Bare CD4 Pro

[Laruuk]

Bare CD4 Pro Dry

I did a search but coldn't find this specific suit.

Thinking of purchasing it.

Anyone own or have any first-hand experience with it?

Thanks!

 

[616fun]

I own and dive the CD4 Pro Drysuit from Bare. I like it alot and have about 80 dives on it. I'll try to list out positives and negatives below.

Positives

1. Near bullet proof. It can take abrasions and not put holes in your suit like some shell suits might be subject to.
2. Warm - You don't rely on your undergarments as much for warmth due to the neoprene. In the summer I can use this suit with only trunks underneath and be very comfy.
3. The bib around the neck seal is very nice - you can tuck your hood into it and keep your neck cozy in chilly water.
4. Cost effective compared to other suits. I needed to be budget minded in buying my suit and this one fit the bill.
5. Bare will 'custom' cut a suit very cheap. As an example, DUI costs like $1000 for the custom cuts, Bare is $50-$100 I believe. Be sure you get a suit that fits or you'll hate any suit you buy.

Ok - now to the negatives:

1. HEAVY - especially when wet. Compared to a shell suit this suit will be really heavy.
2. Drying time - it takes a long time to dry.I hung a large diameter PVC pipe from my garage ceiling to drape it over. A shell would likely be dry enough to pack within an hour of diving.
3. Interior drying - Since it's such a thick suit any moisture inside the suit tends to stay there. I fixed that issue by building my own drysuit dryer out of a squirrel fan blower and some PVC.
4. Weighting - since it is bouyant neoprene it will take considerably more weight to dive than a shell suit. I use a weight harness and steel tanks to make the weighting more managable.

All said I hope this helps. I do like this suit and for someone looking for a cost effective solution I would recommend it.

 

[Matt S.]

I own this suit too. Got it used. ~30 dives on it. I agree with the above, except Negative #4: weighting. It's a compressed neoprene suit, so it isn't as buoyant as the regular stuff. Buoyancy doesn't change with depth like neoprene either.

And I was always under the impression that shell suits needed more weight than a compressed neo suit like this... with no inherent insulation in the shell suit, you have thicker undies and more air space to try and sink, and that works out to be more buoyant. I thought.

Anyway, it is a good suit. Warm, tough, affordable. I am getting rid of mine though, for a few reasons.

One, I have come to want suspenders, better pockets, and front entry. I don't want to throw money into this old used suit for pockets etc. and front entry obviously can't be retrofit.

Two, I bought it used and it never fit perfectly... just 'ok.' That's really the biggie.

Three, it isn't very flexible under water. And it's bulky, which makes it harder to gear up that I prefer. And heavy when I hang it up and try to dry the inside!

I am starting to covet the shell suits which look much more comfortable, even though they don't insulate as well. But the CD4 does seem to be a good suit.

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

I also own a CD4 Pro and agree with everything 616fun said, it's a great drysuit.

 

[Laruuk]

Great info.

Sounds like this is the drysuit for me. You three owners say it's a good suit and it is in my budget (barely - no pun intended).

My LDS says they can get me in this suit, with a few accessories, for about $850.

Thanks for the very helpful info!

 

[Matt S.]

On the topic of accessories: I have heard that Bare's suspenders ain't worth the $50. People have recommended getting the suspender tabs, installing them yourself, and making the suspenders themselves from a few bucks in REI parts. Whatever you do, get suspenders, though. The CD4 is pretty heavy and you'll want them.

Over my extensive diving career of 9 months, I have determined that velcro-closure pockets are for the birds. Some neoprene gloves (er, mine) can snag on the hook side. When I do a new suit, I'll get zip pockets.

For thermals, I think the big-name thermals are kind of overpriced. You could pay half as much as you did for your suit with some of them! There are some much cheaper undies on ebay that other users here have had good luck with. (There is a big thread on that somewhere.) This is the seller.

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZrondel101bjrr

I just had a great, warm couple of dives today in my CD4. You'll be happy with it if you get a good fit.

 

[Laruuk]

In the course of my research I've heard the same thing about the suspenders. I don't plan on buying them. I've seen a couple threads where some board members have made them for 5 or 10 bucks.

I recently moved from Alaska and will check out some of the thermals I already have before buying anything new (or expensive).

Thanks Matt!

 

[texdiveguy]

All the BARE suits both wet and dry are good values IMO.

 

[Rainer]

On the topic of accessories: I have heard that Bare's suspenders ain't worth the $50. People have recommended getting the suspender tabs, installing them yourself, and making the suspenders themselves from a few bucks in REI parts. Whatever you do, get suspenders, though. The CD4 is pretty heavy and you'll want them.

Over my extensive diving career of 9 months, I have determined that velcro-closure pockets are for the birds. Some neoprene gloves (er, mine) can snag on the hook side. When I do a new suit, I'll get zip pockets.

For thermals, I think the big-name thermals are kind of overpriced. You could pay half as much as you did for your suit with some of them! There are some much cheaper undies on ebay that other users here have had good luck with. (There is a big thread on that somewhere.) This is the seller.

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZrondel101bjrr

I just had a great, warm couple of dives today in my CD4. You'll be happy with it if you get a good fit.

Definitely install the suspenders yourself! $3!

 

[mikediveguy]

g/f owns one and i use several at work . good suits. consider dry gloves! definately suspenders