How Much Dry Suit Does a New Diver Really Need?

[bodrgrd]

Thanks. I picked up a lightly used XL O'niell suit for 300. Yes I am a pretty off the rack size. I am 5'11 and 195. I pretty well buy everything off the rack and it fits fine. I will use this suit for a couple of years and then get a DUI or Viking. I appreciate the info. I wasn't really looking for an O'neill suit, I just got such a great deal I had to take it.

 

[RJP]

I am thinking of picking up a used suit and using that until I decide the direction I want to go and then getting a really great suit from DUI or Viking once I have some knowledge and experience. Thoughts?

The best way to waste money in scuba is to try to save money... by purchasing gear that you plan to replace.

Do yourself a favor: Buy your second suit first!

I'd recommend "splitting the difference" and either purchasing a good value-priced new suit like the BARE HD Tech Dry...

BARE HD Tech Dry at www.DiveSeekers.com

...or keep an eye out for a gently used but higher-end DUI.

With either approach you'll have suit today that you can get several years out of, while spending less now and over the long haul.

Diving dry will change the way you dive... for the better. Don't skimp too much on your approach to buying a suit. You'll only end up diminishing the quality of your diving.

Ray

EDIT: Unless of course you can pick up "a lightly used XL O'niell suit for $300" and get a few years out of it.

:d

 

[bodrgrd]

Thanks RJP. I got the O'Neill suit and have heard good things about it. I have used their wet suits for years diving and surfing. This may be one of those things I get that never wears out and I am still using years from now. I still have US Divers regs I bought in the 80s. I just keep rebuilding them and they keep working. I dive in Jersey too, and travel to the south Pacific when I can. Just got back from the Philipines. That is a great trip.

 

[RJP]

I dive in Jersey too, and travel to the south Pacific when I can.

Come try out that new suit with us some time this year!

 

[KathyIGH]

Hi,

This is Kathy with DUI. We just announced a new promotion - FREE ZipSeals on any new DUI Drysuit. That includes our TLSSE and CNSE models. The best way to check fit is to come out to our DOG Rally & Demo Tour. Spend the day test diving different models and sizes. More information on the ZipSeal promotion and the DOG Rally are on our homepage at Diving Unlimited International / drysuit manufacture.

Thanks,

Kathy

 

[ScubaFeenD]

Yes, they tend to leak ... I sure wish DUI would find a better seam glue or something.

So really the DUI is only semi-dry? But seriously, how much leakage are we talking here? It seems to me that leakage is part of the "comfort" factor, especially in cold water, so it might be a big factor in deciding to pay the premium price.

 

[TSandM]

ALL drysuits leak, eventually. It's the nature of the beast -- you have a suit which has to be absolutely without a pinhole, and on which all valves must seat perfectly, and seals must fit perfectly, in order to be dry. As my dear friend Bob says, "All dry suits become wet suits, and then you get them fixed."

Some materials seem to have more of a tendency to develop pinholes than others. Either this is true of the DUI suits, or it's just that so many people I know own them that I hear a lot of stories about seeps in DUI suits. My primary dive buddy has had his entire left SLEEVE replaced by DUI, because he had a leak that they just couldn't find and fix. They've worked hard at it for him, but it's a nuisance to have your dry suit in the shop repeatedly. And, as you point out, being wet in very cold water is a bit of a safety issue as well.

All dry suit owners, if they dive actively, eventually get good at finding and repairing leaks, no matter what brand they own.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

So really the DUI is only semi-dry? But seriously, how much leakage are we talking here? It seems to me that leakage is part of the "comfort" factor, especially in cold water, so it might be a big factor in deciding to pay the premium price.

Depends ... usually not enough to worry about. Sometimes enough to make you want to fix it. Also depends on where it leaks. Torso leaks are bad ... they make you cold. Crotch leaks are worse ... they make you ... (never mind, I'm sure you get the picture). Leaks that make an arm or leg wet are usually a minor annoyance, if even that.

A good undergarment helps a lot ... even on those long (90-minute plus) tech dives.

The fit and comfort of the suit are what's most important ... especially when you're in a lot of undergarment. And that's where the TLS350 stands above the pack ... at least of those suits I've owned, all of which are considered premium suits.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[ScubaFeenD]

ALL drysuits leak, eventually. It's the nature of the beast -- you have a suit which has to be absolutely without a pinhole, and on which all valves must seat perfectly, and seals must fit perfectly, in order to be dry. As my dear friend Bob says, "All dry suits become wet suits, and then you get them fixed."

Some materials seem to have more of a tendency to develop pinholes than others. Either this is true of the DUI suits, or it's just that so many people I know own them that I hear a lot of stories about seeps in DUI suits. My primary dive buddy has had his entire left SLEEVE replaced by DUI, because he had a leak that they just couldn't find and fix. They've worked hard at it for him, but it's a nuisance to have your dry suit in the shop repeatedly. And, as you point out, being wet in very cold water is a bit of a safety issue as well.

All dry suit owners, if they dive actively, eventually get good at finding and repairing leaks, no matter what brand they own.

Depends ... usually not enough to worry about. Sometimes enough to make you want to fix it. Also depends on where it leaks. Torso leaks are bad ... they make you cold. Crotch leaks are worse ... they make you ... (never mind, I'm sure you get the picture). Leaks that make an arm or leg wet are usually a minor annoyance, if even that.

A good undergarment helps a lot ... even on those long (90-minute plus) tech dives.

The fit and comfort of the suit are what's most important ... especially when you're in a lot of undergarment. And that's where the TLS350 stands above the pack ... at least of those suits I've owned, all of which are considered premium suits.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Yea, they all leak for sure, and sometimes I have noticed differences in leakage between different dives even when everything is setup exactly the same. I suppose the extent of leakage is the defining factor for what is acceptable. Normal is a little, whereas a "leak" I would consider more voluminous than "normal." I just wanted to know if you meant the construction had suit compromise built in. In other words, is DUI normal > other manufacturer's normal?

Thanks for both of your thoughts, though.

 

[jridg]

For my money - and with nearly 100 dives in this - I have to say that the fusion is the way to go - hands down. I have tried other and owned other suits - the fusion has kept me happier than any other suit.

Just my opinion