Are DUI dry suits overrated?

[Scubamedicjoe]

Well I have a TLS350 Signature Series. I love it. I have about 56 dives on it.

Many as a Public safety dive such as rivers, lakes, ponds, mud, and rocks quarry.

I also own a white fusion as some may remember I had trouble with my local dive shop over my whites suit they replaced it with a fusion , not the suit I really wanted but they took all new measurements and gave me whole new suit with all the trimming , they didn’t have the tech cover then wish they did. Both suits dive ok, however my DUI is far more superior in strength and just feels stronger more durable. In addition, 3.5 are excessively much with extra zip seals ECT mine was 2600.

 

[flareless]

K,

As a follow up to my previous post, I've returned from a weekend of wreck diving in Brockville. Our dive club was conducting a wreck course and I was one of the Safety Divers. That involved being on the bottom for long stretches, either slowly swimming while shadowing students, sitting very still or, on the Daryaw, hauling myself back and forth on the guide line shuttling students to the penetration point in ripping current.

Kitting up was a breeze. With the lighter Trilam on the legs it was a snap getting in and out of the suit. I greatly prefer the booties / Rock Boot configuration over the integrated boots on my present suit. Sitting on the boat was comfortable as the seals weren't too tight. I was happy just sitting in with the suit on and the outer zipper half zipped while my wet-diving teammates shivered as they were splashed then wind-blown. They stopped razzing me for diving dry during the surface interval when it appeared the boat Captain and I were the only people not shivering

Diving the suit was a whole new incredible experience. My freedom of movement was outstanding. The power transfer from my kick was fantastic with my snug fitting Rock Boot. Within seconds I was able to achieve an excellent trim position and maintain it during the course of my dive. In my roll I was varying depths frequently in the dives, sometimes by 20 - 30 feet. I had no trouble managing the air in the suit. In fact, thinking back, I didn't pay any attention to air management at all but did notice how warm and squeeze-free comfortable I was.

Sometimes while I waited I practiced reaching for my valves to simulate shut-off drills. I was floored by how easy it was. I have no problem reaching behind me but with my present suit I find I have to lift the tank with my free hand as the suit limits my mobility. Not so with the DUI. The telescoping toro gives me the extra room I need without biting into me at the apex of my reach (which I already became used to).

Under my CLX 450 I wore an Under Armor base layer followed by a Northern Diver Thermal Skin. I know the Thermal Skin itself is a base layer but it also works great as a second layer for 65 - 70+ degree water. On the first dive I wore a Polartec third layer but quickly discovered I'd cook like a Christmas goose if I did that again. The water was about 68 degrees (f) at 100 feet.

In my opinion, the answer to the OP's question is; No, hell no. The DUI suit isn't even close to being overrated. Yes they are expensive but mine was sure worth it!

 

[mikeguerrero]

Material and crafstman on the DUI suits clearly shows you the difference in what you are getting. Go line up two suits and go through the seams and feel the material and look at the quality. You will see and feel the difference.

I love my DUI CLX450 and got an incredible deal on a stock medium brandnew for only $499 for the suit with zip zeals, happen to be at Sports Chalet when they dumped inventory.

Timing is everything...

 

[flareless]

I love my DUI CLX450 and got an incredible deal on a stock medium brandnew for only $499 for the suit with zip zeals, happen to be at Sports Chalet when they dumped inventory.

Timming is everything...

WOW! Congrats on the incredible score!

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Is DUI overrated? My shop is asking $3.5k for a custom cut TLS350.
I have reservation because I've witnessed several instance of new TLS350 leakage.
This is not hearsay but from people I dive with.

It's not the suit that's overrated ... it's your dive shop.

That suit, even with a suitable LDS markup ... should be about $1K less than that.

FWIW - I own two DUI suits (TLS350 and CLX450) and a White's Fusion. The TLS350 is my suit of choice.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[BORG]

I do believe that they are. I tried on a DUI 450 about two years ago. I decided on the Pinnacle EVO 2.
I love the suit, very durable fabric and seals should last a long time. In fact it should outlive me if I'm diving into my 70s which is a long time from now. The only problem I had was it took a long time to get it from the factory. It was a custom. That may be solved now that Zeagle, my favorite BCD company, just bought them.

 

[John Bailey]

If cost is as consideration and/or actually being waterproof is important to you, then the DUI suits will disappoint you. Almost everyone I know personally who has a DUI suit says they leak. In fact, there is a joke that DUI stands for "Dry Until Immersed" and there is certainly some evidence to support that. The trilam just isn't robust enough to take any kind of punishment and there have been a lot of problems with the Apeks valves (not DUI's fault--except their choice to use them--and I'm not sure of the present status).
R..

I can't agree with this at all. I have a CLS450 that has never leaked since day one. I doubt that they ship suits that never leak (because I have a friend that had a leak in a new suit), but it becomes a deal with the numbers - how many DUI suits are out there? That says something in itself. My friend with the leaky (but repaired suit) would still buy a DUI suit again... As far as the Apeks valves... fixed. The older low profile valves had issues but were redesigned. DUI has some links to it on their website. I couldn't decide what to do when I ordered mine and did go with the Apeks after reading about the change to the valve. Never been a problem so far. $3500 is way too much though.

John

 

[Web Monkey]

Is DUI overrated? My shop is asking $3.5k for a custom cut TLS350.

Overpriced, definitely. Overrated? Who knows. Almost everybody likes what they buy and nobody who spent almost $4,000 (inc tax) on a suit is going to admit they're not happy.

We go through a ton of drysuits at the shop, since almost all our OW classes include a drysuit class, and the staff wears drysuits almost 12 months/year. The rentals have a relatively short lifespan, so they get replaced quite often.

Over the years, I've used:

• Mobby's
• DUI
• Northern Diver
• Whites
• Pinnacle
• Andy's

I can honestly say that they were all just fine and none were worth $3,500.

Some were more durable than others. For example, my Northern Diver is much more durable than my Mobbys, however the Mobby's was about $700, and got me started, so I really can't complain. The ND has a list price of about $1000.

The Whites have also been getting great reviews from users and I beleive are about the same price.

Also, unless you're tremendously, bizarrely off-the-charts with your measurements, you don't need a custom suit. All you need is "pretty close", since the water will "shrink wrap" you once you're underwater.

ND, for example, makes several styles of each size (XL in tall, short, thin, fat, etc.), and their size chart is very accurate. If you buy one that is listed as fitting you, it will.

I have reservation because I've witnessed several instance of new TLS350 leakage. This is not hearsay but from people I dive with.

All drysuits leak at some point. In new suits, it's about 90% user error and about 10% suit leaks. As you use the suit, it's guaranteed to leak at some point. Latex seals get loose and neoprene seals tear. Every time you open and close the zipper, you've used up part of it's life. Even if you don't open and close it, the sealing surface degrades eventually.

Just like camera cases, all drysuits will eventually leak, even the $3,500 DUI.

Personally, I'd buy a $1000 suit that fits well and works just fine and spend the other $2,500 diving.

Terry

 

[piikki]

Also, unless you're tremendously, bizarrely off-the-charts with your measurements, you don't need a custom suit. All you need is "pretty close", since the water will "shrink wrap" you once you're underwater.

There must be a lot of bizarre-bodied people in the DUI crowd at least. I see a lot of Signature Series suits around. Or maybe people just think that once you invest a lot in a suit, it's worth getting a good cut.

For me the upgrade to custom cut was mere $250 more with DUI. I could have taken a rack suit because I had a decent fit with one size. However, I love little things like not having the extra material bunch (shrink wrap) into my pits or sleeves hanging over my knuckles when I don. Simply not having socks/boots three sizes too large for my bizarre feet was worth that $250 for me

 

[JFS]

actually, I think BARE has an office in Blaine so if there is a problem with the suit, it can be shipped there instead of back to Canada. I've never had any problem with any BARE suit that I've owned. My XCD2 Tech drysuit recently had a zipper and neck seal done on it after 5 years and 800 dives in cold BC water! Never leaked once other than when the zipper failed. Thats a pretty good suit if you ask me and a fair bit of hard diving done to it!