Tech Shorts Recommendations

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A bought the Apeks shorts, and just spent 10 days rec diving with the shorts in Belize.

The Scubapro shorts have pockets that are too small and not very sturdy.

The Apeks shorts are HUGE. They fit like loose board shorts, which makes them super easy to get on and off. The belt and buckle keeps them in place on your hips. The pockets are HUGE and very sturdy.

I love the Apeks shorts.
 
I have the Highland/XS Scuba neoprene pocket shorts and they worked well for diving in Hawaii over my 3mm wetsuit. The pockets expand large enough to hold SMB/spool on one side and a spare mask and wetnotes on the other. They only have a drawstring which is not ideal, but they didn't fall down after I cinched the drawstring pretty tight.
 
My ScubaPro shorts did come in the mail. I have not used them yet. Everything seems ok, but I am concerned the pockets seem a little on the small side. I will likely only put a back up mask it it and little else, so for me it is likely not an issue, but for others it may be. The fit and quality of it seems very good and it came with a nice wide secure belt. A hurricane could not pull these shorts down on me.
 
What about the shorts from XS Scuba:

Any recent thoughts about the The xs shorts? People like them?
 
Any recent thoughts about the The xs shorts? People like them?

I bought mine from DGX a few years ago (for $49!) and they look to be identical to the XS/Highland ones currently for sale (for $145 now!).

The drawstring doesn't do much to hold them up: that's by far my biggest complaint with these or any other tech shorts. However, the pockets are quite nice: they are bigger than the pockets on my DUI drysuit, and they also have a sleeve for wetnotes, which I really like. The position works well for me as a backmount diver. The pockets collapse nicely flat, but mine are *rarely* not decently full, so that doesn't matter much to me. Plenty of drain/bungee holes, plus a couple of D rings if you prefer that. Other than the annoyance of keeping them up, they work very well.

Durability has also not been an issue. I probably have something between 50 and 100 hard, rocky, metal- and zebra-mussel-filled dives on them, and they are functionally unchanged. Not even that much evidence of wear. Contrast that with the IST tech shorts these replaced: in about 30 dives I wore holes in both pockets, and the neoprene tore along the velcro that creates the waist or thigh straps. Never mind that the pockets were smaller and it's more cumbersome to put on. Even at $150, I would gladly buy the XS/Highland shorts than pay even $50 for the IST shorts.
 
I went for the 'holster style' with this style, makes it fit for any wetsuit size I put on. I also like having the pockets zip shut and no worries about velcro tabs opening and my gear falling out.

IST Dive Pocket Holster Belt for Scuba Diving Storage, Cargo Thigh Pouch for Gear & Equipment​

 
IST Dive Pocket Holster Belt for Scuba Diving Storage, Cargo Thigh Pouch for Gear & Equipment

Those are the ones I was talking about. The belt on them is nicer than the XS/Highland drawstring; that's where the advantages end.

The pockets are tiny. Zippers are OK, but two things about the velcro ones: First, I'm not sure I've ever had them open underwater when I didn't want them to, and that covers both my DUI pockets (which have way less velcro) and the tech shorts (which have like 2" of strong velcro). Second, everything should be snapped off to a bungee/D-ring *inside* the pocket, because otherwise, you can guarantee you *will* drop something if you ever go to use them -- doubly so if there's more than one object in the pocket. Of course, you can't do that with the IST: there's no grommet or D-ring *in* the pocket (and why would you want one on the *outside*?).

Putting them on is annoying. The size of the wetsuit is determined by the size of *you*. If the XS shorts fit with a 7mm suit, they'll fit with a 3mm suit too -- they are plenty stretchy. And they simply pull up, in one simple motion. It's not a deal-killer either way, but I know a lot of people worry about fit with the shorts. They're so stretchy a few millimeters will make *zero* difference. Heck, I wear them over thin wetsuits *and* drysuits with cold-water underwear, which are a *lot* bulkier than any wetsuit.

And I mentioned the durability. The IST's fell apart in about 30 dives. I don't mean that they started to look worn: there were multiple holes. They are not a quality piece of equipment.

Now, if your needs are very modest, and your budget is very small, and your conditions are very mild, the IST shorts may work. If you just want to hold a small spool and safety sausage, go right ahead. But the OP was asking about *tech* shorts, which implied that they will want a technical diver level of equipment inside of said shorts. The IST's will be *sorely* lacking in this area.

Just my humble thoughts. I realize that this is a strongly-worded review that comes right after you said that's what you use; that certainly makes it seem like I'm hating on you. I apologize for this: everyone is free to make their own decisions, of course, and I promise I do not think less of you as a person for that! But given how badly mine fell apart, and how relatively inadequate they are in a number of important areas, I just wanted to expand on my experience with the IST pockets.
 
I use the DGX shorts. Bulky and buoyant but the pockets are excellent. Scubapro sizing is way off actual measurements, and their pockets have flimsy loops in which to tie bungee cords.
 

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