Help with dry-suit purchase

[JohnN]

Are you familiar with the Seaskin neoprene, or are just referring to neoprene suits in general?

The Seaskin neoprene is 3 mil crushed. Mine dries overnight with a fan easily. What do you mean exactly by the shell has more "flexibility" ? People often make these comments on Scubaboard, but I haven't been really convinced of the supposed superiority of shell suits. Especially if you were to get flooded, a neoprene suit will provide more warmth in this case as compared to a shell.

If you have the money, feel free to go with replaceable neck and wrist seals, but be aware that they cost a serious chunk of change (increasing the suit price by about 50%?). Also, neoprene seals are really robust, can be field-repaired if required, and also provide warmth, compared to silicone. For me, it wasn't worth the huge price difference. If my seal gets damaged, i'll send it off for repairs; I don't dive enough for a couple week delay to really hurt me that much.

Agreed with the socks over integrated boots.

We may need to agree to disagree. . . my shell suit can be inverted and completely dried with a towel in < 1 minute.

As for flexibility, 3 mm vs 1.3 mm (a SWAG on my trilam shell thickness)

Finally SiTech replaceable seals aren't really that expensive. About $170 for both neck and wrist when (again not if) I rip a seal, I can make the repair on the diveboat in < 5 minutes. Plus they let you use silicone seals if you choose. (SiTech must be much more expensive in Japan).

 

[lexvil]

We may need to agree to disagree. . . my shell suit can be inverted and completely dried with a towel in < 1 minute.

As for flexibility, 3 mm vs 1.3 mm (a SWAG on my trilam shell thickness)

Finally SiTech replaceable seals aren't really that expensive. About $170 for both neck and wrist when (again not if) I rip a seal, I can make the repair on the diveboat in < 5 minutes. Plus they let you use silicone seals if you choose. (SiTech must be much more expensive in Japan).

Order the seals from Seaskin, about 1/3 of the cost plus they have a lot of other bits and pieces to fill out the bag.

I like my nova trilam a lot, as Stewart says a very versatile suit but drying time isn’t all that different when you consider the neoprene feet, last to dry on the Nova and if you dry the inside it all takes nearly the same time. If my ultra suit were front zip I would never use the Nova.

 

[ginti]

I would suggest a shell over a neoprene suit because of greater flexibity and easier to dry when (not if) you get a flood

If you do go with a shell suit, spend the money for replaceable neck and wrist seals. I'm a fan of socks over integrated boots, better stability if you're going to shore dive, and again when you get a flood, easier to invert the entire suit and wipe it down

While I dive shell suits, and never jump in the water with a neoprene one, I have the perception that shell suits are a bit more technical and, for recreational diving, neoprene drysuits can be better... easier to manage underwater, cheaper

 

[stuartv]

Yeah, what @lexvil said.

A silicone neck seal and a pair of silicone wrist seals is about USD$40 (total) from Seaskin (plus shipping).

While I dive shell suits, and never jump in the water with a neoprene one, I have the perception that shell suits are a bit more technical and, for recreational diving, neoprene drysuits can be better... easier to manage underwater, cheaper

I don't really find either one easier. I have had 2 of each. Currently have 1 of each.

I read a lot of comments that neoprene are easier because you don't wear as thick an undergarment. I don't find that 3mm compressed neoprene cuts my undergarment requirements by much. And, a trilam suit gets "squeezed" and shrink wraps around my body tighter, so it feels like it has less air running around inside.

Net result: I think the most important thing is fit and if you get a suit that fits well, the "ease of diving" is pretty much the same between trilam and compressed neoprene.

Neoprene ARE less expensive. But, as noted above, also less versatile (in my opinion).

 

[ginti]

I don't really find either one easier. I have had 2 of each. Currently have 1 of each.

I read a lot of comments that neoprene are easier because you don't wear as thick an undergarment. I don't find that 3mm compressed neoprene cuts my undergarment requirements by much. And, a trilam suit gets "squeezed" and shrink wraps around my body tighter, so it feels like it has less air running around inside.

I do not speak for personal experience, since I only dive shell suits. So I try to reformulate with more details, but I am not going to argue, I simply can't

People told me that the problems I described happen in cold water (<10°C, when you have thick undergarment) or when you go relatively deep, let's say more than 20m.

In the first case, you need to add a lot of air inside the suit, and it is hard to manage. But usually a neoprene suit is not a competitor in this range of temperature, as far as I know.

When you go deeper, you need to add more air inside the suit; in the case of a shell suit, this is a lot more air, because it does not offer thermal insulation. So when you come back, more gas expands, and for many people, it is harder to manage.

If you dive shallow in "warm" water, no differences, but then the shell suit is not necessary (yes, people told me it can be more flexible, so this is a plus).

Neoprene ARE less expensive. But, as noted above, also less versatile (in my opinion).

Agree 100%; the key point here is: do you need the flexibility? I do, so for me there is no choice. It's more a question for the OP.

 

[Alekath]

I personally dive a ScubaPro EverTech (Trilam), as a person of very similar height and weight, I can highly recommend this off the shelf drysuit. Comes with SiTech SLAGGO seals, that are very simple to replace. However the dry glove system for this had only just been released, haven't heard of many reviews yet.

I would agree that the SeaSkin drysuits are an amazing value and good all round suit, large portion of people in my area only buy SeaSkin. Would seriously consider one if I didn't get such a good price on my EverTech.

 

[ginti]

I personally dive a ScubaPro EverTech (Trilam), as a person of very similar height and weight, I can highly recommend this off the shelf drysuit. Comes with SiTech SLAGGO seals, that are very simple to replace. However the dry glove system for this had only just been released, haven't heard of many reviews yet.

I would agree that the SeaSkin drysuits are an amazing value and good all round suit, large portion of people in my area only buy SeaSkin. Would seriously consider one if I didn't get such a good price on my EverTech.

My experience with scubapro evertec is actually bad. I have one, and I hate the zip (and the seals as well, but I can change them)

Reasons are: the torso is to big, making it hard to close it; at the end of the zip there is a neoprene thing that make it even harder to completely close the zip.

On the other hand, it's cheap (I bought it second hand for 600€).

For me it's just the "secondary" suit, I use it when I can't use my ursuit for one reason or another...

But still it seems to me that the OP wants to buy a neoprene drysuit

 

[crzyfish]

I dive in Northern California, mostly Monterey Bay. I like cold water. My first drysuit was the Apollo Bio crushed neoprene. Super comfortable, Stretchy, Warm, Boots with Ankle valves to purge the floaty feet, approx. $1550 (8 sizes in Men's). I got a Whites/Aqualung Fusion Bullet, bought from a SB member for <$1000. Comfortable, it's got some stretch and room but the neoprene skin keep it snug, replaceable neck and wrist seals. I like it but like others said, it takes time to dry - same with my Apollo. I also just bought a DUI TLS350 Navy SEAL suit. I get a bit of a pinch from the reverse squeeze which I don't get from the crushed neoprene or hybrid Fusion. When I travel to dive in Cabo or other locales, I want a suit to dries quick, hence the DUI. Otherwise, I would stick to the crush neoprene for the bit of extra warm and comfort.

 

[MrVegas]

...USIA is in our backyard and you can get a fully bespoke drysuit for well under your budget.

Me and my family member dive buddy started our drysuit diving career this Spring. I bought 2 USIA base model bilaminate drysuits (with fabric socks) during the DRIS Thanksgiving sale. So far, they have worked out well, and the price was hard to beat. A few of my thoughts, for what they are worth:

1. Your undergarment purchases are at least as important as your drysuit purchase (for a membrane suit, anyway). You can cheap it out with sweats, etc., but we eventually bit the bullet and bought 4th element stuff. Much better.
2. If you have latex seals, measure your neck and wrists before ordering and talk to someone. I bought a Medium-Tall, which fits great -- except I a apparently have a fat neck for my height. The neck seal was a medium, which was way too tight (literally had trouble breathing), and after all the trimming, there is not a whole lot of material left to seal. It works OK for now, but I will be replacing the neck seal over the winter.
3. My kid's left foot was leaking when we first put it in the water. While bilaminate may be less sturdy than trilaminate, the leak was easy to find because the "plastic" part is exposed on the inside, and slathering aquaseal on it fixed it easily. (In other words, if I can fix a leak in a bilaminate suit, anyone can do it.)
4. Weighting requirements can change dramatically depending on undergarments. Do proper weight checks and some shallow dives first. If you "go floaty" while you are still trying to get a feel for weighting and managing the air inside the suit, you don't want to be at a dangerous depth. (We took the drysuit class. Not really an absolutely necessary class, but I thought it helped and I am glad I did it.)
5. You do feel some squeeze. I don't really think that can be avoided completely without huge amounts of air in the suit. Not sure about neoprene suits.

My coldest dive so far has been 41F. Could never have done that in a wetsuit. The suits are usually dry before we put them back in the car.

 

[kmarks]

My coldest dive so far has been 41F. Could never have done that in a wetsuit.

I just did four dives in Lake Michigan last weekend in a 7 mm wet suit. It was 41F from 39 feet down and I'm not exactly built like a polar bear. I'm now following this thread and getting very interested in the Seaskin options.

If you don't mind me jumping into this conversation, am I correct that it sounds like trilam is really the only way to go if my cold water dives are going to be this cold? (Not specifically asking just MrVegas) I don't want to spend all this money on a suit that is just ok.