Is DUI really the best?

[GatorJoe]

thx for all the advice everyone.

kathy - id love to attend the event but can't wait till august. i plan on buying in the next couple of weeks. unfortunately my local dive shop is closing down and while they are willing to measure me, i'll need to find another dive shop to buy from. which is distressing because i've built up a lot of trust w/ the current owners and have been very happy w/ all their suggestions.

 

[GatorJoe]

kathy, can you explain the deal you guys have going on now in better detail? this is one thing ive asked my dive shop but they havent replied. they're busy trying to find someone to buy up their inventory.

 

[Bogie]

I have a TLS350 and a CLX450 DUI drysuit. The 350 is light and is fast drying the 450 is tougher and takes more time to dry. I like them both. I have found that DUI service is very good and you can talk directly to people who know what they are talking about.
Both Bare and Whites make good suits.

They all work it is a mater of personal choice.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

so why should i buy DUI? i like having the best stuff. i dont like to blindly waste money though if something else is just as good that is cheaper....

@GatorJoe: The fact that you've posted in the DUI Manufacturer's Forum and that you've admitted you like "having the best stuff" leads me to believe that your budget will allow the purchase of DUI drysuits. Yes, DUI drysuits are probably on the higher end of the pricing spectrum for drysuits. Yes, they are very good suits. Yes, they have good customer service (from what I've been told by my friends that own them). You seem to be seeking approval for a DUI purchase. Well, you've got it. DUI drysuits are great.

That being said, Peter_Guy, makes several very good points. You would do well to listen to what he has to say about the Whites Fusion. I've dived it, my dive buddies own them, and they are great suits...for all of the reasons that Peter cites. For a first drysuit, I couldn't think of a better choice than the Fusion since the outer layer helps the user manage the bubble inside the suit. The only thing I would add is that the Lycra outer material on the "sport" low-end Fusion doesn't seem to dry super-fast. My Bare Nex-Gen bilam dries a lot faster, and so would a DUI TLS350.

IMHO, if you're lucky enough to fit a stock size in a DUI suit, then the price:value ratio isn't prohibitively high. However, if you have to get a custom-fit DUI suit, then you should take a harder look at the Whites Fusion since the suit design fits a wider range of body types. Fit is paramount to safety and comfort when selecting a drysuit.

The Fusion is arguably the best value drysuit (considering price/features/design/fit) on the current market. DUI drysuits are probably more rugged...especially the crushed neoprene models. In the end, my gut tells me that you'd be happy with any of these choices. Take your pick.

I'm curious. What's the big rush? Do you have to purchase the drysuits in the next couple of weeks? Facing such a big financial decision, it would be prudent to attend a DUI DOG Demo Day and/or a Whites Fusion demo to help with making your purchase. Without exercising such patience, you'll be making less of an informed decision. Hope you find this post helpful.

Good luck!

 

[Diver0001]

@GatorJoe: The fact that you've posted in the DUI Manufacturer's Forum and that you've admitted you like "having the best stuff" leads me to believe that your budget will allow the purchase of DUI drysuits. Yes, DUI drysuits are probably on the higher end of the pricing spectrum for drysuits. Yes, they are very good suits. Yes, they have good customer service (from what I've been told by my friends that own them). You seem to be seeking approval for a DUI purchase. Well, you've got it. DUI drysuits are great.

I initially didn't want to reply to this thread because it's in the manufacturer's forum but here I go anyway.

I know a number of people who have DUI suits and they *all* say that they are the most comfortable and best fitting suits they've ever had.

That's logical because my friends all have custom cut ones and the DUI suits are made from a fairly light trilam that's more flexible than some other suits. The high price of these suits as compared to off-the-shelf suits seems to be acceptable to a lot of DUI users. if price is no object and comfort is your main requirement then the DUI suits probably are the best suits for you.

But the light trilam comes with a nasty down side. A drysuit is supposed to be dry and the trilam they use just doesn't seem to withstand the rigours of all types of diving. You say you enjoy wreck diving. If that includes penetrating wrecks where you (and your suit) will be in contact with it -- ie whatever is growing on it or rusting off of it -- a lot then you will probably find the DUI suits are more prone, as compared to some "cheaper" suits, to developing leaks. In fact, the running joke about DUI is that it stands for "Dry Until Immersed", which, while a caracature, isn't a totally unfounded critcism.

DUI will put cordora (I think) patches on your suit wherever you think you might need it but it drives up the cost and can make the suit less flexible, basically undermining the main reason to choose DUI--the comfort. So for wreck diving, suits like the top-of-the-line Bare or Whites or the Ursuit are probably going to take the abuse better and for lower cost (although the Ursuit might not be cheaper in the USA).

I think you can see the effects of the difference in quality in the warranty too. The Bare suit in particular has a life-time warranty on seams and workmanship whereas DUI warranties theirs for 7 years, which is about 1/2 of the normal life-span of a drysuit. For the price of them, that's actually pretty unacceptable, if you ask me.

R..

 

[GatorJoe]

thx for the info. ive been learning more about what to look for. ive been looking at the Bare Tech HD as well. it looks pretty similiar to the DUI suits i've been checking but much cheaper.

Bubble: I'm in no real rush to get a suit but i certainly don't want to wait until August. I am not diving again up here until i get a drysuit. i did it last yr and while the first dive was ok, the 2nd dive was intolerable. when my wife and i went to Cancun & Key West this past summer and we dove in 85F water we decided we didn't want to be cold again while diving. so we haven't dove since October and i'm getting itchy to go. plus this time of yr is the best time to dive up here in the NW.

not really looking for "approval" to buy DUI, just looking to see if it is REALLY worth the extra money to buy DUI vs any other mfg. i like to buy stuff that i can grow into. i hate wasting money and don't want to have to buy again in the near future because i find that the gear i have can't handle what i want to do. not necessairly a big consideration i suppose for a drysuit but that's just my mindset i have when i buy scuba equipment.

most of the time when i go on trips, people who are veteran divers envy the stuff i have and it makes me feel good. not that's why i buy the stuff, but it makes me feel like i made good choices.

we have DiveRite Transpacs (i love them and debated going with a backplate before we bought them for a long time. im glad i went w/ the transpac) for our BCD's & Suunto Vyper Air's for our computers. i haven't found a new dive shop yet so i haven't seen if i'll be able to try on and test out all the various suits. hopefully i can. a lot of dive shops up here have very limited supply of stuff. my shop up here didn't have any drysuits except for rentals and those were all old school styles and wouldn't be similiar.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

...most of the time when i go on trips, people who are veteran divers envy the stuff i have and it makes me feel good.

That's basically what I sensed from reading between the lines. Just get a DUI suit. You won't regret it. If you tell the DUI dealer that you're interested in wreck diving, then he'll steer you towards a crushed neoprene suit (CF200x?). It's heavy and slow to dry, but very durable. I think DUI is currently running a special in which customers get a "free" pair of rockboots, undergarment, and a sports package with the purchase of a drysuit. Whatever you get, just make sure that the suit fits you properly. Best of luck...

 

[jmmcintyre]

I have a DUI, but of course I am not saying they are the best. Its just what I bought from a buddy. I think many other companies are coming up in the world and have really made some improvements to the suits; DUI just has been around a lot longer then others. Like what others have said, it only matters what works for you!

However I wanted to share this with you: http://www.dui-online.com/pdf/media_release_2010_tauchen.pdf

It looks that DUI has won the Tauchen Drysuit Award six years in a row in Germany. They have to be doing something right.

 

[TSandM]

GatorJoe, Bubbles Below in Woodinville rents DUI suits -- you might be able to rent one and do a drysuit orientation session, and see what you think of them.

If you want the coolest looking suits, I think DUI has it hands down. Personally, I'd buy a Fusion and spend the money you save on a good canister light . . .

 

[ShakaZulu]

I don't know...they are kinda like BMWs...I have a lot of friends who have them, but they always seem to be in the shop for some reason