Are DUI drysuits really worth the extra?

[HungoverDiver]

I've come to the conclusion that the next major investment is getting a drysuit. As a guy in grad school, I don't have a whole ton of extra spending money and would like to be as economical as possible. With that said, I also would like to get into tech diving in the next 2-3 years.

Everyone I know who dives dry has DUI, and the shops I frequent all sell DUI suits, and that's about it. But they seem so much more expensive compared to Hollis or Whites drysuits I've seen online. Are they that much better? Is there a reason they seem to be $500-1500 more than other brands? To be honest, I'm not really sure what kind of drysuit I need, since the conversation generally goes "here is this one, it starts at $2100" and I stop the sales rep right there since I won't be buying that day.

It's been very hard to have a conversation about getting a drysuit, since most people seem to just hand over the cash.

Other info: SoCal diving, I'm located in San Diego but might be moving to northern CA or the Pacific Northwest after I finish my degree.

I'm pretty average build, 5' 9" (175 cm) 180lbs (80 kg) 40 in chest (100 cm), 34 waist (86 cm).

Most of my diving so far is off CA reefs/kelp but I do want to use this drysuit for tech diving (doubles, rebreather) and wreck penetration, eventually.

Is there a non-DUI suit that would work for me?

 

[Lorenzoid]

Santi?

 

[nimoh]

I think there was a time when DUI drysuits were worth the extra cash, but other manufacturers have caught up in quality and are starting to price DUI out of the market.

I have DUI suit, and I like it, but if I were to buy a new suit in the near future it would most likely be a Santi, not because I think Santi is better, but rather I think the Santi is of equal quality and at a much lower price.

 

[Lorenzoid]

. . .
I have DUI suit, and I like it, but if I were to buy a new suit in the near future it would most likely be a Santi, not because I think Santi is better, but rather I think the Santi is of equal quality and at a much lower price.

Hmm. The wink in my reply above was because I have been under the impression that Santi is just as pricey as DUI. Not so?

 

[tbone1004]

Santi is higher quality than DUI in my opinion and comparable in price. You're in San Diego, DUI suits are made in San Diego, you will now realize why everyone sells and dives them. They are high quality suits, just not worth it for the money. If you're staying west coast, you may want to consider going neoprene if you aren't planning on travelling a whole lot. They are heavier, but help you save on exposure protection and are a bit more streamline in the water. Pinnacle Black Ice is best bang for buck there. I dive a Rofos shell suit that I absolutely love. USIA makes the suits for HOG *It's a techniflex btw* and the techniflex/technifit suits from them are very nice for the money, and made just north of Portland OR. Call DiveRightinScuba, they are drysuit wizzes up there and since they do Great Lake wreck diving are very experienced in chilly water. Talk through your thoughts/concerns with them and they'll help you get the right suit.

Oh, one last VERY important thing. YOU MUST GET A P-VALVE. I don't know why people think they are optional, but in a drysuit, divers without them tend to not drink as much as they should because they can't pee at will, and even at the surface it is somewhat if a pain to remove the suit to go. It is not worth the added risk of DCS due to dehydration to save $300 on getting a p-valve and a big box of condom caths. Your body will thank you.

 

[Aquavelvet]

One more thing to consider is the ability to add pockets. Since you mentioned wanting to do more tech diving at some point, you will need both left and right thigh pockets. Although Whites suits are popular with recreational divers due to their lower cost, their outer shell does not support pockets well.

I dive a Bare XCS2 front zip suit and love it because it's so streamlined. It's a highly compressed neoprene with four-way stretch that drys fairly quickly. They are made in Canada. The plastic Tizip is brilliant and definitely the way to go. I've had zero problems with mine.

DUI suits are well made, but overpriced. Most of the divers I know with DUI suits got them second hand or through the factory demo/return program that the dealers offer.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[tbone1004]

you can get away with the tech shorts or removable thigh pockets. I dive sidemount so pockets are less useful to me so I have a diverite thigh pocket that travels with me if I need it for backmount, but I ordered my suit sans pockets for that reason. GUE/DIR divers don't approve of this, but it's more convenient for me.

 

[fishb0y]

I have to disagree with Aquavelvet, I have pockets on my Whites and they workout fine. With that being said, I have owned 2 DUIs, a Bare Trilam, a Whites Bullet and a Henderson neoprene drysuit. The DUIs are built to last, my first one was about 15 years old when it went to it's new owner, needing only a new zipper.
My new favorite is the Whites, the streamlining is awesome, kinda like wearing a wetsuit.

 

[TSandM]

The basic things a dry suit needs to do are to fit well enough to make handling the bubble safe and possible, to keep you dry, and to be durable enough that you are not constantly battling leaks. Suits are inexpensive because they are not very tailored, or because they are made of less expensive (and generally less durable) materials, because the range of options is limited (eg. limited stock sizes), or because less expensive manufacturing processes are used (also going toward leak-free function and durability).

Whether there are enough improvements in those qualities to make one suit worth twice as much as another is in the eye of the purchaser. My Santi suit is a dream -- great materials (100% leak free for a year and a half so far), great workmanship, a really GOOD custom fit, and a whole list of small, thoughtful details that make the suit a delight to use. Is that worth the $1500 more than the cost of a standard Fusion, which has a forgiving fit, and is very hard to damage? I guess it depends on how hard it is to find 1500 dollars in your budget, as well as how much you use your suit, and how much the downside of the Fusion (more difficult donning) bothers you.

 

[doctormike]

+1 for Santi. The Shearwater Petrel of drysuits...