Which drysuit?

[fjpatrum]

I currently dive a bare trilam HD which is a front entry. It is a bit large on me so that is the reason for buying a new drysuit. I have never dove a crushed neoprene and would not know the negatives or positives. I have only read that it seems like crushed neoprene may be warmer, while trilam does not "lose" buoyancy at depth or whatever. I honestly have no idea except I know whatever I end up getting will need to work for entry level tech and wreck diving so maybe something which is more durable (sounds like crushed neoprene may win out here?) Again I really don't know.

Crushed neoprene is heavier (a lot, in my opinion) and takes a lot longer to dry. I have never dived one but haven't heard the "warmer" description before. That's typically a function of the undergarment though I suppose a neoprene suit will automatically have more "natural" warmth than a laminate suit would. I believe, based only on watching other people wearing them, that they are harder to get in and out of due to a lack of material "give" and the overall weight.

I've found my trilam suit to be reasonably durable. I wouldn't go penetrating a wreck that had jagged edges or bumping around inside a particularly jagged volcanic cave or something. Even then, I think it would survive a reasonable amount of abrasion, even against fairly sharp objects if you didn't put real pressure on the suit while doing so. That said, it's great for travel, which is why I'm considering a tropical suit as well. If you have a trilam suit, though, you have an idea of how durable the material is already as all the laminates are going to be pretty similar in that regard unless one is particularly "slippery" compared to another.

 

[Yoyoguy]

I've owned a bunch of different drysuits over the years. My thoughts, in no particular order of importance (except for the first one) ...

- The most critical consideration in the purchase of a drysuit is fit ... it must fit you properly. Made-to-measure suits are a crapshoot ... my experience is that companies get it right about 50% of the time. This has mostly to do with who's doing the measuring. IF you decide on a DUI, wait till a DOG Days event comes around and get someone from DUI to measure you for the suit ... they know what they're doing.

- Customer service ... some are better at it than others. I had really good experiences with DUI, although that's because I tend to be hard on suits, and my TLS350 was going back rather more often than I'd like. They took very good care of me, though, and I loved that suit. Bare's customer service left something to be desired ... they always took care of me, eventually ... but I could count on my suit being gone for 5-7 weeks before I'd get it back.

- Compressed (or crushed ... they're slightly different) neoprene doesn't "lose" buoyancy at depth. That's the whole point of compressing the neoprene before it goes into making the suit. The biggest disadvantage to this type of suit is it doesn't travel well ... it's heavy and takes too long to dry for the flight home. They are generally warmer and more durable than a trilam, however.

- Boot styles can be a factor ... some folks love rock boots, others despise them. Different manufacturers offer different options for built-in boots. Heavier boots are better for climbing over rocks on shore entries, but provide less flexibility and "feedback" for the more subtle kicks that tech divers tend to use. Lighter boots allow better fin control, but don't offer much of a buffer between your feet and the ground on shore entries. Pick your poison.

- If you go with a DUI suit, consider getting somebody else's rock boot ... DUI's boots are more expensive and less durable than some other alternatives. I personally like the Bare boots ... and Whites used to make one I really liked (Altera), but discontinued it for some reason.

- Lightweight suits like the DUI TLS350 and the Santi eMotion are generally very comfortable and easy to don/doff, but tend to be less durable than heavier suits ... they do travel very well due to their light weight and the fact that they dry rather quickly.

- Pee valve ... if you're going into tech diving, you'll want one. Same applies for pockets.

- Front zip suits are easier to don/doff ... back-zip suits will generally provide a better fit.

- Your choice of undergarment is at least as important as your choice of suit. It may behoove you to consider two or more undergarments, if you plan to use the suit in different water temperatures.

- Investigate seal choices. Neoprene seals are more durable, and more expensive ... and harder to replace. If you're going to use drygloves, then get latex or silicone seals, at least on the wrists. Zip seals (DUI) offer some conveniences, but consider that you'll have a neck ring to deal with, that replacement seals are very expensive, and that your drygloves are basically permanently attached to the suit. Some folks love 'em, others hate 'em. I ordered one suit with them, thinking it's a darn good idea for an instructor ... and hated them. Ended up sending the suit in and asking them to replace the zip seals with regular latex ones.

- Speaking of drygloves ... investigate different ring choices. About a third of the people I know who use them didn't like the ones they purchased the first time, and ended up buying twice. My favorites for function, ease of installation, price, and being leak-free are the Viking bayonet style rings ... but they're smallish diameter and not suitable for people with wide hands.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Thanks for all the advice! The guy I would buy it from measured several people I know when they went and purchased theirs and they seem to be happy. All are experienced divers so my guess is he must do some decent measuring BUT I will certainly keep my ears open for those demo/shows you were talking about to have a DUI guy measure me. As far as dry gloves, the used bare trilam I got came with a set of the sitech dry glove ring system and with the exception that the gloves themselves are a hair too big on me, I rather like them! They have not leaked once on the 8-10 dives ive used them so far. Also, I was planning on replacing the latex wrist seals this winter on the bare drysuit (partly because they are starting to form hairline cracks and partly because it will give me the opportunity to practice seal replacement on cheap suit so when I have to do it on my new custom suit, it will look somewhat decent!) I was planning on keeping these dry gloves for my next suit. Might buy the next size smaller blue portion glove part though

 

[PfcAJ]

Don't be afraid to send the suit back if its not right. If you're paying top dollar for a custom suit, you better be getting what you want.

I had to send my last suit back, and a friend of mine sent his back like 3 times before it was right. Worth it for a properly fitting suit.

 

[pconsidine]

DUI has cancelled all DUI Demo Events until frther notice.

 

[Subcooled]

Tech diving (mainly for deco dives and wrecks) and I dive mostly cold waters.

A drysuit is a piece of clothing. It needs to fit. Try them on.
Cordura is tough but you dont seem to be rubbing the suit against rock.

Cold water? Electrically heated vest?

 

[waterpirate]

I think the most important feature beyond fit is the seals. I have been diving a bib entry typhoon for years. Hard neck ring and cuffs. I have lost track of the dives saved on the boat.
Eric

 

[ajduplessis]

Fit as you already know is critical. Is your weight constant or does it change every now and then? This is something you need to keep in mind, pretty useless to custom a suit and then loose or gain some pounds. The other consideration is the amount of thermal protection you use, if you dive in warm and cold water you need a suit that can "scale" depending on the need, or buy 2 (warm & cold)

I needed to address the above topics (fit with different thermals and changing weight/body size) and went with a Whites Fusion Bullet (now Aqualung). I now have a "custom" fitting suit for warm and cold water while saving a bucket load of cash compared to a DUI (even at cost). I can dive in the tropics or go cold water diving with no issues.

Buying a DS is serious bu$ine$$ and you need to get it right the first time, I think you have learned this already. Take your time and consider everything. Mike @ DRIS is unbiased and will help you find the right suit.

There is no suit that is 100% perfect, find the balance you require.

 

[Rusty Roo]

i have a fourth element kevlar suit which is essentially a ursuit kevlar and would recommend them.

 

[Yoyoguy]

Fit as you already know is critical. Is your weight constant or does it change every now and then? This is something you need to keep in mind, pretty useless to custom a suit and then loose or gain some pounds. The other consideration is the amount of thermal protection you use, if you dive in warm and cold water you need a suit that can "scale" depending on the need, or buy 2 (warm & cold)

I needed to address the above topics (fit with different thermals and changing weight/body size) and went with a Whites Fusion Bullet (now Aqualung). I now have a "custom" fitting suit for warm and cold water while saving a bucket load of cash compared to a DUI (even at cost). I can dive in the tropics or go cold water diving with no issues.

Buying a DS is serious bu$ine$$ and you need to get it right the first time, I think you have learned this already. Take your time and consider everything. Mike @ DRIS is unbiased and will help you find the right suit.

There is no suit that is 100% perfect, find the balance you require.

My weight does tend to vary over the year. I typically have weight swings of 10lbs between summer and winter. I will certainly look into this suit...will work for tech/wreck diving though?

 

[stuartv]

LeisurePro is having a Demo Day thing this weekend (Sunday only?) at Dutch Springs, PA. If you're in Albany, NY, that's only 3 hours-ish from you...

I was in the same boat as you. Cold water, wanting to go to Tech, dive wrecks, and stay longer. My local shop sells DUI, Bare, Waterproof, and ScubaPro dry suits, that I can think of. The two brothers that own the shop have at least one of everything. The suits they both dive and claim to prefer is what they steered me to - a Bare XCS2 Tech. They made me a smokin' deal on it and I have gotten to know them pretty well, so I feel pretty good that they were not just trying to sell me whatever makes them the most money. I suspect they made VERY little money on the sale, actually.

The XCS2 is crushed neoprene. From what I understand, that is pretty much the most durable dry suit material. As has been mentioned already, the downside to it is that it's heavier than a tri-lam and it takes a long time to dry. Those are not concerns for me. I'm not generally flying to dive in cold water.

The upsides are:

- crushed neoprene is a vastly better insulator than tri-lam material. If I wanted to wear this suit in warm water that would not be good. But, for use in cold water, it means I wear less undergarments than if I were in a tri-lam. That means I carry less weight. Win, win.

- The durability means that, from what I can tell, it is the best material for being in rough/sharp environments. I don't know. Maybe a suit with ballistic nylon on the outside might be just as good for that?

- The Tech (versus XCS2 Pro) suit has the diagonal zipper on the front. I can get in and out of my suit, including zipping/unzipping it with no help. I enjoy throwing it on and then making fun of my buddies that are still trying to get theirs on and then asking for help with their zipper.

- The crushed neoprene is stretchy. Not as stretchy as a regular neoprene wetsuit, but it definitely has some give to it. Thus, it can fit a bit closer, I believe, than a tri-lam.

- There is no "telescoping" or other expanding part of the suit. Thus, I think it has less random extra spaces for air to go and jack with my buoyancy or trim. There is simply less internal volume.

- I believe you can custom order a suit from Bare so that it is at least somewhat tailored to fit. But, I don't know if they do fully custom, made exactly to your measurements or not.

My XCS2 does not have pockets. I believe you could get them if you order it that way. I bought the DGX neoprene shorts to use with my dry suit and wet suit. They have nice pockets, were only $50, and I can use them with any suit.


All that said, I AM keeping my eye out for a decent, used tri-lam. I have realized that next year I will be going to dive wrecks off the Outer Banks (where the water is warm a lot of the year) while using steel doubles. I have been doing that with a single tank, in a wet suit. With steel doubles, I really want to dive dry, for the redundant buoyancy. And when the water is 78 - 80 degrees and the air temp is 90+, I suspect I might not enjoy my XCS2 so much...