Shell Drysuit VS Neoprene ... has anyone dived both?

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Hello everyone:

I dive a bi-lam drysuit that I got because it was cheap. It has served me well so far and I am polishing my buoyancy skills in it. Today I was shown a neoprene drysuit at the LDS and frankly I was tempted. Has anyone dove both shell suit and neoprene? If yes which one would you prefer? I heard that neoprene suits needed lot more weight to sink? Furthermore I was told that they are bulky if you are traveling. I just thought it looked a lot more stretchy and toasty ya know

[JahJahwarrior]

There are three main classes of neoprene
-Plain
-Compressed
-Crushed

They are each very different.

Plain is like your wetsuit. Compressed has been pressed, crushing some of the bubbles in it. Crushed is even more crushed. That's the simple explanation, anyways.

I have experience with shell suits and compressed neoprene. The shell suit is much, much lighter, and dries much, much faster. But, that's about the only difference I notice.

Some people don't need to wear much undergarments under the neoprene suit, but I still do feel the need. Now, with some of the amazing undergarments available, you should easily be able to be comfortable in any temperature water in a shell suit.

I'd say, if you are happy with the bilam, save the money. You'll need it when the zipper and seals need replacing

[ddmattos]

A trilam can be dove in any water temp. It packs very well. In fact i put my Santi E-Lite in my carry-on along with my regs and computers. Dove Arube and Greece and had no problem wearing my Santi with the fourth element drybase in 82f water. A joy to dive off the East Coast of New Jersey with layered Zerotherm and Arctic. If it's cut correctly, you should have no issues with mobility. Are you having issues with your bi-lam?

I also dove the Whites Bullet Fusion. It has a thick outer shell. It would start to get hot above 75f water temps.

Go with a trilam and wear it for all your diving.

[Mr.X]

If wasn't traveling and adverse to wearing underwear I might use a blown neoprene suit again. As comfortable as they are - they take a ton of lead to get down, compress at depth and over the years breakdown faster than most shell suits. The most durable suit I use is the crushed neoprene stuff from DUI. It take a licking and is reasonable enough to tote around in luggage. - though heavy.

X

[MSltr]

During a DUI Dog Day test, I have tried the CF 200 (crushed neoprene-CN), TLS 350 (trilam) and FLX 50/50 (CN/trilam). I found the crushed neoprene to be heavy and stiff to don. DUI claims the weight of a 3 mm CN suit is equivalent to that of a 6 mm suit. Additionally, using the 300 series undergarments the CN suits were too hot during surface intervals. My primary concern is warmth in OK/AR/MO/TX lakes below the thermocline during spring thru fall. I not interested in durability; i.e. cave or wreck penetrations. I don't want to cook on the surface during a SI. I'm planning on purchasing a tri-lam for overall comfort and ease of donning.

[SubMariner]

There are three main classes of neoprene
-Plain
-Compressed
-Crushed

They are each very different.

Plain is like your wetsuit. Compressed has been pressed, crushing some of the bubbles in it. Crushed is even more crushed. That's the simple explanation, anyways.

I have experience with shell suits and compressed neoprene. The shell suit is much, much lighter, and dries much, much faster. But, that's about the only difference I notice.

Some people don't need to wear much undergarments under the neoprene suit, but I still do feel the need. Now, with some of the amazing undergarments available, you should easily be able to be comfortable in any temperature water in a shell suit.

I'd say, if you are happy with the bilam, save the money. You'll need it when the zipper and seals need replacing

I'd like to elaborate a bit more on the three types outlined above:

Neoprene: it's a little bit more than "a wetsuit": usually 5mm+ of neoprene. My neoprene drysuit was about 5mm, with some kind of skin overtop. It will compress somewhat at depth, but not nearly as much as a traditional wetsuit. They are VERY bulky. Although you don't need a lot of undergarments in colder water, you can overheat very quickly if the water isn't below 75F. You also need a significant amount of weight to get neutrally buoyant in one of these.

Compressed neoprene: has more inherent thermal qualities in the material than a shell (tri or bilam) and usually is a bit tougher. However, they are more costly due to the extra step of having to "crush" out the bubbles in the neoprene. They are not as heavy as regular neoprene but do tend to take longer to dry than a shell. You will need heavier undergarments in colder water with this material than neoprene as well.

Shell (bi or trilaminate): gives you the widest range/most flexibility in terms of undergarments, depending on your temperature tolerance and water temps you will be diving: in colder water you would use a higher loft of thermal vs something much less in warmer water. This suit dries fastest, but also may damage easier if you don't have kevlar in the right places.

I personally prefer my trilam to the full neoprene suit I used to dive. The added flexibility in terms of undergarments and being able to actually more easier are definite pluses in my book. I also enjoy not having to wear as much weight.

FWIW,