mil apx) vs std 7mil neoprene. Depending on the type and temps of your diving with compressed neoprene you would need less additional thermal protection. With a suit failure at depth with most anything other than compressed or std neoprene you could be diving a water bag. I would also consider the types of seals available. I don't think you can get a DUI suit with neoprene seals- only latex. They will require more maitanance and are maybe more prone to degrading and tearing. I would look at what type of seal replacement kits are available for a particular manufacturer. Trying to get 300 dives out of a suit when you figure seal replacement costs and lost time may be an issue.

Actually DUI and Bare both have a 2 mil suit. The material seems bulletproof and extemely flexible. I have to say it looks a lot more comfortable the rubber BUT the seal maintenance is a factory job for the neoprene suits.

I have heard from instructors up here and they have their preferences I am just trying to buy something that I like in the end. Also to me rubber just does not look comfortable. I guess I should try them but I am like 6'4" 255 and built like a football player====> little chance of trying out rentals. Besides very few rentals in the price range I am looking for.



Pete
 
... rubber just does not look comfortable.
I used to spend 10-11 hours/day, 7 days/week for months on end in the Viking, more time in the suit than in my hotel room.

There is also a new stretchy suit material out for the Pro Tech/Combat suits, I never tried it out but that one sure felt cozy.

Viking is in NH, by the way, I may be able to rig you up with a demo/rental suit but all my forms are in CA & I'm lounging in FL right now. :wink:
 
Also to me rubber just does not look comfortable

The only crushed neoprene I can use for comparison were the telescoping (one size fits most) military suits. They were comfortable but of course not as well fit as a personal suit.

I find the rubber very comfortable when sized correctly, and unforgiving if sized incorrectly...

The big factors for me just like Bob mentioned is maintenance...

I did get a chance to check out that new material Viking has (by touch only, didn't get to dive it...yet!)

It was amazing, so flexible. They said they only changed the backing material to a more flexible / stretchy one. The rubber is the same as the other vulkanized suits...

Personally if money was no object that would be the suit, but money is an object so...

Hunter and Amron 1000 gram suits are between $900 and $1200 and last forever.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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