CAPTAIN SINBAD
Contributor
Ok. I finally got my drysuit two days ago from Dive Right in Scuba. This is not a well known brand so I thought Id paste a review. Here is the link to the product.
AquaSport Drysuit - Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL
I wanted an entry level drysuit that would allow me to do occasional coldwater diving and some ice diving. I wanted something that would be the most basic suit with zero bells and whistles and something light that I could travel with. I was on a budget and could not afford those $2000 suits.
1. What makes this suit different:
Aqua sport drysuit was advertised on dive right in scuba for only $700 dollars. I wanted to know why it was cheaper than other entry level suits and what exactly was I loosing in terms of quality. After talking to DRIS reps I was told that this is a BI-LAM suit. Meaning manufacturer has sprayed water proofing chemical straight on cordura making it two layers instead of three. The third layer (additional layer of cordura) that was supposed to sandwich the water proof chemical has been excluded.The result was a suit that was cheaper and lighter but required proper undergarments because rough clothing would rub against the chemical and cause it to come off over subsequent dives. I thought that since I was only getting into cold water diving and would not be using it as often as most drysuit divers, its assumed lack of durability is something I could live with.
I placed my order over the internet.
2. Sizing Issues:
I am 5.10 and weigh 190 lbs. My chest is 47 and waist is 37. Due to unusual measurements I always have problems fitting into stock sizes. I was told by the dealer that I could get it fully customized for additonal $200. I could not afford that. I just decided to go with one size large. I orderd a size large with a shoe size of 10. This was meant to fit a person of 5.11 - 6.1
More on this later ...
3.Ordering Experience:
After placing the order I was told that the suit will take two weeks to make because they start making suits after getting the order. It seemed like this was one of the ways that enabled the manufacturer to sell it at low price so I was ok with it.
4. First Impression:
The suit arrived on the third week and came in a drysuit bag which was complimentary. I took the suit out of the box and my first reaction was WOW!!! The manufacturer gives you a whole lot of color choices and I had ordered bright neon yellow. Looks wise this was the best suit that I had ever seen. I was not expecting he suit ot be sexy because this was meant to be a basic / functional suit not something that would stand out in terms of its apperance. Looks wise I would give it a 10!
I had expected BI-LAM to be thin plastic like material but this was not the case. The suit material looked solid and durable and did not seem like anything that can break or leak easily. It seemed bullet proof!
The length of the suit was a little bigger. But I did not consider it an outright disqualification because the crotch strap pulls any additonal material to your crotch.
The boot size was huge! I wanted a size 10 but my foot would get lost in what they considered size 10 in this suit. I tried it with a sport sock but still it was too big. The boot was extremely heavy duty unlike the smaller neoprene sock type boot I had seen in Dive Rite 905. I tried to put the boot in my XL jet fins and it took hell of awrestling match to get it in. Pulling it out was a bigger nightmare.
I called DRIS and they contacted the manufacturer. I was told that the boot is deliberatly kept big to enable heavy thermal socks.They said they would send me the thermal socks free of charge to try with the suit. I am presently waiting for them.
Conclusion:
What I like about the suit:
This is a very well made suit available at 1/3rd the cost of competition. It is built with a minimalist mindset and that is what keeps it simple. Instead to two zippers it has only one. Instead of three layers it has two. This makes it very light and simple to handle and even a new user can easily become ONE with the suit.
What I dont like about the suit:
The boot at this point seems overkill for a suit designed with minimalism. Instead of a heavily fotified built in rock boot a neoprene sock with a rigid sole would have been enough. It would also eliminate the need for a drysuit fin as the foot would go easily into a regular fin. With this boot you have to have thermal socks. If you wish to dive in not so cold water you would still need that thermal sock! Even after that it may be loose. Beyond that I would need to buy another fin specifically for this boot.
Conclusion:
Its a kick-ass suit! Enforces my philosophy of less is more. The only thing I would recommend is go for custom sizing as it would only cost 200$ more. I believe that if used properly durability should not be an issue. Even if it lasts halfthe life of a regular drysuit, you can buy three of these for the price of mid end suits.
I will have more to share once I get the thermal sock and when I take it for a dive.
AquaSport Drysuit - Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL
I wanted an entry level drysuit that would allow me to do occasional coldwater diving and some ice diving. I wanted something that would be the most basic suit with zero bells and whistles and something light that I could travel with. I was on a budget and could not afford those $2000 suits.
1. What makes this suit different:
Aqua sport drysuit was advertised on dive right in scuba for only $700 dollars. I wanted to know why it was cheaper than other entry level suits and what exactly was I loosing in terms of quality. After talking to DRIS reps I was told that this is a BI-LAM suit. Meaning manufacturer has sprayed water proofing chemical straight on cordura making it two layers instead of three. The third layer (additional layer of cordura) that was supposed to sandwich the water proof chemical has been excluded.The result was a suit that was cheaper and lighter but required proper undergarments because rough clothing would rub against the chemical and cause it to come off over subsequent dives. I thought that since I was only getting into cold water diving and would not be using it as often as most drysuit divers, its assumed lack of durability is something I could live with.
I placed my order over the internet.
2. Sizing Issues:
I am 5.10 and weigh 190 lbs. My chest is 47 and waist is 37. Due to unusual measurements I always have problems fitting into stock sizes. I was told by the dealer that I could get it fully customized for additonal $200. I could not afford that. I just decided to go with one size large. I orderd a size large with a shoe size of 10. This was meant to fit a person of 5.11 - 6.1
More on this later ...
3.Ordering Experience:
After placing the order I was told that the suit will take two weeks to make because they start making suits after getting the order. It seemed like this was one of the ways that enabled the manufacturer to sell it at low price so I was ok with it.
4. First Impression:
The suit arrived on the third week and came in a drysuit bag which was complimentary. I took the suit out of the box and my first reaction was WOW!!! The manufacturer gives you a whole lot of color choices and I had ordered bright neon yellow. Looks wise this was the best suit that I had ever seen. I was not expecting he suit ot be sexy because this was meant to be a basic / functional suit not something that would stand out in terms of its apperance. Looks wise I would give it a 10!
I had expected BI-LAM to be thin plastic like material but this was not the case. The suit material looked solid and durable and did not seem like anything that can break or leak easily. It seemed bullet proof!
The length of the suit was a little bigger. But I did not consider it an outright disqualification because the crotch strap pulls any additonal material to your crotch.
The boot size was huge! I wanted a size 10 but my foot would get lost in what they considered size 10 in this suit. I tried it with a sport sock but still it was too big. The boot was extremely heavy duty unlike the smaller neoprene sock type boot I had seen in Dive Rite 905. I tried to put the boot in my XL jet fins and it took hell of awrestling match to get it in. Pulling it out was a bigger nightmare.
I called DRIS and they contacted the manufacturer. I was told that the boot is deliberatly kept big to enable heavy thermal socks.They said they would send me the thermal socks free of charge to try with the suit. I am presently waiting for them.
Conclusion:
What I like about the suit:
This is a very well made suit available at 1/3rd the cost of competition. It is built with a minimalist mindset and that is what keeps it simple. Instead to two zippers it has only one. Instead of three layers it has two. This makes it very light and simple to handle and even a new user can easily become ONE with the suit.
What I dont like about the suit:
The boot at this point seems overkill for a suit designed with minimalism. Instead of a heavily fotified built in rock boot a neoprene sock with a rigid sole would have been enough. It would also eliminate the need for a drysuit fin as the foot would go easily into a regular fin. With this boot you have to have thermal socks. If you wish to dive in not so cold water you would still need that thermal sock! Even after that it may be loose. Beyond that I would need to buy another fin specifically for this boot.
Conclusion:
Its a kick-ass suit! Enforces my philosophy of less is more. The only thing I would recommend is go for custom sizing as it would only cost 200$ more. I believe that if used properly durability should not be an issue. Even if it lasts halfthe life of a regular drysuit, you can buy three of these for the price of mid end suits.
I will have more to share once I get the thermal sock and when I take it for a dive.
