Review Seaskin Nova drysuit

[drk5036]

A shell suit is versatile in that you can adjust the insulation worn to match the conditions from warm to cold but with some cost, you can wear Minimal insulation for warmer conditions but if you have room in the suit for more insulation for the cold that becomes bubble that you have to work with. The Nova is much easier to use because I can zip it myself, even better since changing to a TiZip (plastic zip was not an option when I bought my Nova) I dove my Nova yesterday and wish I had used the Ultra instead because the water was a little colder than it has been.

When I purchase the ultra, do you think getting the 150 gm undergarments is the way to go for cold water diving? How do you hand undergarments for a neoprene drysuit?

 

[lexvil]

When I purchase the ultra, do you think getting the 150 gm undergarments is the way to go for cold water diving? How do you hand undergarments for a neoprene drysuit?

I use the same most of the time, as I age I have been loosing my cold tolerance, (65 now) I use heavy, expedition weight wool as a base and waterproof mesh tech 3D and yesterday with those I added a waffle fleece shirt and after an hour started feeling the cold, using up air means less air in the suit. With the neoprene I’m always warmer at the end.

One of the things I like about the Ultra besides the warmth is that it dives a little more like a wetsuit, it doesn’t pinch like a Nova (any shell suit) with the end of dive squeeze, it’s just a more comfortable suit while diving.

 

[Graeme Fraser]

View attachment 560930
Gave the new Seaskin it’s first dip yesterday in a UK quarry 6C (43F) and it preformed brilliantly. No leaks and even after 0:50mins still warm in the 250 under suit. I do need raise my twins as couldn’t quite reach the valves but that’s nothing to do with the suit

Is that Cromhall?

 

[admikar]

I use the same most of the time, as I age I have been loosing my cold tolerance, (65 now) I use heavy, expedition weight wool as a base and waterproof mesh tech 3D and yesterday with those I added a waffle fleece shirt and after an hour started feeling the cold, using up air means less air in the suit. With the neoprene I’m always warmer at the end.

One of the things I like about the Ultra besides the warmth is that it dives a little more like a wetsuit, it doesn’t pinch like a Nova (any shell suit) with the end of dive squeeze, it’s just a more comfortable suit while diving.

Are you using your dry suit for buoyancy?

 

[wwunder]

Hi would be interested in a photo to see how it compares to mine? Totally agree with you about the glue, mine was exactly the same.

Finally remembered to get a couple pics today..

 

[lexvil]

Are you using your dry suit for buoyancy?

I do,

 

[admikar]

I do,

Well, there's a cause of your problems.
Inflate suit to avoid squeeze, use BCD for buoyancy. Add few pounds of weight and then you would not have to endure squeeze at the end of a dive.
I heard it here......"ballast for warmth".

 

[lexvil]

Well, there's a cause of your problems.
Inflate suit to avoid squeeze, use BCD for buoyancy. Add few pounds of weight and then you would not have to endure squeeze at the end of a dive.
I heard it here......"ballast for warmth".

Well there isn’t the source of my problem because there is a tipping point where ballast for warmth doesn’t work, seal you hand in a plastic bag and push it in water, now add more air and push it into water, push harder to sink the additional air not tell me where that air is. At a point of adding more and more air and weight to sink it you will find you end up very cold at the bottom and nice and warm on top and that isn’t good enough. I already carry about 40 lbs of lead two pounds less and I get bad squeeze, two more and I get colder unless I add another layer.

I find the people who prefer b/c for buoyancy tend to either dive warmer water or tolerate cold better than I do or tolerate squeeze better than I do.

 

[RainPilot]

The adage "add lead for warmth" is a good one for the basic idea, but there are some caveats.
The undergarment is supposed to trap some gas which then acts as an insulator. Compression of the undergarments also reduces their effectiveness in delaying thermal transfer, so a healthy amount of gas in the suit will keep you warmer.

If you are using your suit for buoyancy, however, every time you dump gas out of it you are also dumping some warmth, and then replacing it with cold compressed gas. If your dive profile allows a stable drysuit gas volume (long flat profile) then you should be warmer using the suit for buoyancy. On sawtooth type profiles, you may find that BCD use will keep you warmer.

I encourage my students to start by using BCD and just avoiding squeeze, but as they begin to be more comfortable feeling and managing the suit bubble, they can begin to use the suit more as and when needed.

Basically, add gas to avoid squeeze, then gas for warmth, then BCD or suit as required going forward.

 

[The Bristol Pirate]

Is that Cromhall?

yes its chromhall, just up the road for me