Hello there!
old thread, but... due to the incidents, let's say, that are happening here also ( I'm in Brazil at this moment) with the Mares XR drysuit it's worth to share.
I have 2 former students that bought this suit, brand new from your local dealer. Well, one of them get out of the water in his first dive (drysuit course) more soaked than a fish, literally we had to help him doff the suit IN WATER, as he couldn't get in the boat, so filled it was.I assumed that since it was his first dive something was wrong, maybe a twisted seal, maybe a valve that came from the factory broken, so I took the suit out to check. There was nothing, no cuts, no valve leaks, nothing.
Second dive, and even so, this time I personally checked before he entered the water that everything was right, and the result was the same. After about 15 dives, he sold the suit to some unfortunate new owner and went back to the neoprene, what an experience huh?
The other guy was dry, or almost dry, with about 20 dives or so, he started to soak, and really soak, from chest to toe. It was leaking literally everywhere
The end of story, he bought another suit, I got this one to rip in pieces, zipper and rings for cuffs and neck are kept here and I'll install them on other suit some day.
A nice piece of garbage this one...