Are DUI drysuits really worth the extra?

[SoBay Jim]

Hungover,

You can do what I did and buy your first suit used. It's a great way to actually try it out and WAAYYY cheaper. When you decide what you like, buy one off the rack. Of course this is all a shameless plug for the one I have for sale here . I upgraded last year and I'd love to get this one out of the closet.

 

[undrwater]

No drysuit is worth the extra cost. Well...unless your liquid assets flow like rivers. If that's the case, get a Santi. Otherwise, whatever you get should be fine.

Good luck!

 

[Mike Newman]

In one word, YES !

Ask around, by all means try other suits. If you have time, attend a DUI Drysuit Demo Day. Putting together all the factors, choice, construction quality, variety, product support, I don't think you can make a better choice than DUI.

And that's not to say that other manufacturers don't make excellent suits. I simply believe, after trying some others, that I will stay with DUI

 

[MaxBottomtime]

It depends on so many factors. I've had two DUI suits, one USIA, one Poseidon and three Diving Concepts drysuits. The absolute worst suit I had was my first brand new suit, a DUI TLS 350. I made 100 dive in it and it leaked on 98 of them. I sent it back to DUI twice. The first time they patched a few small holes around the ankles but it still leaked like a sieve. When I returned it for a second time they said they couldn't find a leak after two tests. When I got it back I ran a light inside and found hundreds of pinholes in each leg. I coated the indide of the suit with Aquaseal which stopped the leaks but made it uncomfortable to wear.
Thirteen years later I found a new DUI on Ebay for less than 1/3 the cost of a new suit. I've only worn it twice and it hasn't leaked. I need to send it to Superior Diving to shorten the legs, but it may turn out to be a good backup suit. On a recent trip three divers had Waterproof suits and loved them. They are quite expensive but I may have to get one if my Diving Concepts suit ever gives out.

 

[vcblklion]

I've come to the conclusion that the next major investment is getting a drysuit. As a guy in grad school, I don't have a whole ton of extra spending money and would like to be as economical as possible. With that said, I also would like to get into tech diving in the next 2-3 years.

Is there a non-DUI suit that would work for me?

You and I are the same size. I have a DUI CF200. I bought it used on Ebay for $1000. It was 10 years old and NEVER used. I would suggest the following: Go to a DUI Dry Suit Demo day. They will allow you to try on any suit you like and dive with it on. You can see how they fit and perform in the water and you will also get the sizes you need for fitting at the same time. This way you will be able to make an informed decision based on experience about what you like.

If one of the other manufacturers offers the same deal, then I would suggest you go to their demo also and compare. I'm not sure any of the others do this however......One of the reasons I purchased DUI.

 

[the_dragon_no1]

Might wanna check out Ursuit aswell Solid suits for tech/cave/wreck ! One of they're known models are for example; One Performance...
Lots use these here in coldwater Europe (Norway, Finland. .......) for wreck diving and caves...
So should meet your needs then Not as pricy as DUI !

 

[jscan1]

I dive in San Diego, and know a guy through Powerscuba (if you don't know about this dive club, I highly recommend the meetup, tons of dives at great prices, and great folks to hook up with and expand your diving knowledge) that buys used drysuits and refurbs and resells, if you pm me I can get you his contact details. If nothing else might be worth having a conversation with him! I myself got a used dui clx450 (don't thing it was ever actually in the water) on eBay for $450, I shipped it to dris for sitech neck and wrist seals for about another $450 and a pressure test, so all in I have one of dui's top drysuits for under $1,000....where I'm going with that, is do your research and great deals can be had

 

[PfcAJ]

There's a few things that put me off from Santi and keep me coming back to DUI:

The fit on Santi suits seems very hit or miss. I see SO MANY baggy ones, and I don't want to get stuck with that.
I'm somewhat rough on suits (caves, in and out of fishin' holes in the woods), and afaik, Santi doesn't have a cordura overlay option on the arms and upper body.
I've heard questionable things about the plastic zipper. Lube it, don't lube it, only lube it at the end of the zipper, etc, and if you do it wrong it leaks. Ain't nobody got time for that!

Imo, the DUI FLX suit is the best thing on the market at the moment. A friend of mine has one and dives the crap out of it and its been totally leakproof (maybe 1 teeny tiny pinhole on the back). Santi is a very close second, however.

In regards to the TLS, the material is thin but surprisingly durable and very comfy. I joke about "total leaking system 350", but I really don't have problems with it considering the hell it goes through every weekend. I might find one pinhole a year. You can shine a flashlight and see light on the other side, but that's more representative of thin fabric than holes. I've got a TLS that's bone dry but still looks like the Hubble Deep Field if I shine a light through it.

All the other drysuits out there aren't even worth consideration, imo.

 

[diver_dj]

Guess what. Your dimensions are very close to mine. Seriously I am short, stocky and have about 2 inches on the chest on you. Otherwise the same. I went with the DUI TLSSE mens large short (MLS. off the shelf perfect fit. This runs about $1500 and they threw in the underwear. DUI can comment if the still do this.

It is a back entry but as far as I am aware, it is similar to DUI's other trilams without the bells and whistles such as front entry, thigh pockets, knee pads etc which really adds up. I did upgrade to zip seals which was an extra $300.

This is my 2nd year with the TLSSE and I have about 75 "perfectly dry" dives. Very happy with the off the shelf fit as I am a hard size for off the shelf and I am also on a budget.

I have a TLSSE and highly recommend it. The big benefit of the shoulder entry (that's what SE means) is that you don't have all of the excess material hanging off you during the dive because they don't require the telescoping torso. This makes them more streamlined and also lighter in general if you travel with it. The downside is you need a buddy to help you with the zipper, but you should have one of those anyway.

 

[eelnoraa]

I have recently acquired a White Fusion with both tech skin and sport skin. Between DUI TLS350/CF200 vs White Fusion, to me both of my DUIs are worth the extra cost. Fusion is a very good suit, but it isn't what I thought it would behave in cold water with thick undergarment. It is a very good suit for a bit warmer water