The eternal question... Neoprene or Trilam drysuit?

[stuartv]

Hi Stuart,

It is from the 2011 ScubaLab drysuit testing, http://ads.bonniercorp.com/scuba/PDF/ScoringChart.pdf

I believe they have neoprene seals, they don't sell dry gloves

Thanks! Much better. And, wow, those Seasoft suits seemed to crush the competition. So to speak.

 

[lexvil]

I have a compressed neoprene Seaskin with SiTech oval rings, I’m using the SiTech Virgo dry glove system, bulky but very easy to use and they don’t leak.

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

I have a Bare CD4 compressed neoprene suit ( with Mares 4 gr. underwear) and dive up here in the cold Great Lakes with water temps down to the low 40's. I have yet to have my hands cold enough to consider dry gloves. All I use Mares 6.5 Trigloves and my hands are always warm.

 

[stuartv]

I absolutely hate the lack of dexterity I have with even 3mm wet gloves. That is why I have dry gloves.

 

[Bearcat11]

Bearcat:

The #1 request we get is for DEMO drysuits. Our drysuits are so different from others that people want to try it before they buy it and I can't blame them. Its just logistically impossible to do. All I can tell you is to talk to someone who has one.

Bruce
SEASOFT

Well, Z, I would also ad that this type of response certainly isn’t winning any business. I am in the market for a drysuit and will be ordering one. But, not Seasoft because I don’t know anyone who has one...

If they were truly that much better, you’d think they’d be willing to have a demo option to prove trilam people wrong.

 

[Storker]

I have a Bare CD4 compressed neoprene suit ( with Mares 4 gr. underwear) and dive up here in the cold Great Lakes with water temps down to the low 40's. I have yet to have my hands cold enough to consider dry gloves. All I use Mares 6.5 Trigloves and my hands are always warm.

Earlier on, I used 6.5mm three-fingers, probably the same type you're using, down to 4C(40F) water/-5C(20F) air. I didn't have any particular issues either. On the first dive, that is. But putting on a pair of wet, cold, maybe frozen wetgloves for the second dive? That sucked royally. And while I can't say that I lose as much dexterity as @stuartv seems to lose, I really appreciate having five normal fingers on each hand instead of two normal ones and one big one. It's easier to manipulate my camera's controls, and I can signal "3" or "4" unambiguously.

So I'll rather take the risk of a dryglove leak. I wear wool liners under my drygloves, and air travel between my suit and my gloves is ensured by sticking a short piece of bungee cord under the wrist seal. In case of a major leak, I can take off the glove, pull out the bungee cord to avoid flooding my arm, put on the glove again and continue the dive with one wet glove, still insulating decently because of the wool liner.

 

[Zef]

I have a Bare CD4 compressed neoprene suit ( with Mares 4 gr. underwear) and dive up here in the cold Great Lakes with water temps down to the low 40's. I have yet to have my hands cold enough to consider dry gloves. All I use Mares 6.5 Trigloves and my hands are always warm.

There is more to comfort than warmth...warmth is definitely a big factor in comfort but there is also dexterity to name another....I hate using thick neoprene gloves for diving because I hate the struggle of getting them on all the way, especially the second one, and I hate that I can barely feel anything through the thick neoprene.

Not here to convince you to use dry gloves but man I am glad I made the switch. It has been worth every penny I have spent on my setup.

-Z

 

[Zef]

Well, Z, I would also ad that this type of response certainly isn’t winning any business. I am in the market for a drysuit and will be ordering one. But, not Seasoft because I don’t know anyone who has one...

If they were truly that much better, you’d think they’d be willing to have a demo option to prove trilam people wrong.

I am not sure I agree with this sentiment. I don't know of any company that will just willy nilly send a drysuit out to an interested buyer to "try" or "test".

I don't think Seasoft is out of line with the notion that it is not feasible to send a sample suit out for you to try. What if they send the suit and it doesn't fit in one dimension or the other, do you cover the cost of shipping to send it back and the cost to have them send another out to you? What if you damage the suit while trying it on? Do you then cover the repair?

If there is no shop in your area then it is your choice as to whether you buy their product site unseen or not. I am sure Seasoft will work with you to ensure you provide as accurate measurements as possible in an effort for them to provide you the best fitting suit possible should you decide purchase their product...but they have zero onus to get you a suit to tryout if they do not established a distribution channel in your area.

This is not a business practice I fault the company or Bruce about. My issue with Seasoft/Bruce is the notion that he has put forth that his suits are better than other types of suits on the market despite empirical evidence to the contrary. And by "evidence to the contrary" I am not trying to state that his suits are inferior or that there is something better than his products, I am arguing that there other products on the market that are at least as good as the products that he has to offer, and that what he has posted is just his own ad-copy.

I can say that I am a great guy or I am the best, all day everyday...it means nothing coming from me though. That's my point.

-Z

 

[stuartv]

Earlier on, I used 6.5mm three-fingers, probably the same type you're using, down to 4C(40F) water/-5C(20F) air. I didn't have any particular issues either. On the first dive, that is. But putting on a pair of wet, cold, maybe frozen wetgloves for the second dive? That sucked royally. And while I can't say that I lose as much dexterity as @stuartv seems to lose, I really appreciate having five normal fingers on each hand instead of two normal ones and one big one. It's easier to manipulate my camera's controls, and I can signal "3" or "4" unambiguously.

So I'll rather take the risk of a dryglove leak. I wear wool liners under my drygloves, and air travel between my suit and my gloves is ensured by sticking a short piece of bungee cord under the wrist seal. In case of a major leak, I can take off the glove, pull out the bungee cord to avoid flooding my arm, put on the glove again and continue the dive with one wet glove, still insulating decently because of the wool liner.

Call me Princess and wet gloves are my pea.

It's not that I can't get the job done with wet gloves. It's just that it's so much easier with my dry gloves.

If the water is cold enough where I really want gloves, then I strongly prefer to dive dry. And, in that case, why would I NOT want dry gloves? They are SO much more pleasant (to me, of course).

Also, I don't do anything to vent my suit into my dry gloves. If I get a glove leak, my wrist seals are in place and will keep the rest of me dry. And, like you, I use wool liners, so my hand will stay somewhat warm, even if I do flood my glove.

I have been to 200' with dry gloves and no venting between suit and glove and have not had any issues or felt any pain from "squeeze". I'm not sure why that is, given how many people seem to make sure their suit and dry gloves are vented. My theory is that my dry gloves fit me very snugly. I reckon I have minimal extra air in the gloves. I see other people with those big blue Smurf gloves that clearly fit their hands very loosely. Maybe all that extra air in there would cause pain from squeeze? I don't know.

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

My gloves are 5 finger gloves Mares 6/4mm Trilastic Diving Gloves and I don't have any dexterity issues with them. I hate those 3 finger ones. I also have a pair of Henderson Duratex gloves but they are too big of a pain to get on & off to be useful. Henderson 5mm Duratex Dry Gloves I'm not saying that dry gloves are an unnecessary thing, I just haven't been cold enough to feel the need to buy a pair.
Out of curiosity, There used to a company that made neoprene dry gloves, is something still similar available?