More advice on dry suit purchase please

[scuba_willy]

Thanks again for the good advice from everyone. Whites seems to be an interesting suit to try. I am looking forward to the demo day next weekend.

[frontsight]

I just ordered the freedom 2.....I will post my findings on it as soon as I can. Seems like a great suit though...and they are throwing in a deluxe bag, 7mm hood, and inflator hose. Making room for the new models I suppose.

[Phreak]

Whew...good question.

First - do NOT buy the cheapest suit you can find...unless it fits perfectly and will also suit the kind of diving you will do.

Second- consider what diving you would most likely perform. Really- you should read that last part again. A bottle collecting diver needs something that can handle serious abrasions like compressed neoprene. An Instructor or AI needs something he can get into scrapes on the bottom with - again a comp. neo is good here.

Need something a bit lighter- try a tri-laminate suit. That would save some cash.

Only dive a few times a year? Stick w/ a 7 mm wetsuit with hood. And some thick 7 mm gloves.

I had the budget once back in May 2003 to buy a DUI CF200x and I still dive that suit today ( this AM in fact) and many dives later I don't have any gripes about it. Its cozy enough for an hour in 55 degree water. Im 6' even and 170 lbs - so I fit into an off the rack suit and paid w/ cash.

Right now- today - with the economy how it is - I have seen some great deals on craigslist for dive gear. In Seattle, it's amazing...especially tanks.

When I was doing my homework - researching this, that, the other for exposure protection - I had realized that the suit I needed was the one that was tough enough to handle almost any dive environment. Ice diving. Student helping as a DM over, over and over for weeks at a time. Serious wear and tear over the years. And for me, well, a DUI CF200 was one of the tops of my list.

Something I have NOT seen addressed yet with this post- unless I blew right past it - is that you need to get the right toasty undergarment at the same time you buy the suit. No joke here - get something you can also afford at the same time. The suit just keeps the water out- it's the undergarment that keeps you warm.

Your mileage may vary.

Does that help a bit?

Jim

[underwaterfrank]

I have 2 suits, bought on eBay, one an Amron Explorer and the other a heavy duty (1600gsm) Northern Diver Thor.
I use the heavy duty one when things may get rough such as shipwrecks, shore dives with lots of rocks covered in oysters etc.
Total for 2 suits = $1000
Easy to repair with a patch if required but haven't had a puncture yet.
Of course, what you wear underneath is what counts for warmth.
Disadvantages: only one I have found so far...the weight...these suits are heavy so not ideal if you want to travel by plane to go diving.
Main thing I love about them: funny but it's that same weight...don't need much weight on my belt (no more than when I use a 7mm wetsuit)

[TSandM]

I'm another Fusion fan. I coped with the issues of pocket sag by not getting pockets -- I use X-shorts over the suit. It's an inconvenience, but worth it to me for getting what amounts to a custom fit without paying custom prices (or going through the nightmare of expensive custom suits that don't fit).

You can also find very good deals on used dry suits. One thing to know is that replacing the seals on a suit is not a very expensive repair, so if you find a suit where the base material is good but the seals need redoing, and the price is good, it's worth it. Zippers, on the other hand, are a big deal, so it's important to know how many dives are on the suit, so you have an idea of how much life is left on the zipper.