Bare Trilam HD vs. Pinnacle Evo 2

[whitworthsa]

I'm looking to get a drysuit because I find that after 35-40 mins in the 42 degree water in a thick wetsuit I spend the rest of the day trying to warm my body back up. It's just not that much fun. Anyway I live in BC (where water temp is about 40-55 and outside air temp is almost never above 75) and lots of folks around here dive regular neoprene suits and seem to like them just fine. I've done a bit of research myself and there seem to be more advantages to a membrane/shell suit. I'm a pretty new diver (17 dives) and do mainly rocky shore entries but I'm really interested in getting into wreck diving in the future.

My research has brought me to consider the Bare Trilam HD or Pinnacle Evolution 2, which seem to have good reviews and be a good value.

1. Given that I get cold fairly easily does this make sense or would I be better off with a neoprene suit?

2. If this does look reasonable, which would you choose and why? Any comments on either are appreciated.
(at this point I'm leaning toward the Bare because they're made here in BC)

Thanks for your help.
~S

 

[scubabooty]

You could contact the Nanaimo Dive Outfitters on the Pinnacle Evo 2 as they are a new distributor for them. They can give you some info on the shell vs neoprene as well.

 

[RonFrank]

They are both Trilam suits, and are more similar than different. I have friends that dive both, and seem equally happy. I'd go with which ever is easiest to order/service, and provides the best value. Remember, you need good underwear, and often drysuit dealers throw in undergarment deals upon purchase of a drysuit.

If you are a standard size, you can shop these online for the best deal. If you are an odd fit, you maybe better served ordering from an LDS.

The biggest problem some folks have in getting a good fit is in the boots. Most of these suits come with standard boot sizes, and a lot of folks have larger/smaller feet than standard.

 

[evil_xander]

I chose Evo2, mostly because of pricing and dealer service over the Bare Trilam HD. A friend of mine dives the Trilam HD 2008 version and it looks just fine (a tad too much Bare logos on the suit though ).

I'm quite happy with my selection.

Cannot help you with question #1, I never used a neoprene drysuit...

 

[BobbyT22]

FWIW, I own a Bare XCD Tech drysuit, and it is awesome. It is compressed neoprene, and tough as nails. It also has some thermal protective properties, on top of the undergarments, which given your cold climate is a plus. The suspender loops are already sewn in, so all you need is some 1 inch nylon webbing and you have suspenders. Go with the attached booties, one less failure point and they feel great. You will not regret this suit if you buy one.

It is not as light as a trilam, and takes a while to dry, but that is only an issue if you are travelling alot and have to pack it in a suitcase. I have travelled with mine, and it was fine.

 

[Diver0001]

Well ~S, as you can see, everyone is probably going to tell you to buy what they dive in...

I've used neoprene and trilam suits, going back to 1985 in a lot of different places, including BC.

To make a long story short, modern drysuits, whether trilam or neoprene are both perfectly adequate for the kind of diving you're likely to do, including wreck diving.

I've never dove in the Pinnacle suit. My current drysuit is a Bare HD pro and I think it's the best suit I've ever owned. That said, the only reservation I would have about the Pinnacle suit on the surface is the front zip. The zipper is the most vulnerable (and most expensive) part of a drysuit and from what I've seen, front zips (although perhaps handy) are not *quite* as robust as back zips and in the long run will cost you a little bit more on balance.

The Bare HD suits are also tailored fairly well so the don't fit "baggy" or cause a lot of drag in the water, which is a common phenomenon among "cheap" drysuits. I don't have any way to judge how the Pinnacle suit compares in that respect.

For the rest, FIT and COMFORT are everything. If you find that one of these suits fits better than the other, then buy that one. Service is a minor issue. Bare is local to you and have a great reputation. Pinnacle I never heard of until you posted this... That could have to do with me being away from Vancouver for 13 years now so if you trust it, then that's what matters. Personally, I'm pretty brand committed. All my drysuits (3) have been Bare, all my regulators (6) (save one) have been Aqualung. So I would say that either way you go, you can trust Bare (but that obviously says more about me than about you....)

I don't know if this helps you at all or not. I hope it does.

Good luck

R..

 

[RonFrank]

Pinnacle has been around since the 60's. I'd never seen their suits until one of our LDS's started carrying them maybe three years ago. They are now very prominent among instructors in this area, and I have several friends who own them. Their Trilam suits are on par with any Trilam suit I have seen on the market.

I dive a Bare, and have many friends that do as well. I dive the Chevy Vega of Bare, the NexGen. However, I just had my seals replaced (purchased used, and after over 100 dives), so I have nothing but good things to say about my Bare NexGen. More true as I paid all of $350 for it. It's holding up well after four years of diving, and I expect to get many more years out of it.

Both companies make very solid and reliable suits.

 

[BobbyT22]

Bare Nexgen...Chevy Vega of suits...I like that. I dove one, and it was perfectly adequate. If I was able to get a used nexgen at a reasonable cost, I'd say go for it. No problem with those suits. They work.

I also owned a 7mm non-compressed, non-crushed, non-squeezed, non-pancaked, whatever you want to call it Poseidon Unisuit. Man what an adventure diving that thing. It was horrible, my first drysuit, $200 bucks on ebay. I can say with ultimate conviction to stay away from a suit like that. It was so floaty, I truly felt like the michelin man. It made me really apreciate a newer style suit, be it either trilam (bi-lam in the case of a Nexgen) XCD, or whatever.

I was so pissed off at it, I cut myself out. I didnt want to go through the exhausting ritual of trying to doff it. Probably childish...but it felt good!

 

[jsf35]

If you get cold easily, you will need adequate underwear with a trilam suit which means $$$$. A compressed neoprene suit will give you a little more thermal protection than any trilam suit, and you won't pay too much of a penalty with regards to extra weight you will have to wear. I have both types of suits and prefer the neoprene suit. In the summer I just have to wear a light fleece underwear with it, and something a little more substantial in the winter. With the trilam its heavyweight underwear year round. What that means in the PNW in the summer when the water temp is 52 degrees F and the air temp is 78 and you are dressed in waiting for your buddy who is having some gear issues, you are sweating your a&% off. It's not so bad in 3.5mm neoprene and light fleece.
BTW Bare is having a special for March. Free underwear with any drysuit purchase excluding the Nex-Gen.
Good luck in your search,
Scott