How Much Should I Spend?

[JK_DIVER]

Hello Fellow Divers.

Being a diver now for just under 8 months, in the UK, and having done my DrySuit dive for my Jr. Advanced Open Water, I realize how important they are! As I am hope fully getting one for christmas this probably won't matter, but how much should I spend on a DrySuit? Taking on the fact that I will probably do four dives a month in uk weather, and diving conditions, that I'm not going to dive seriously but I love diving wrecks and that I want somthing that DOESN'T LEAK! If any one would have any clue how much I should spend I would be very grateful, also could you possibly tell me what brand I should Go for as well.

Thank You.
Josh. Knights-JK_DIVER

[Lost Yooper]

Greetings,

You want a quality suit first and foremost. Then you want a very durable suit for wreck diving. You want a good fitting suit, and that means a custom fit suit -- unless you're lucky and can fit a stock suit. You want a shell suit for the adaptability. Good quality trilams and crushed neoprene suits are pretty tough.

I use an Abyss Pro Kevlar TX (made in Canada which could help you in price in the UK?) which is a crushed neoprene suits with a Kevlar shell, and it is TOUGH (commerial divers have used them for quite a while). These are going for $1900US for a custom suit, Kevlar knee pads, Apeks valves, BDM commercial zipper, one pocket, a whip, and a gear bag. It has neoprene wrist seals, so a bit of seapage isn't unusual (not enough to worry about), but that is dependant on individual people's wrists. IMO, there isn't a tougher, better quality suit on the market than the Abyss -- especially for the money. www.abyssdivingsuits.com

Viking has a trilam that is pretty cheap (less than $1000US), but given that Viking is a leader in the drysuit world, the quality is probably top notch. If I was on a serious budget, this would probably be the suit I would buy. Unfortunately, I don't think it can be had in custom fit.
I don't particulary care for Viking's rubber suits for wreck diving, as they can puncture, but they do have a heavy duty suit that would probably be OK. Of course, you're looking at big bucks for their rubber suits -- $2000+US. One thing is for certain, Viking's rubber suit are renowned for not leaking, and are a favorite among commercial divers. Sometimes, you can find someone selling a Pro 1000 dirt cheap (less than $1500US new - regular $2000+), and that be a worthy consideration if you're on a budget. http://www.dyk-brand.se/sidor/viking1.htm

DUI makes several very durable suits (CF200 most notibly), but they can cost a lot ($2000+). They do make a very flexible suit, the TLS 350, for under $1500, but I can't attest to its durabilty for wreck diving. The 350 is a favorite among cavers. I believe the tougher DUI's are also used by commercial divers. http://www.dui-online.com/

Basically, there are some suits out there that can be very good from a range of prices. If I was on a budget, I would shop by name brands that I am comfortable with: DUI, Viking, and Abyss. I wouldn't buy sport diving suits or a neoprene suit (which can be very inexpensive, but aren't optimal at all, IMO). I would look at what commercial divers and technical divers are using. If budget is less of a concern, $2000-$2500US is a good range, as you'll almost certainly get a great suit for that kind of money.

Good luck.

Mike

[Jonathan]

Wow - you guys pay a lot for your dry suits in the US!

I know from diving in the UK the O Three suits are considered pretty good - you'll spot them on all the tech boats and start at about 650 GBP. Check out www.othree.co.uk

I picked up my Body Glove membrane suit (as in the picture) for 350 GBP in a shop sale (think they are usually about 500 GBP) and it was the best money I ever spent on diving gear.

Realistically in the UK you are looking at 500 GBP upwards - depending on which bells and whistles you want.

Enjoy
Jonathan

[Blargh]

for UK diving, most folks tend to end up with either a DUI or an O-Three

some el-cheapos, like yours truly, grab an Oceanic Flex


like just about anything, get one that FITS.. or else

[TexasMike]

LY,

I don't remember if you've covered the White's dry suits in other threads or not. Any comments on them?

[TexasMike]

Originally posted by Blargh
like just about anything, get one that FITS.. or else

And my short bit of research is showing me that spending the extra few dollars (or pounds) to get a custom fit would be worth it.

Heck if you are spending that amount of money to be comfortable, why not add 5% additional to really get comfortable?

[large_diver]

Agreed, but I think at least in DUI's case, it will be more like a 15-20% upcharge for the "custom".

[Lost Yooper]

Hey Mike,

I don't know a heck of a lot about White's suits. I believe they are/were a bilaminate of some sort and are self entry. I've only seen one up close, but I didn't pay much attention to it. I kinda assumed they were more of a sport suit, but I really don't know much about them. They used to be fairly inexpensive (under $1500 or so), but I don't know anymore.

Custom fit for the Abyss suit was only $50-$75, but other suits makers can really charge a bunch. Just make sure you get a loose custom fit suit to allow for extra underwear and mobility.

Mike

[buff]

I don't think much of custom fitted DRY suits. These suits don't have to fit like wet suits-tight. They have to fit well but you're also wearing clothing underneath so they have to fit loosely too.

Some people can't fit into an off the rack suit and then custom is the way to go. But I sure would try to fit an off the rack suit first before going to a custom-you can save a lot of money and still retain quality. Also some manufactureres will cut a suit slightly shorter or longer(Gates does this) upon ordering without an extra charge.

Don't get me wrong! Custom is wonderful. But try to find a brand that is quality and will fit right off the rack-if not then by all means custom.

[buff]

As Jonathan says
"Wow - you guys pay a lot for your dry suits in the US!"

Why do we pay so much????!!!!!!!(notice the exclamation points to infer outrage)

When I look online at dive shops in the U.K. their prices are equal to LeisurePro here in the U.S. and yet they have full warranties and not "looked down upon" as L.P. is. Why do manufacturers seem to charge more in the U.S.?? Is it something to do with U.S. laws? e.g. MSRP, authorized merchant agreements??

Always wondered why.

Mike