1st Drysuit Advice

[rsingleton]

I'm sure this will spark a lot of responses from brand loyalists, but i'm considering my first drysuit purchase. I mostly dive warm water, however I'm finding myself starting to do more cold water dives for training and I hate 7mm. I my mind, if I have to put on a 7mm, i might as well put on a drysuit.

But since i'm not doing a tremendous about of cold water diving, i don't want to expensive one. Though I don't want a cheap on either.. I'm thinking somewhere (maybe) in the $900 - $1200 range I've been seeing some specials on.

I've never word a drysuit before, although I know how it works and i'll likely get some instruction from a fellow instructor. Can you folks provide some advice on what to consider (features, functionality, brand, etc).

I've also see these Semi-Dry wetsuits. Not sure the purpose of those. I don't want something big huge and bulky, prefer a more streamlined version.

Based primarily on price so far I looked at ScubaPro EverDry 4 and Pinnacle Freedom 3. Maybe even Hollis FX100 Biodry.

Anyone care to chime in. (not necessarily those specific models)

 

[tbone1004]

you need a P-valve, that's first and foremost, some will say you don't, but since you're diving dry, divers tend to be less hydrated if they don't have one, so get one, it's worth it.

Bag suits are inherently less streamlined than neoprene, but they are lighter, more flexible, and dry faster. They also require more undergarments. The Whites Fusion is a good hybrid, and they are fairly inexpensive, so that may be worth looking at, Dive Right in Scuba has them on sale pretty regularly. Never dove one, but have lots of friends that love them

 

[rsingleton]

you need a P-valve, that's first and foremost, some will say you don't, but since you're diving dry, divers tend to be less hydrated if they don't have one, so get one, it's worth it.

Bag suits are inherently less streamlined than neoprene, but they are lighter, more flexible, and dry faster. They also require more undergarments. The Whites Fusion is a good hybrid, and they are fairly inexpensive, so that may be worth looking at, Dive Right in Scuba has them on sale pretty regularly. Never dove one, but have lots of friends that love them

thanks. just looked them up.. they look pretty cool. although i don't have a baseline to compare it against. lol

 

[tbone1004]

unfortunately there is nothing to compare the fusion against because it goes against all preconceived notions of a drysuit. Your best bet is to call Mike or Rich or someone up at DRiS and talk to them, they are the drysuit guys, they know everything that is out there and have dove it all. They will hook you up with the best suit for you.

 

[industrious95]

Another vote for s shell dry suit. I've worn the crushed neoprene dry suits and I think it's bulkier then a wetsuit because you need extra room to fit your thermals into.

I don't have a P-valve, but I do have a relief zipper. Only good above the water, but saves the hassle of removing your dry suit to use the head. Most diving in my locale is 80-100 feet, so dives tend to be short - I never had a urinary need that couldn't wait to get back on the boat. Just don't drink 3 cups of coffee five minutes prior to entering the water.

My dry suit is a DUI tri-laminate and is 15 years old. I do a lot of digging and really get down into the rocks and sand and the suit has really held up well.

I've read on scubaboard that DUI quality isn't what it used to be, but you have to take what you read on the internet with a grain of salt. One unhappy customer can post a lot of messages and make it seem like nobody likes a product.

 

[tbone1004]

DUI suits are also nowhere near his price range, and there are a lot better suits for the money, DUI are good, but they are very proud of their product and it shows in the price, and unfortunately they aren't the best for quality, so the reasoning to buy one is to be part of the "cool crowd" or if you have brand loyalty. Not bashing DUI, but it's similar to the argument against Hollis and UTD's regulators and wings, nothing that they do makes them worth the prices they charge compared to other brands, it's not that the quality isn't good, it's just they don't represent a good value so the cost justification never happens and the reason to buy is "my buddies have it", or "my instructor/LDS told me to", or "I've always bought from them, so I'm going to continue to do so". For an unbiased opinion, DUI just doesn't stack up anymore, if you're going to spend that kind of money, SANTI is a much better suit at the same price range, and you can get the same quality/features as the DUI for about $1k less than they want for them.

Cheapest price on a TLS350 is $2500, Waterproof D9 is under $1500 for similar suit. DiveRite 905 is a bit more than the D9, but similar price/features, and about $800 cheaper than the TLS. $2500 gets you a Waterproof D7, with rings and silicone seals instead of the zip seals, which are stupidly expensive compared to normal seals that you can use with the rings, and is a much better suit overall. Santi Enduro gets you a much higher quality suit, and is only a few hundred more, so the rationale to buy DUI is hard to justify.

Great suit, just horrible value, especially since it locks you into the Zip seals, which while nice in theory, are idiotic because of the price. $80 gets you high quality latex seals neck and wrist with the tape from DRiS, they can be ironed on and off, or done with a heat gun, takes time, but with latex you almost always get warning.

If you had the ring systems like the D7 comes with, or put them on any other drysuit, you just carry a spare set of seals with you that are nice and cheap and can slip them on. Can be silicone, latex, drygloves, whatever.
$50-$65 for latex, $110 for silicone.

You have zip seals from a dui? Brace yourself, $248 for a pair of wrist seals and a neck seal, latex. Want silicone? $296.

Cost of ownership just went way out of whack, so now you have to shell out for custom seals, and they are now including them as standard on all suits. Again, not bashing DUI, but it's equivalent of buying a Porsche Cayenne, sure you get to run with the cool crowd, but you'll be screwed at the mechanics, and at the dealer. Can spend half the money for a VW Touareg which is essentially the same car, has cheaper parts, and performs just as well, but at the end of the day, it's a VW not a Porsche...

 

[eelnoraa]

.... I my mind, if I have to put on a 7mm, i might as well put on a drysuit.

If putting on the 7mm is what troubling you, then White Fusion is NOT the right drysuit for you. In terms of diving the drysuit, it will be a bit more work. White Fusion is easy to dive.

 

[ringmod65]

A couple of years ago, my mentor at the shop I teach through sold me on the S/P Everdry4. Having had several "big name" suits in the past, I was reluctant to go with anything from ScubaPro. That was until I heard the shop price: less than the cost of having a zipper replaced on another suit.

The suit is 4.5mm crushed neoprene with neoprene neck and wrist seals. Much to my surprise, it is the warmest and dryest suit that I have ever dived.

The suit is meant to be formfitting, but is much easier to don than a wetsuit. Because it is closer in size to a trad wetsuit than a bagsuit, it was a bit of a challenge to find thin-ish undergarment(s) suitable to the conditions I dive: deep offshore north Atlantic wrecks. I finally settled on polypro long johns / top, dive skin and a lavacore, which proved plenty warm enough and not very bulky.

I was nearly laughed off the boat by the DUI / Whites / Santi / Bare / Pinnacle guys who all told me that the Everdry wasn't suitable for more extreme exposures (34 degs at 200'). At the end of the day, however, I was nice and toasty on my dives and was the only guy on the boat who didn't have to wring out the sleeves of my undergarments after each dive.

The suit does have its drawbacks, however.

First, is the conception of many that SP is a best a pro-sumer brand, and not a serious choice for a drysuit. But that's not really my problem.

Second, is the design on the suit. If the Fusion has a Star Trek vibe, the ED4 is Tron-ny.

Third, is the placement of the shoulder dump. It is in a - very - awkward place. There is really no way to dump w/o breaking trim and going a bit vert. This has turned out to be not so much of a problem, however, due to the fact that the suit is designed to use very little air - just enough to take off the squeeze. Because of this, I find the suit much easier to dive than a bag suit. There simply isn't a significant gas bubble to manage, dump.

Fourth, it is pretty easy to damage the neoprene neck / wrist seals. The solution to this one is pretty simple: cut your fingernails before diving the suit. Although the suit never leaked, I did Aquaseal several crescents where I was careless and geared down without paying attention.

Fifth, the suit has a back zip and is not possible to self don.

Although that looks like quite a list, they are all minor quibbles. I have about 250 dives on the suit and have never had so much as a trickle up my wrist or down my neck. This was def not my experience with several other brands of suits.

A couple of weeks back, however, I did manage to make the damn thing leak. I was careless in putting the suit away, leaving one of the wrist seals under something heavy for a couple of weeks. This caused a divot (but not a tear), which did leak a bit. SP replaced the wrist seal fast and cheap.

Granted, I got the suit for a song, but I like it so much that I bought a second. I'll use one for teaching, and one for my personal diving: both deep wrecks and warm water caves.

Like I said, the warmest / dryest suit I have ever dived. (I can deal with the Tron jokes!!)

Good luck with your first suit.

 

[socaldiver2]

Picked up a DUI clx 450 used for $800 and love it. New they are quite expensive but if you can find a good used suit you can save a considerable amount of money.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rsingleton]

If putting on the 7mm is what troubling you, then White Fusion is NOT the right drysuit for you. In terms of diving the drysuit, it will be a bit more work. White Fusion is easy to dive.

it's not putting on a 7mm that bothers me.. it's just i still find myself a little cold, but more importantly, I'm wet with cold water. and as soon as i get out and the air hits me, i'm freezing. and yes i've worn different 7mm wetsuits. it's not just a poor performing one. i just don't like to be 'wet' in 60 degree water.

so i've just concluded that if water temps dictate 7mm, then just go dry... my own personal choice.


---------- Post added November 10th, 2014 at 07:14 PM ----------

A couple of years ago, my mentor at the shop I teach through sold me on the S/P Everdry4. Having had several "big name" suits in the past, I was reluctant to go with anything from ScubaPro. That was until I heard the shop price: less than the cost of having a zipper replaced on another suit.

The suit is 4.5mm crushed neoprene with neoprene neck and wrist seals. Much to my surprise, it is the warmest and dryest suit that I have ever dived.

The suit is meant to be formfitting, but is much easier to don than a wetsuit. Because it is closer in size to a trad wetsuit than a bagsuit, it was a bit of a challenge to find thin-ish undergarment(s) suitable to the conditions I dive: deep offshore north Atlantic wrecks. I finally settled on polypro long johns / top, dive skin and a lavacore, which proved plenty warm enough and not very bulky.

I was nearly laughed off the boat by the DUI / Whites / Santi / Bare / Pinnacle guys who all told me that the Everdry wasn't suitable for more extreme exposures (34 degs at 200'). At the end of the day, however, I was nice and toasty on my dives and was the only guy on the boat who didn't have to wring out the sleeves of my undergarments after each dive.

The suit does have its drawbacks, however.

First, is the conception of many that SP is a best a pro-sumer brand, and not a serious choice for a drysuit. But that's not really my problem.

Second, is the design on the suit. If the Fusion has a Star Trek vibe, the ED4 is Tron-ny.

Third, is the placement of the shoulder dump. It is in a - very - awkward place. There is really no way to dump w/o breaking trim and going a bit vert. This has turned out to be not so much of a problem, however, due to the fact that the suit is designed to use very little air - just enough to take off the squeeze. Because of this, I find the suit much easier to dive than a bag suit. There simply isn't a significant gas bubble to manage, dump.

Fourth, it is pretty easy to damage the neoprene neck / wrist seals. The solution to this one is pretty simple: cut your fingernails before diving the suit. Although the suit never leaked, I did Aquaseal several crescents where I was careless and geared down without paying attention.

Fifth, the suit has a back zip and is not possible to self don.

Although that looks like quite a list, they are all minor quibbles. I have about 250 dives on the suit and have never had so much as a trickle up my wrist or down my neck. This was def not my experience with several other brands of suits.

A couple of weeks back, however, I did manage to make the damn thing leak. I was careless in putting the suit away, leaving one of the wrist seals under something heavy for a couple of weeks. This caused a divot (but not a tear), which did leak a bit. SP replaced the wrist seal fast and cheap.

Granted, I got the suit for a song, but I like it so much that I bought a second. I'll use one for teaching, and one for my personal diving: both deep wrecks and warm water caves.

Like I said, the warmest / dryest suit I have ever dived. (I can deal with the Tron jokes!!)

Good luck with your first suit.

Thanks for the detail. I can get the everdry 4 and pinnacle freedom 3 both for about $700.. about $400 under retail. The White fusion looks cool to now that i looked it up.

that brings me to another question, you mentioned you wore lava core and thermals under your SP. I have seen many divers wearing normal sweatpants and sweatshirts under their bag dry suits. So i presume i need to consider what type of undergarments are needed based on the type of suit to keep me similarly warm, right? Lava core isn't cheap and if I still need something with kind of insulation, that adds to the overall total cost, right?