Gidds v. The Drysuit Round I

[ctmax]

You did NOT have to be anywhere near the pool to get your tanks filled! *more scowling*
The Kraken- Thank you (and everybody else so far) for the suggestions. I shall be hunting around for a suit, I am totally hooked

Gidds, I was up at New England Ski and Scuba last week. they had a DUI on consignment and I do believe it would be close if not exactly your size, that is if I remember correctly from when I ran into you and Neil. If you are interested I would be happy to stop up there and get the details for you. If I had to guess I would say the suit wasn't even near water let alone in it. If you would like to call their # is 860-872-0113. Ask for David or Oliver.

 

[Diesel298]

another vote for unisuit here.
the "squeeze" that you get in a "bag" suit isnt really a issue in a neoprene suit..
and warm. the suits are thick to beging with so ya dont need alot of undergarment,, and definetlt dont need one of them facnc smanmcy undergarments..
thermals and a fleese thats it for me and i was sweating today....
also the unisuit has a attached hood (verry nice feature)
the downside to the unisuit is they dont give em away. but there are ither less expensive suits avalabe.
bare makes a decent neoprene dry suit that i beleave is reasonable brices.. and nothern divers website has some really good deals on there suits.

anyway.. good luck..
Ray

 

[markfm]

...I thought diving dry would feel funny and be somewhat ridiculous but I have since revised that opinion

Now you KNOW diving dry feels funny and is somewhat ridiculous Join the club!

 

[Snowbear]

Many drysuit low pressure inflator hoses come with larger collars or winged tabs to assist in their removal with heavy gloves on. Did yours have these?

Like this one:

 

[The Kraken]

You know, Gidds, I had the same concept that dry suit diving was useless in the sunny south (Georgia) until most of my dives started to be in water temperatures of 40 to 50 degrees year round.

I can handle 50 degrees in a 7mm FJ/J for about 1-1/2 dives. I hated the amount of weight I had to carry.

Going with the Bare XCD2 has made a world of difference in weight, buoyancy and warmth issues.

It's one heck of a tough suit, also!

the K

 

[Gidds]

I feel so much better than I did earlier, thanks everybody. A couple more details: I am basically a skinny little twerp and I just cannot hold my body heat in 50F water the way big beasty guys can. I literally HAVE to get out in 20 minutes or else I get into "the danger zone" and I have been hypothermic before and don't want a repeat. Now keeping this in mind I also do really "girly" dives. I spend a lot of time holding still staring at things, the most exertion I do involves chasing the occaisonal fish or trying to catch a lobster. THAT SAID the instructor recommended I not go with the neoprene, fearing I will need more undergarments than I can comfortably stuff in there or else I will be right back where I started: too cold. Opinions on this logic? I just found two Bare suits I can probably afford if I never buy booze or see a movie again one neoprene, one not.

 

[Rick L]

Also with the unisuit you dont get that feet up feeling!
great suits right diesel298!!!
Rick L

 

[ctmax]

Gidds, I was up at New England Ski and Scuba last week. they had a DUI on consignment and I do believe it would be close if not exactly your size, that is if I remember correctly from when I ran into you and Neil. If you are interested I would be happy to stop up there and get the details for you. If I had to guess I would say the suit wasn't even near water let alone in it. If you would like to call their # is 860-872-0113. Ask for David or Oliver.

http://www.dui-online.com/dry_flx.htm

Gidds, If I remember this is the suit they had. I do believe it was a custom.

 

[markfm]

I'm a natural space heater, so no basis for warmth comments. I do know I can comfortably wear moderately heavy polarfleece in my suit -- did it all of twice before I dropped back to lighweight Bergelene tops and bottoms (EMS stuff works well if you don't absolutely gotta have drysuit-specific clothes -- good range of motion, discreet zippers, a fraction of the price). I wanted some new Winter things for snowshoe trips anyhow, so it all worked out

 

[The Kraken]

Never push yourself to the point of becoming hypothermic!!! The vast majority of people have no concept of what an insidious danger hypothermia is!!!

Those aren't "girly" dives. You are enjoying, to the fullest extent, that which is in the alien underwater world.

Well, it's my understanding, an very logical to me, that neoprene has greater insulating properties than a tri-lam. Following that logic, neoprene would reduce the requisite undergarment thickness right out of the gate. But I don't have enough experience in diving different dry suits to make that as an intelligent statement, so take it for what it's worth.

I dare say there are very few on the board who have experience in all of the variants of dry suits who can give first hand comparisons of the different qualities of neoprene, crushed neoprene, compressed neoprene and laminated suits.

I don't know who it was that said it, but it's not so much the dry suit that does the job, it's the undergarment. All the dry suit does is keep water out. Now I don't know how much more water a $3500 suit keeps out than an $800 suit ????

But, anyway, good luck in your choice.

the K