Bare drysuit Questions

[francis33]

Can anyone help me, i'm in the market for my first drysuit .I was lookin at the bare tech dry trilam 09 model or the xcd2 techdry neoprene model. Heard some concerns about little flexability when it comes to reaching the valves when doing double cylinders. Also about bad customer service from the factory as well, if there was any problems with the seals on the suit .I know bare does offer a lifetime warranty with the suit. But i heard they might not do any thing for you.If anyone has any expierience diving these suits i would really appreciate the feedback, i only want to buy one suit. thanks.

 

[sschlesi]

I've had a trilam tech for a couple years. I'm very happy with it. It has never needed warranty service so I can't say much about that. I had the latex neck seal replaced with a neoprene seal at the factory recently that was straight forward and only took 4 business days. I highly recommend getting a neoprene seal. I think they use neoprene by default on the higher end suits now.

Bare is in Metro Vancouver, so many people around here dive with Bare suits. I have never heard anyone complain about their suit or service. Then again I have never heard of anyone that needed warranty service.

Problems reaching valves mean there is a problem with sizing, not with the suit itself.

 

[francis33]

That's good to know .Thanks alot for the response ,i talked with a couple of guy's who had the neoprene neck seal installed they said it was money well spent and worth every penny.

 

[crpntr133]

Well, I just changed from a neo to a latex seal. Personally I like the latex a lot better.
Customer service..never had an issue.
I have heard of guys having issues with dumping air while reaching for the valve on doubles. They soon found out that all they had to do was move their arm just slightly and the trouble was no more.

 

[francis33]

I'm kind of torn between neo and latex for the neck seal i like the simplicity of the latex .ie you don't have to roll it under. but doesn't the neo last longer? i don't know just a question?

 

[francis33]

I was thinkin of using the fourth element under garment i heard it wont trap air in the arm and mess with the dump valve.

 

[Brandon]

I by far prefer a neoprene neck seal - more durable, warmer, and IMHO, more resistant to leaking based on head position. I seem to be one of the few who think they are more comfortable as well. Both my suits have latex wrist seals, which I prefer to neoprene primarily because I have dry cuff rings.

I have a BARE XCD2 Tech suit with 200+ dives on it. The weak spot is the zipper, but it's otherwise holding up great.

I also have a White's Fusion that it out getting its (torn) latex neck seal refitted with a neoprene seal. I gave a latex neck seal a try - it sucks. I won't have another. Do it right the first time and save yourself the $250 or so it costs to add it after the fact.

Seals and zippers are excluded by warranty from almost all drysuit manufacturers. BARE was very responsive when I spoke to them about a minor warranty repair (pocket was coming unglued), but I ended up taking care of it myself vs dealing with shipping the suit out for several weeks.

-B

 

[sschlesi]

FYI, before replacing my gummy latex neck seal with neoprene, I called the local shops for prices. I paid $57, and was quoted as much as $180. If you don't shop around you are likely to get taken for a ride.

 

[Indian Valley Scuba]

There's nothing like a test dive to see if the fleixbility is where you want it! The Indian Valley Scuba Dueling Drysuits Demo tour will be in Mallorytown this coming weekend to dive the St. Lawrence out of Caigers Resort on Saturday and Sunday, then heading over to Alexandria Bay for a couple of shore dives Monday.

Come on out and take advantage of our free drysuit demo's and see how the Bare compares to Whites, Waterproof and DUI. We have them all on board in all the sizes - hope you can join us!

Click here for more info on the Dueling Drysuits Demo Tour!

 

[CamG]

Greetings Francis33 I have a Bare trilam myself and as with every dry suit there are benefits and drawbacks. It is stiffer but not so stiff I can not perform shut down drills.
It dries pretty fast and does not weight a ton when wet. My buddy purchased the crushed neoprene suit and it is heavy when wet and takes a while to dry. But it is a great suit as well. The key with any dry suit is make sure it fits, that is very important.
Undergarments are very important as well because they will make a difference both in thermal terms and buoyancy. I dive the CT200 Thinsulate booties and garment for below 60' and two layers of heavy weight isulated undergarments "Hunting stuff" for above 60'. I dove that yesterday to 70' for about 35 min of bottom time and froze to death. Temps were in the 40º to 46º range to cold for that configuration.
I have latex seals and love them. I have dealt with BARE and they were not difficult to deal with and they did a good job. The problem is the shipping time and turn around time. They are in a area that it takes a while to get things there and back. I was without my suit for about a month for some that is no problem for me my dive season does not end! I would say I was pleased with the service but disappointed with the shipping. One big issue POCKETS! Make sure you get them and get the deeper baffled velcro flapped ones. I got the zippered and would not recommend them to anyone. Also insist on the bungee gear keeper inside your pockets that you can connect gear to. Well that is a little information to think about but in the end it is your personal preference. I would recommend trying several before you buy if possible. I am going to dive the Whites Fusion this week end. I am pretty pumped about it, I have hear a lot of good things about it so we will see. Have fun shopping and get out there and try a few different ones out.
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!