Saying hello again!

[TheKooze]

My name is Stephanie and I am new to the diving world. I would like to start looking into purchasing a new or used exposure suit. I am aiming for a semidry suit to Start with. I am about 5'10" and would probaby fit into a Large womens or Med Mens. Anyone selling a used one?

I live in Victoria and would travel upisland to take a looky loo.

Thanks

 

[akirawut]

Not to say you wouldn't end up liking a semi dry, or even a plain old wetsuit, everyone is different and all. But at least take the drysuit course, and make enough dives in one to get truly comfortable in a drysuit before you buy a semi dry.

Originally me and the boss lady were going to go wetsuit or semi dry, especially after taking the drysuit course and finding it to be troublesome. But after some more experience, getting proper weighting, etc, we love the drysuits and wouldn't dive anything else here.

Even if it's a question of cost you may find that you want a drysuit pretty shortly anyways, so really you aren't saving anything.

Point of all the ramble: At least get familiar enough with a drysuit to make an informed decision before you pop the trunk on anything else.

 

[TheKooze]

Thanks for the advice. What have you heard about Whites Fusion suits? Are they worth it or...?

 

[akirawut]

Unfortunately I have never used one but there was recently quite a bit of local discussion about them in this thread: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/western-canada/334857-drysuit-opinions-sought.html.

 

[Hyper-limits]

Welcome to the SB Stephanie, I second Akirawut recommendation and get a Dry-suit.
I've been diving with a Fusion (Limited Tech skin) for about 10 months now. I have around 100 dives on it and so far so good, I use the MK3 underwear with the suit and it keeps me nice and warm.

Cheers

Al

 

[TheKooze]

I have heard some reports from other divers that they have lost their seals and become leaky...:/

 

[Darnold9999]

I have had to repair my wrist seals after a couple of years of diving the Fusion.

Would not prevent me from buying it however. Wrist and neck seals are replaceable items that I would expect to replace on an occassional basis. Depends on how well you treat them and I am not that careful so expect to go through them more often than most.

 

[akirawut]

"A couple years" seems reasonable for seal replacement imo, not that I have a tonne of experience myself either.

 

[MarkH]

I hate to give away my secret source, but I shouldn't be selfish:www.usedvictoria.com/classifieds/scuba-diving
This one makes me want to run out and rob a bank:www.usedvictoria.com/classified-ad/Wardell-Drysuit--_11475212
There are usually drysuits between $75 and $200. The thing I like about cheap old neoprene suits is that you don't have to worry about being gentle with them and if they leak, the're just like a really warm wetsuit.

 

[tregrrr]

Kooze: ALL suits will have that issue sooner or later. AFAIK, there is NO single suit manufacturer who either excels or stinks more than any other With Regard To seals/leaks per se. Actually I believe they all use fungible materials (ie there is a good chance a bare suit's latex seals came out of the same seal making machine as the ones Whites uses) Now days all the big guys pretty much all have sorted out the technology of putting their products together.


The differences revolve EXCLUSIVELY around which flavor you want

Neoprene. (seatux, Oceaner, Brooks)
Crushed Neoprene. (Bare, DUI)
Trilaminate Bag. (Bare, DUI)
Trilaninate wrappered bag. (whites)
Vulcanized rubber (Viking)

Lots to choose from; plenty of quality; ALL solid suits with pedigrees and R&D into their build processes.

and from the list above, only viking and DUI are NOT made here in BC...