Bare Drysuits

[daval]

I've been exploring drysuits and have narrowed my focus down to the 'Bare' line - mainly due to the cost/quality/customer service stuff i've read about them.

There's three in particular I am looking at:-

1. XCD2 Tech - a very nice suit that comes very well recommended, this is the most expensive of the three. This is also the only front entry which I really like. Not sure if I'll be able to get the price into the range I'm looking for though since with this suit I would need a full set of undies.

2. CD4 - a crushed 4mm neoprene suit, again from what i've been able to gather is a good suit. Medium cost of the three. Not as warm as a pure neo, but light underwear required.

3. D6 - 6mm neoprene suit. Lowest price of the three. very light underwear required.

I stopped by my LDS yesterday and tried on the XXL XCD2 and it was a little too tight on me, although we think the XXXL will fit me well, hence looking and leaning heavily towards a stock suit and not going custom.

Do any of you own, or have experiences with any of these three suits? I've found quite a few posts about the Nex-Gen (which i'm not really considering) and the XCD, but not too much about the other 2.

I know that NTD has some XTech coming in with my size (XXXL) and I hope to stop by there to check that one out as well.

Thanks,

Daval

 

[bcsean]

I would recommend XCD2 of the three recommended. I'm personally partial to a shell suit for a few reasons, and this is the closest to a shell. Neoprene, especially when it's not crushed changes in thermal properties and buoyancy characteristics.

Heavy underwear in a thinner suit, you'll still be warm at depth. Investing in a proper undergarment is key.

 

[alpenadiver]

check out www.divetank.com they have some great deals on Bare suits, I just ordered a XCD2 Tech from Rick at a very nice price.

Mike

 

[616fun]

I have the CD4 and I think it's a great suit (it's the only drysuit I've owned though). I only have 6 dives on it, so I'm still getting used to it.

Depending on how cold you are planning to dive it, take a serious look at undergarments. I have the Bare T-100 and it works great with the suit. I've had it in water 36F and was toasty warm.

 

[Sea View]

Did you ever decide to get the BARE suit? ...if so, which one?
I was considering the XCD2 myself (from Divetank) for the front zip self donning feature.
I'm having trouble deciding myself, looks like the CD-4 w/4mm may be the one, not sure I want to get another back zip suit.
I have a shell now, but I really like the compressed 4mm Neo on the CD4 (may not be as warm as regular Neo at the surface, but should also stay fairly consistent in thickness & not crush much at moderate depth). I don't care for the xtra undergarments & the 2mm add very little thermal barrier (low 40s here).
JC

I've been exploring drysuits and have narrowed my focus down to the 'Bare' line - mainly due to the cost/quality/customer service stuff i've read about them.

There's three in particular I am looking at:-

1. XCD2 Tech - a very nice suit that comes very well recommended, this is the most expensive of the three. This is also the only front entry which I really like. Not sure if I'll be able to get the price into the range I'm looking for though since with this suit I would need a full set of undies.

2. CD4 - a crushed 4mm neoprene suit, again from what i've been able to gather is a good suit. Medium cost of the three. Not as warm as a pure neo, but light underwear required.

3. D6 - 6mm neoprene suit. Lowest price of the three. very light underwear required.

I stopped by my LDS yesterday and tried on the XXL XCD2 and it was a little too tight on me, although we think the XXXL will fit me well, hence looking and leaning heavily towards a stock suit and not going custom.

Do any of you own, or have experiences with any of these three suits? I've found quite a few posts about the Nex-Gen (which i'm not really considering) and the XCD, but not too much about the other 2.

I know that NTD has some XTech coming in with my size (XXXL) and I hope to stop by there to check that one out as well.

Thanks,

Daval

 

[Tom Winters]

daval - as long as you're going to do most of your diving up there in Canuckistan, the D6 is a pretty good suit for you. I had one and it was really well-made. I couldn't use it in Florida so I sold it. I looked at the XCD2 - impressive suit, but a lot of money.
There's another good drysuit company up there - Abyss in Nova Scotia - that you might want to check out as well.
http://www.abyssdivingsuits.com/

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

I have a CD-4 and think it is a great suit. I dive the great lakes ( high 30's to low 40's ) and only wear 100 mil. underwear. I think the compressed neoprene is more durable than normal neoprene. It is also less bouyant so you have to carry less weight.

 

[aquaoren]

I've been exploring drysuits and have narrowed my focus down to the 'Bare' line - mainly due to the cost/quality/customer service stuff i've read about them.

There's three in particular I am looking at:-

1. XCD2 Tech - a very nice suit that comes very well recommended, this is the most expensive of the three. This is also the only front entry which I really like. Not sure if I'll be able to get the price into the range I'm looking for though since with this suit I would need a full set of undies.

2. CD4 - a crushed 4mm neoprene suit, again from what i've been able to gather is a good suit. Medium cost of the three. Not as warm as a pure neo, but light underwear required.

3. D6 - 6mm neoprene suit. Lowest price of the three. very light underwear required.

I stopped by my LDS yesterday and tried on the XXL XCD2 and it was a little too tight on me, although we think the XXXL will fit me well, hence looking and leaning heavily towards a stock suit and not going custom.

Do any of you own, or have experiences with any of these three suits? I've found quite a few posts about the Nex-Gen (which i'm not really considering) and the XCD, but not too much about the other 2.

I know that NTD has some XTech coming in with my size (XXXL) and I hope to stop by there to check that one out as well.

Thanks,

Daval

The Z-Tech suits are nice if they fit you. NTD is a great shop too.
Dan's Dive Shop has a deal on a DUI right now as well. http://dansdiveshop.ca/ Go to the Specials

 

[daval]

I actually went with the Bare ATR HD (Self Donning), I was able to get a fantastic deal on it.

I've had two pool sessions with it so far and it feels pretty good, next weekend (May 28th) I'll be out diving with it in the lake both Saturday and Sunday so we'll definately see how it holds up there.

For now I'm winging it regarding underwear. I bought a set of extreme cold weather military polypro underwear, which I will wear under a set of 140g fleece. If need be I have another layer I can wear on top of that but I'll have to see how I feel with just the two layers. My mobility seems to be very good wearing those two layers as it is.

Otherwise the ATR HD Trilam seems to be a very well made, very rugged suit. Once I learned the tips and tricks for getting in and out of the suit I am able to do it with little problem.

Unfortunately the off-the-shelf Z-Tech would not have fit me, for the Bare it is a XXXL with 2" extra height.

Daval

 

[trevinkorea]

I too went with the Bare ATR HD (Self Donning) from Divetank.

It's a very well buit suit and I think it will stand up very well over time.

Mine was a custom fit. I think it only cost $150 extra so I thought I might as well do it right. With the 200 gram thinsolate undergarments (also Bare) I am toasty even in the Korea winter with a fully flooded suit.

It flooded only becuase I didn't get the gloves on right. It was my first dive with dry gloves. It is amazing how fast your suit can flood with just a tiny leak.

My mobility is good but the trilam does not give at all. I was used to a neoprene suit which has a lot of give in comparison. My last suit was a 6MM whites. It is also a good suit but I prefer my Bare.

If you do go with a bare be sure to get the suspenders, pockets and if you are interested in dry gloves, the installed cuff rings.

For the price Bare is a great suit with lots of options.

The only thing with the cuff rings is the gauntlet style wet gloves will not work well.

To answer your question more specifically, if I were purchasing a new suit, I would go with either a trilam or the XCD2 Tech. At depth I found the my 6MM got pretty cool after the neoprene had compressed and on the surface the suit remained wet and was therefore colder in the winter. With the trilam, I'm much warmer on the surface after a dive. I also like the self entry because sometimes you really need to get out of the suit quickly and it is good not to have to rely on a buddy to unzip you.

The one drawback to the Bare line is the knee pads seem a little short. I'm not sure if the offer a larger size but if I were to do it again I would definately go for longer ones.

I'd also recommend Divetank. Their service was great and they sent me two ov everything that I requested so I could try them on for size. They even offered to let me dive them first to see which I liked and then return what didn't work. I think supporting your LDS is a good idea but will they let you dive the gear before you purchase? It's always a good idea to see what it is like underwater. It feels very different than in the shop.