Personally I like the os systems hd pro. Front entry, which makes it easy to put on. Also if you go thru thr right dealer he can hook you up with a package that includes both sets of undergarments. I would advise against just wearing a rash guard under a trilam suit. it may not afford enough protection from not just the cold but drysuits get wrinkles and fols and stuff that do not seem to smooth out like a wetsuit. And if you're not good with adjusting for squeeze it can be quite painful and leave some nasty, although temporary, marks on your body. You could go with neoprene or crushed neoprene but i think these may be too warm for diving in the tropics unless you are going real deep or plan on staying down for long periods. With a trilam you can adjust the amt of insulation you need. I've dove mine from 74 to 46 degrees and been quite comfy. Have not even needed my dry glove system yet. As far as fit unless you are a perfect size or real close to one you have to go semi or full custom to get a proper fit no matter what brand you get. Especially if you plan on diving it alot. If you only do a few a year you can maybe cheat it a little but I don't advise this. Fortunately I only neede to go semi as everything fell into a good range except the legs needed to be shortened 2 inches. I'm 5'7" and it may not sound like much but 2 inches in the legs leaves alot of room for air to get trapped. Also if you've not already done it take the drysuit course when you get it. Some say you can learn from buddies and you can, I did 11 dives in mine before I took mine including 2 deep dives in excess of 90 ft. It was cool but after taking the course I wish I had done it first. Also if you plan to go all the way pro to instructor it will make it that much easier should you have to actually teach it at some point. Finally don't rush into this. Try to see as many as you can if possible try them on. I don't know where you're at but visit different shops and talk to them and ask lots of questions, warranty, repairs there or sent out, type of seals, can you demo one, do you get a course with it(some shops do this), do undergarments come with it or are they seperate, what features can I get(front zip,hard or soft boots, relief zipper or valve if you are male(know you're not but others may read this), dry gloves included or optional, and what colors are available (there are lots of choices today so don't let them try to unload an old stock if you want a different color) and so on. Sorry this is so long but it's not like buying a mask or new fins. A drysuit to me is life support equipment. It can be great and alot of fun. It can extend your dive season to 365 days, But it can also hurt you or even kill you if you're not prepared or properly trained to use it depending on the conditions. Keep me posted on what you get. Jim
