Review Seaskin Nova drysuit

[lexvil]

My first Seaskin came FedEx and they billed me @ 25% which was to high, I filed a dispute and pointed out that they were mistaken, I went back and forth with it pointing the regulations to them and it was like working with a brick but in the end they gave up. The next suit I ordered came by some other postal service and was transferred to FedEx for delivery, no fee. The price of the suit even with the fee (if correct) is still a bargain and I will still go that route if I buy another suit unless I could a good deal on and aircore aqualung.

 

[stuartv]

@stuartv, are you still using the 150g undergarment and base layers for your 55-60F dives?
I'm getting ready to order a Seaskin and don't know which undergarment to get for my 45-60 minute dives in 50F water. My 7mm semidry had been doing the trick until the temps dropped below 54.
I'm interested in what garment works best for folk.

Yes. But, bear in mind that I have also been diving in a 5mm wetsuit (with 7mm hood, 5mm boots, and 3mm gloves) in 55F and been cool but comfortable. So, what is warm enough for me may or may not be warm enough for you.

The 250-gram undersuit is only a little bit more money... And, I really doubt you would be too warm in the 250 for 60 min @ 50F....

 

[Fabiandelete]

I’m looking to buy my first new drysuit. Seaskin surely looks great but all the options dazzle me a bit. Some uncertanties right now:

• Warm collar or not?
• Quick neck or orust (note that the warm collar rules out the orust and vice versa)?
• The freakingly expensive kubis or antares/ultima/4th element ellipse?
• Reinforce the heck out of it or unneeded?

Further than that, this thread has been extremely helpfull.

 

[lexvil]

I’m looking to buy my first new drysuit. Seaskin surely looks great but all the options dazzle me a bit. Some uncertanties right now:

• Warm collar or not?
• Quick neck or orust (note that the warm collar rules out the orust and vice versa)?
• The freakingly expensive kubis or antares/ultima/4th element ellipse?
• Reinforce the heck out of it or unneeded?

Further than that, this thread has been extremely helpfull.

I have a shell suit with the warm collar and a neoprene without, I sort of wish I had one on the neoprene suit, I have quick neck on both, orust wasn’t available but I would like to Have tried it. Do not waste your time with Antares, I use the Virgo which has a bayonet lock system that is leak and hassle free, easy on and easy off, they are bulky though.

I don’t have any extra reinforcement on either suit and haven’t had any problems.

Neoprene socks give you more options for footwear.

Since I didn’t really answer the first question I tossed in an answer to one you didn’t ask..

 

[Fabiandelete]

Thanks for the reply, it’s a shame they cannot do orust with the collar. About the socks, what would be their main advantage over the regular neo shoes? I have normal neo sheos on my current drysuit and I kinda like them

 

[lexvil]

Thanks for the reply, it’s a shame they cannot do orust with the collar. About the socks, what would be their main advantage over the regular neo shoes? I have normal neo sheos on my current drysuit and I kinda like them

I don’t bothe tucking in my hood most of the time so my hood covers my neck well enough that I would have tried the orust if it were offered.

If you like the boots than go for it, they are simpler and you can’t forget to pack them. For me the advantages of the socks are that I can use whatever suits the situation, neoprene booties for really cold water or rock boots, and if I wear them out or have any other issue I can just replace them for the cost of the new footwear. Some people find that they trap to much air and cause floaty feet, for me that would be a good thing but it doesn’t outweigh the other advantages.

Lastly you can turn the feet inside out for quick drying if you are having shortened times between dive days, I can have my shell suit completely dry in 24 hours or less if my main concern is drying the inside it can be done in a few hours.

 

[stuartv]

I’m looking to buy my first new drysuit. Seaskin surely looks great but all the options dazzle me a bit. Some uncertanties right now:

• Warm collar or not?
• Quick neck or orust (note that the warm collar rules out the orust and vice versa)?
• The freakingly expensive kubis or antares/ultima/4th element ellipse?
• Reinforce the heck out of it or unneeded?

Further than that, this thread has been extremely helpfull.

I pretty much agree with @lexvil.

I got the simple warm collar on my suit and would do it again, if I were ordering another trilam.

I got the Quick Neck. I might have ordered the Orust, but it was fairly new at the time and I decided I didn't want to trust something so new. Between Orust and the simple warm neck, I would take the simple warm neck.

I think the Kubis are better than Antares, Virgo, or Ultima. I don't know enough about the 4E ellipse to say about those. I also don't know if the Kubis are enough better to be worth the extra money. That is up to you and your wallet. The Kubis are extremely reliable, easy to put on and take off (once you lube the O-ring), very robust, and more compact than any other system I have looked at.

I got Kevlar knee patches. I got them as much for the padding they offer as the protection. Kneeling on a boat deck is not an unknown thing. I got the elbow reinforcements and shoulder reinforcements because they were not expensive and those seemed like 2 areas that would be particularly prone to extra wear. None of my suit shows any sign of wear yet. But, I only have 21 dives on it.

I agree with lexvil about socks vs boots, too. Turning inside out is a big one, to me. Past suits with boots took FOREVER to dry out (in the boot, in particular) if they got wet inside. Plus, the neo sock is more versatile for different socks. I can wear a thin wool sock or I can wear 2 thick wool socks. Either way, the suit's neoprene sock is snug and comfortable. With boots, I could have it snug and comfortable with a thin sock and a little too tight with 2 thick socks, or I could have it too lose with a thin sock and just right with 2 thick socks. If you always dive with basically just 1 thickness of sock, then this is a non-issue (but turning inside out still is).

I think the boot/sock thing is also slightly more of an issue if you will be flying with your drysuit. Then, faster drying and more compact packing (of neo socks plus booties, versus attached boots) is more of a benefit. If you're never flying with it, and always wearing the same socks, then an attached boot IS more convenient...

You didn't mention a pee valve. First, if you get it, you don't have to hook it up or use it. Second, in fairness, a pee valve is not hard to add yourself, after you get the suit. Anyway... My Seaskin is my first suit with a pee valve. I didn't even try to use the pee valve for the first few months I had it. But, oh, boy! Once I finally did my research, got the right condom catheters and used it for the first time, I was kicking myself for not getting a pee valve sooner! I got the Si Tech Trigon and am very happy with it. But, I have heard stories of other people with the same valve having a lot of trouble with leaking. I don't get it. I've taken mine apart and it is very simple. It has one mushroom valve inside, just like a 2nd stage regulator has. There are no moving parts (other than the mushroom valve flap). Nothing to open or close. You just hook up to it and pee when you need to. If you don't hook up to it, no worries - it still keeps the water out. Simple to clean and to service when needed.

 

[Fabiandelete]

Would it be possible to remove the kubis from one suit and transfer them to another? So that you don’t have to buy them new with every new suit (not that i’m planning on regular new drysuits though
And are the kubis rigid enough that they withstand something like a transfer?

 

[stuartv]

Would it be possible to remove the kubis from one suit and transfer them to another? So that you don’t have to buy them new with every new suit (not that i’m planning on regular new drysuits though
And are the kubis rigid enough that they withstand something like a transfer?

Yes, I think you could do that. Take them off the old suit, put them on the new suit, and then? Glue latex seals into the old suit? Throw the old suit away?

The Kubis are machined aluminum. They can take it.

 

[StefinSB]

I have the neoprene socks, warm neck, and the Kevlar knee pads for the reason Stuart pointed out. Didn’t see the need for more reinforcements and don’t miss it so far. I use a hanger with a computer fan on it, so drying goes really quick without the need to turn things “inside out”.