Gettin' a Dry Suit in Texas

[Zinc]

Dry suits, Mfg's, TEXAS dealers, & hmmm otherwise, what you like (or don't) locally.

I'm shopping Dry-Suits locally, here in TEXAS. Please contribute your local purchase/equip/performance/satisfaction/experience/etc. if you're willing...

Shopping Dry-suits in TX has it's challenges (for obvious reasons), and I would appreciate your input.

Thanks

 

[Pumpkin King]

I'm seriously looking at getting a dry suit up here from my local. Don't know about price yet, other than what others are selling them for. He carries the whole Mares dry line, about an hour north of Austin.

Scuba Divers Paradise

 

[Zinc]

I'm seriously looking at getting a dry suit up here from my local. Don't know about price yet, other than what others are selling them for. He carries the whole Mares dry line, about an hour north of Austin.

Scuba Divers Paradise

What 'Mares' suit are you considering & why?

What about it do you like?

How does it price out? ($Ballpark$)

Have you looked at/tried a dry suit that you liked/not & why?

Thanks again! I really am interested in my fellow diver's experiences and hope to find the right suit before...:clock:

 

[danktex]

I and most people I know dive a DUI. Just can't beat the quality, comfort and guaranty. With a cheaper suit you get what you pay for. Locally go talk to Mike or Clay at Austin Auqasports. They sell DUI and Waterproof.

 

[LVX]

yeah, I have to agree with Dan. DUI makes a great suit. I have had my TLS350 for 4 years now and all I have ever done is replace the seals. They are very rugged and comfortable. You will pay more for them but they do have a lifetime warranty...

 

[Narcd_dvr]

Look into the Bare dry suits, they are great suits and not as expensive as the DUIs. I got my Bare drysuit from Surface Interval Scuba in Arlington and they gave me a really good deal on it.

 

[texdiveguy]

The key thing in buying any dry suit is 'fit'....find a dealer that has dry suit diving experience and is willing to invest the time to assist you.

You have probably discovered the many types of suits and it can be over whelming....'ask' 10 dry suit owners and get 10 varying replies to material/options/even colors---but we all know BLACK is the only way to fly!

DUI has a wonderfully deep line of dry suits with cost points to vary, a can't hardly go wrong product. But there are other well respected dry suit manufactures out in the market. Stay away from purchasing via the internet for obv. reasons....buying used may be an option if the seller is local and it better fits your budget.

I have tried several makes of dry suits but currently own and dive a BARE dry suit .... BARE Canada / USA Currency Selection .... I have found it to be well constructed and a nice over all suit. BARE has a fairly broad line of suits as well with many options and custom sizing.

Please post your finding and experiences as we all can prosper....good luck.

Spend the time doing your homework....keep focused and have fun!

 

[ianr33]

If any of you local guys are interested I have a Dacor drysuit that I would sell. This is a clone of the Diverite905.
Should work well for someone up to 5'10 and 180 ish. Looking for around $400 which is a LOT cheaper than DUI.
I really like this suit and would be happily diving it today IF I could reach my valves with it.

If anyone is interested send me a PM

 

[Crazyduck]

What do you want the suit for and how much are you using it?
Tropical, winter lake conditions, trimix?
I have dove multiple types of suits and each is a different animal.

DUI
CNSE- Excellent suit, moderately priced (for DUI), heavy, slow to dry. I would think it is good to teach, occasional dives, and good for wreck and cave. Very comfortable in the water. Well, until I grabbed the neck seal and fixed it underwater and dumped a ton of water on me- still warm.

TLS350- Tri-lam suit, very light, fast drying, great for travel. Downside is potential for holes if used for certain types of diving- can be offset with knee and butt covers. Thermal protection from undergarment only. However, makes diving it in the tropics no big deal.

CF200- The mother of all drysuits. You have to learn to love this beast. But it will last forever- period.

The DUI weight and Trim system is a favorite. Get that weight out of your BC and easier to carry. In fact my weight and trim goes to Mexico in the summer for ocean diving with my backplate and wings. The hoods are excellent for those of use with big heads. The thing with DUI is the cut and fit. Feels like you are wearing coveralls and not a straight jacket.

Diverite has a drysuit that is very interesting- with RF (radio Frequency) seals.
No leaks from the seals. A buddy has one and swears by it.

The Mares suit is a Mobby’s suit that has been revamped.
I have not seen it in person, but the price point on one of the suits has been rumored to cheap by others standards.

Another option is Pinnacle. They have some neat products. I haven not dove there drysuit. Hopefully soon.


Alan- EXCELLENT statement...

 

[fireflock]

Fit is everything - regardless of the brand. Do whatever you can to try on the suit/size you plan to buy and take some time to learn how to recognize if it fits (don't trust the sales person).

If you are a 'normal' size you might be able to find someone with your size in stock or rental. A few of the brands have traveling road shows that might visit your area once a year. You can also opt for a custom cut suit. DUI is very popular, but $$$$. USIA can put you in a custom cut suit for a fraction of the cost. If you're bigger or smaller or shorter or taller than most people than custom really is the way to go.

Rich