3 brands of dry suits

[buff]

Here are three brands of dive suits I have been looking at and will try:
1. Aqualung Nordic Pro-trilaminate
2. Dacor Extreme-trilaminate with attached hood
3. Hederson Arctic-7ml. neoprene

Any impressions........

 

[WetDane]

Hey Buff -

Let me re-buff - (no pun intended) - with this:

Andy's
DUI
Diving Concepts

If in UK - Typhoon's Tech

Now tell me what difference you see? Price? Ahh - I believe that you get what you pay for in this arena -
Also - keep in mind if you are going to get Latex or Neoprene seals - latex being tighter (less comfortable) but also dryer...

Cheers,
Dane

 

[buff]

So....Latex is better than neoprene???-but not as durable correct??

 

[WetDane]

Well - it is a little more complicated than that...

Latex is a LOT tighter, I have friends who stick a finger in and lift the collar to be comfortable on the beach or boat while getting ready... My neoprene does not have any issues like that - I'm very comfy - but I also get wet - a lot - to the point where I'm going to cut a slice out of my collar - this means that it is SUPER important that you get a fitted neck seal so the neoprene actually fits you - and if you think it feels pretty good - go tighter!!! I thought mine felt pretty good, but it is WAY loose when talking neoprene...

I think latex may be easier to rip if you have the thin cuffs, but that is mainly an issue with how well you take care of your stuff...
Also if you are very skinny, latex may actually leak in the wrist where the tendons run under the seals...

I would go and try on a bunch of different suits and NOT buy the first the best one - that way at least you will get an idea what they all feel like and some infor from different stores...

Dane

 

[buff]

Here is my dilema:
I plan on diving in ALL water temps, however I don't have a father who is a millionaire so I must limit my suit purchases to just a few. I thought about getting a 7mm. wetsuit with a hood and a vest(BARE supra arctic-they fit me well) but I weigh 210lbs(did a lot of weight lifting) and have the wrists and ankles the size of a 14 year old girl-perhaps smaller-so no matter what XL wetsuit I put on it is baggy in my ankles and wrists-and water flows in and....well you get the idea-it truely becomes a "wetsuit". Then I tried a drysuit and I thought it was heaven-no need to worry about water flooding in here. So I will get a drysuit someday but in the mean time should I be purchasing a 7mm. wetsuit that I can't wear in the tropics??- or should I get a 5/3 mm. suit that I can wear in the tropics(albeit I'll be very warm) and then come home to Minnesota and add a hooded vest to the 5/3 when I dive here in the lakes....

What do you think???

 

[WetDane]

Well, first off - if you are diving that cold water - I would only go with a dry suit - you can get a skin or a shorty for the tropicsfor $100 or so - you would not be using a 7 mil wet in FL - trust me!

So I would recommend you go with a dry suit - for one thing - you may think the issue with the water and the wrists/ankles is ok "for now" but really - you are going to get cold, when others do two dives you will want to stop after one...

So - find a good store - I would look for something technical or GUE and start looking at suits - also decide if you are going to set a budget based on how much $$$ you want to spend or if you are going to pay what the best suit cost... the advantage of the drysuit is also that if you are willing to put a couple hundred bucks towards it - you can get custom fit, now you are talking seriously good fitting - including getting boots that actually fit you...

I did what you are proposing - got a wetsuit and figured that I would get a dry suit downt he road - but I regret it - I wish I had put the $300 asides towards the dry suit then and just gotten it sooner...

well, that's just my opinion - find the best suit that you can fit stock - maybe take a look n Ebay - you see some nice suits out there - brand new at reduced prices from time to time...

Let me know if you have more questions,
Dane