Help with dry-suit purchase
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drk5036
Contributor
I’ve got one, it’s awesome. Neoprene neck and wrist seals work great. Get the neoprene socks instead of integrated boots. I like the internal braces. Get a trilobite on your non-computer wrist and a pocket if you like it. Cheap and super effective.Wow, only $600 for a neoprene drysuit?? seems too good to be true
drk5036
Contributor
drk5036
Contributor
I ended up right about 650. I got the “convenient zip” included. If I could do it over, I wouldn’t. In a drysuit I don’t seem to get the same “gotta pee” urge that I get in a wetsuit, and I’m not dedicated enough to go pee-valve, I’m okay with cutting a dive short.
I didn’t get the trilobite or pockets, and if I could do-over id get one of each instead of the convenience zip for similar money.
edit: just checked my invoice. Total including shipping was 530 GBP which right now is 700 dollars, at the exchange rate when I bought it was 650. The convenience zip and cover flap were about 60 gbp so subtract 75 dollars if you go without.
if you have any other questions or want help configuring let me know, I spent a lot of time on that site. Either this thread or PM is fine.
when diving dry I use a shell suit. you can look on makers sights and see if they have demo's for sale. they will give you the measurements to find the right one. I like a shell because it is forgiving of me when I gain or loose weight. Ebay has a number of them If you can get the serial number from the picture you can call and get the measurements of the suit from some makers. DUI will as far as I know.
I would suggest a shell over a neoprene suit because of greater flexibity and easier to dry when (not if) you get a flood
If you do go with a shell suit, spend the money for replaceable neck and wrist seals. I'm a fan of socks over integrated boots, better stability if you're going to shore dive, and again when you get a flood, easier to invert the entire suit and wipe it down
If you do go with a shell suit, spend the money for replaceable neck and wrist seals. I'm a fan of socks over integrated boots, better stability if you're going to shore dive, and again when you get a flood, easier to invert the entire suit and wipe it down
Seaskin suits are awesome.Custom made to measure, from England.
Dry Suits from Seaskin Custom Drysuits home page - Seaskin Custom Diving Suits
I have one each of their trilam and compressed neoprene.
All their suits are made to measure. Both of mine fit me perfectly.
As previously noted, the Ultra (neoprene) starts around USD$520 plus shipping, I think. And Nova (trilam) is maybe $100 more.
My Ultra has a few options and cost me something like $850, shipped. Pockets and the Trigon pee valve were the big ticket options.
My Nova was pretty much loaded up, with almost every available option, including pockets, Trigon pee valve, replaceable silicone neck and wrist seals, and Kubi dry glove rings. That all added up and it was something like $1100.
Seaskin undergarments are nice, too, and very inexpensive.
As an aside, I just got a Si Tech Vega valve from Seaskin, so I can run a heated garment inside my suit. It was something like $115. Everywhere here in the US, the same thing was something like $250 and up.
The Pound to Dollar conversion rate is really helping us, I think.
Dry Suits from Seaskin Custom Drysuits home page - Seaskin Custom Diving Suits
I have one each of their trilam and compressed neoprene.
All their suits are made to measure. Both of mine fit me perfectly.
As previously noted, the Ultra (neoprene) starts around USD$520 plus shipping, I think. And Nova (trilam) is maybe $100 more.
My Ultra has a few options and cost me something like $850, shipped. Pockets and the Trigon pee valve were the big ticket options.
My Nova was pretty much loaded up, with almost every available option, including pockets, Trigon pee valve, replaceable silicone neck and wrist seals, and Kubi dry glove rings. That all added up and it was something like $1100.
Seaskin undergarments are nice, too, and very inexpensive.
As an aside, I just got a Si Tech Vega valve from Seaskin, so I can run a heated garment inside my suit. It was something like $115. Everywhere here in the US, the same thing was something like $250 and up.
The Pound to Dollar conversion rate is really helping us, I think.
drk5036
Contributor
Are you familiar with the Seaskin neoprene, or are just referring to neoprene suits in general?
The Seaskin neoprene is 3 mil crushed. Mine dries overnight with a fan easily. What do you mean exactly by the shell has more "flexibility" ? People often make these comments on Scubaboard, but I haven't been really convinced of the supposed superiority of shell suits. Especially if you were to get flooded, a neoprene suit will provide more warmth in this case as compared to a shell.
If you have the money, feel free to go with replaceable neck and wrist seals, but be aware that they cost a serious chunk of change (increasing the suit price by about 50%?). Also, neoprene seals are really robust, can be field-repaired if required, and also provide warmth, compared to silicone. For me, it wasn't worth the huge price difference. If my seal gets damaged, i'll send it off for repairs; I don't dive enough for a couple week delay to really hurt me that much.
Agreed with the socks over integrated boots.
@drk5036
I have both (as I think you know).
To ME, the trilam is more flexible (or versatile) in the sense that I would wear it in warmer temps than I would wear the neoprene, and I would wear it in colder temps than the neoprene.
The trilam has no inherent insulation. So, if I'm diving in warm water but want redundant buoyancy (e.g. a deep, technical dive in warm water), I would wear the trilam. The neoprene would be too warm in the water and on the surface.
But, if I'm diving, for example, Great Lakes wrecks, where bottom temps are close to 40 degrees, I would always wear the trilam. It is cut a little more "full", since it has no inherent stretch, and it has a telescopic torso. Those things combined mean that I can fit undies that are thicker, to keep me warmer than my neo suit would. I could have gotten the neo suit cut bigger, to acccommodate thicker undies, but then it would be way too baggy when I'm diving it in, say, water in the low 60s.
Neoprene seals are all that you said. But, for really cold water, dry gloves are the only way to go. And that means you're going to have replaceable wrist seals, regardless of trilam or neoprene. For the neck seal, you can get a neoprene neck seal that is replaceable and works with the Si Tech Quick Neck system. I have one for my trilam and I love it! I went from latex to user-replaceable silicone to user-replaceable neoprene and the neoprene neck seal is THE BOMB! So warm and so comfortable! So, the ability to have a neoprene neck seal is not a factor. You can have it on either type of suit.
But, if you get a neoprene neck seal that is not user replaceable, yes, you can repair some types of damage, but you could also have damage that you can't repair. You could also have damage that you can repair but it's going to take anywhere from an hour to overnight. If the seal rips while you're on the boat, on your way to your dive site, you're probably going to miss at least that dive, if not the whole day. Or more, if the damage is not repairable. With the Quick Neck, you pull out your spare seal and can be ready to go again in 5 - 10 minutes. You probably won't even miss your dive.
They are both great options. I like them both for different scenarios. If I were only going to have one, it would be the trilam with all user-replaceable seals. But, that is me and the diving I do, which includes pretty darn cold water sometimes, and it also includes pretty warm water (in a drysuit) sometimes. If I were never going to use a drysuit in warm water, and I were not going to dive in water colder than about 50 degrees, I would be totally good with just the compressed neoprene suit.
I have both (as I think you know).
To ME, the trilam is more flexible (or versatile) in the sense that I would wear it in warmer temps than I would wear the neoprene, and I would wear it in colder temps than the neoprene.
The trilam has no inherent insulation. So, if I'm diving in warm water but want redundant buoyancy (e.g. a deep, technical dive in warm water), I would wear the trilam. The neoprene would be too warm in the water and on the surface.
But, if I'm diving, for example, Great Lakes wrecks, where bottom temps are close to 40 degrees, I would always wear the trilam. It is cut a little more "full", since it has no inherent stretch, and it has a telescopic torso. Those things combined mean that I can fit undies that are thicker, to keep me warmer than my neo suit would. I could have gotten the neo suit cut bigger, to acccommodate thicker undies, but then it would be way too baggy when I'm diving it in, say, water in the low 60s.
Neoprene seals are all that you said. But, for really cold water, dry gloves are the only way to go. And that means you're going to have replaceable wrist seals, regardless of trilam or neoprene. For the neck seal, you can get a neoprene neck seal that is replaceable and works with the Si Tech Quick Neck system. I have one for my trilam and I love it! I went from latex to user-replaceable silicone to user-replaceable neoprene and the neoprene neck seal is THE BOMB! So warm and so comfortable! So, the ability to have a neoprene neck seal is not a factor. You can have it on either type of suit.
But, if you get a neoprene neck seal that is not user replaceable, yes, you can repair some types of damage, but you could also have damage that you can't repair. You could also have damage that you can repair but it's going to take anywhere from an hour to overnight. If the seal rips while you're on the boat, on your way to your dive site, you're probably going to miss at least that dive, if not the whole day. Or more, if the damage is not repairable. With the Quick Neck, you pull out your spare seal and can be ready to go again in 5 - 10 minutes. You probably won't even miss your dive.
They are both great options. I like them both for different scenarios. If I were only going to have one, it would be the trilam with all user-replaceable seals. But, that is me and the diving I do, which includes pretty darn cold water sometimes, and it also includes pretty warm water (in a drysuit) sometimes. If I were never going to use a drysuit in warm water, and I were not going to dive in water colder than about 50 degrees, I would be totally good with just the compressed neoprene suit.
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