Dry suit for both Tropical and Cold water Dives

[azhar]

Hi all,

I am looking for a dry suit that I can use in tropical waters and on some occasions add on to it for use in cold water. I have been looking at the DUI 30/30 Explorer and Fusion. What other dry suits would work for me? I don't want to be over heated at surface intervals in "tropical mode" while keeping it on. It should also be light and flexible not restricting movements. In short a good value for money which is adaptable in ideally all environment.

Azhar

 

[tstormdiver]

I would think any shell (laminate) type suit would work. Just vary the insulation you wear under it to fit the needs of the dive (thin insulation- warm water/ Thick insulation- cold water). I dive my TLS350 in waters 42- 87 degrees year round. You may want to strip to the waist during SI's for further comfort, as these suits do not breathe.

 

[Diver0001]

Hi all,

I am looking for a dry suit that I can use in tropical waters and on some occasions add on to it for use in cold water. I have been looking at the DUI 30/30 Explorer and Fusion. What other dry suits would work for me? I don't want to be over heated at surface intervals in "tropical mode" while keeping it on. It should also be light and flexible not restricting movements. In short a good value for money which is adaptable in ideally all environment.

Azhar

I have some experience diving in the tropics in a drysuit (yeah, I hate the cold THAT much) and I've always used a trilaminate suit for that (in my case a Bare). The trilam shell has no insulating ability at all so you can easily adjust how warm you want to be by changing the under-garment. In Egypt when the water was about 25C I was warm enough using a light jogging suit as an undersuit. In my normal area the water is a lot colder and I just use a thicker undersuit. In my case a 200gr one. I would shy away from a neoprene suit for tropical diving for the heat aspects but for another reason as well, namely weight and bulk. If you need to fly with your gear, you will hate having a neoprene suit.

Either way, if the air temperature is too high they you *will* overheat in a drysuit.... any drysuit. During any lengthy surface interval you will have to at least take it partly off, so a suit with internal suspenders is going to be necessary if you want to 1/2 strip so you don't overheat but you don't want to take it all the way off.

As for brands, I have limited experience with different brands. What usually happens in these kinds of threads is that people recommend what they own and tend to put down what they don't own. I don't know if that will help you much so I'll avoid all that. What I would recommend is to look around in your local area for what is available and pay particular attention to things like how easy/hard it will be to get repairs or guarantee work done on them. If you buy a suit that's really great but you have to send it in a box overseas to get new seals (or boots) put on it (to point out a couple of examples of common repairs) then you'll end up hating it. Make sure whatever you buy can be serviced locally.

R..

 

[rongoodman]

The 30/30 is cut snug, designed for light fleece underwear, so you'll have to size up if you want room for warmer underwear.

 

[elan]

If I remember correctly 30/30 has open feet. Its not going to be fun in cold water.
Most shells should be fine as they do not have any insulating properties.

 

[Sevenrider860]

Adding Turbo Soles or Rock Boots is an option with the DUI 30/30. The default is open feet.

 

[Diver0001]

The 30/30 is cut snug, designed for light fleece underwear, so you'll have to size up if you want room for warmer underwear.

If he got it cut for the thickest undergarment he wanted to use would it then seem too baggy with a light undergarment?

R..

---------- Post added January 21st, 2013 at 12:52 PM ----------

Adding Turbo Soles or Rock Boots is an option with the DUI 30/30. The default is open feet.

Yeah, he would definitely need boots. Open feet is asking for trouble in any environment. It seems very peculiar to me that any drysuit would even have open feet as a default. I can't think of a single reason why someone could possibly want that.

R..

 

[rongoodman]

If he got it cut for the thickest undergarment he wanted to use would it then seem too baggy with a light undergarment?

R..

---------- Post added January 21st, 2013 at 12:52 PM ----------




Yeah, he would definitely need boots. Open feet is asking for trouble in any environment. It seems very peculiar to me that any drysuit would even have open feet as a default. I can't think of a single reason why someone could possibly want that.

R..

It seems to me that ordering a 30/30 oversize is just defeating its purpose. A TLS350 would come with suspenders and a crotch strap to better manage the looser suit. The 30/30 just has an elastic belt.

I'll probably have Turbo soles put on mine if it ever has to go back for something, but in moderate/warm water, wet suit boots work fine.

 

[captain]

Why would you want the hassle of a dry suit or any suit in warm waters.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

Why would you want the hassle of a dry suit or any suit in warm waters.

I agree. i have a rack full of exposure suits: 3 mil shorty, 3 mil full, 5 mil full, a couple of hooded vests to add to 3 or 5 mil as needed; 6.5 mil semi dry; and dry suit. The lighter wet suits are not expensive, and even modest priced ones will last if properly cared for and stored. There are time when a dry suit is the best, but not in 80 degree and warmer tropical waters, imho.
DivemasterDennis