On the Verge of ordering a Bare HDC - one last review request

[manni-yunk]

Im ordering the new DS this week. I absolutely love my XCD2 - but its time to move it to back-up duty especially since we are making more and more multi-day trips on the new boat and a drysuit problem could kill not 1 day of diving, but 2 or 3.

Ive read some "professional" reviews on this drysuit but Im hoping for a couple real workd users before I bite the bullet.


Thanks in advance.

 

[tbone1004]

call the drysuit guys, talk to Mike at DRiS about his recommendation. They also will likely have the best price on the XCD2

 

[manni-yunk]

call the drysuit guys, talk to Mike at DRiS about his recommendation. They also will likely have the best price on the XCD2

Thanks. I already have the XCD2 - Im looking for the HDC.

I know and respect Mike at DRIS. I took the Hog reg class under him and he was great. I also have a belief that distribitors and stores often have an interest in selling certain things at certain times of the year. So although I respect and value their opinion -At this point I prefer to hear from real life divers using this suit in the real world with no financial motive of one suit/brand over another.

 

[KevinNM]

I have a new bare trilam tech dry and so far have no complaints about the fit or parts. The guy who runs training at the LDS where I got my suit bought a HDC expedition tech dry at week or so before mine and his only clear regret is the neoprene neck seal he ordered, he wishes he'd gotten the replaceable silicon neck seal I got instead. He's also not so thrilled with the attached boots but he's not sure if he would have been better off with the neoprene booties I got.

However they take a LONG time to arrive. Like 2-3+ months for the suit, the parts and the undergarments to all arrive. He got the full set of undergarments in a few weeks, then my standard size suit showed up before his custom size suit, but the last part of my suit (the base layer garments) showed up weeks after he was already diving his. I ordered in July and expected to have everything in early-mid September at the latest. I got it the second week of October IIRC, right before I left on a non-diving trip, so I didn't get into the water until mid-November.

 

[Ken T]

I’ve just ordered a XCS2 drysuit to replace a delaminating SB system drysuit.

My LDS owner mentioned that I should avoid replacing the SB with the HDC, she has had, or has heard of delamination problems with the HDC as well.
Material warranty is now just 2 years with lifetime warranty on seams and workmenship.

Not sure how prevalent the problem is.

Hoping I'm going to like the switch to crushed neoprene.

 

[manni-yunk]

I’ve just ordered a XCS2 drysuit to replace a delaminating SB system drysuit.

My LDS owner mentioned that I should avoid replacing the SB with the HDC, she has had, or has heard of delamination problems with the HDC as well.
Material warranty is now just 2 years with lifetime warranty on seams and workmenship.

Not sure how prevalent the problem is.

Hoping I'm going to like the switch to crushed neoprene.

I know all about the SB problems - but delamination in the HDS is VERY surprising. Its only been out for less than a year and I have scoured the web....and havnent been able to find a single comment stating anything like that. Very concerning. It is not anything new. Its trilam with an outer shell of Corduda which is tried and proven, it woul dbe a big dissapointment if Bare couldnt get that right.

I guess Ill hold out and look around a little more to find out if this is true or just a dive shop owner not knowing.....

 

[tbone1004]

Call Mike anyway, they do have the HDC in stock as well and have likely sold a few of them..... I get the time of year product thing, but this shop is pretty legit and he has always explained pros and cons of each question I've asked him and recommended cheaper/lower margin things than some of the other products he sells.

 

[Ken T]

I know all about the SB problems - but delamination in the HDS is VERY surprising. Its only been out for less than a year and I have scoured the web....and havnent been able to find a single comment stating anything like that. Very concerning. It is not anything new. Its trilam with an outer shell of Corduda which is tried and proven, it woul dbe a big dissapointment if Bare couldnt get that right.

I guess Ill hold out and look around a little more to find out if this is true or just a dive shop owner not knowing.....

I was suprised as well.

As you say, the construction is nothing new and after the SB problems I imagine Bare made sure to test the new suit well before releasing it.
But, with any manufacturer there will be a failure rate deemed acceptable and an unlucky few will get the 1%.

I know two other people with the SB system, and out of the three of us, two have sent them back for delamination.
I think the delamination problem was 8% of SB suits when the press release for the recall came out.

The LDS owner is well respected around these parts...so I take her word that she has heard of problems or has had customers with problems with the HDC.
Actual numbers of defective suits is another matter.
Could be just a local fluke with the same lot number.

 

[Fruitographer]

I ordered the Bare HDC Expedition about on 17Nov2014 from DRIS with Mike. I just got the tracking number today saying it's on the way and took almost exactly a month. The HDC Expedition from my understanding is custom sized only. I decided also get the Si Tech Silicone Neck and wrist seals with a Light Monkey Tinkle P valve. So you can expect about 4-5 weeks before it will arrive after ordering.Mike was great and took good care of me.

I've always used a wetsuit and usually free dive. This will be my first DS so I will have nothing to compare it with. I'm planning to do a video review once I get to try it out.

With the addition of neck and wrist seals along with the P valve the price came out to be $3,200. My goal is to have one high quality DS that is extremely durable that holds up in oyster beds.

 

[manni-yunk]

I’ve just ordered a XCS2 drysuit to replace a delaminating SB system drysuit.

My LDS owner mentioned that I should avoid replacing the SB with the HDC, she has had, or has heard of delamination problems with the HDC as well.
Material warranty is now just 2 years with lifetime warranty on seams and workmenship.

Not sure how prevalent the problem is.

Hoping I'm going to like the switch to crushed neoprene.

I have now spoken to a half dozen dive shops about this suit. They all claim that it is a very big seller right now and except for turn around time, and a few situations where someone ordered the "custom fit" cave cut version and was measured a little off.....no one is aware of a single delamination issue. I have also scoured every website I could find and not a single report of a delam issue.

Strange that your diveshop has heard otherwise- but Ive spoken with enough people to convince me to move forward with an order.