Best Dry Suit

[RJP]

I had a Bare Trilam ATR HD Tech and liked it a lot - until I demo'ed a DUI TLS-350.

Yes it's pricier, but a much better fit for me, much better range of motion, lighter, dries quicker, easier to get in and out of, etc, etc, etc.

The Bare is a great suit, don't get me wrong. If mine fit better I'd have been quite happy with it for a long time. I do highly reccomend it. Got mine from Richard at divetank.net. You can't go wrong with him. But he also does stock the DUI and it's only about $200 more.

Also look at the TLS-SE, same suit as the 350, but without torso recoil and it's rear entry. If the suit fits well and you don't mind the rear entry it's a great suit. Probably best deal in a high-quality trilam.

Ray

 

[Riverrat Dave]

Take a look at USIA, That's what I dive, and I am really satisfied with their product -
I have the Aqua Pro Plus.
Fits good and is tough.
Their staff is really easy to work with and take care of whatever you need.
They are out of Oregon.

 

[Spragg01]

2nd for the diving concepts. Their cordura may be out of your price range, but I have been very happy with mine.

 

[Dustinh]

I'm a big fan of the Neoprene Dry Suits. I personally have an O'Neil suit and absolutely love it. P.S. it's about $800 list, far less than other suits. I've been diving heavily with it for the better part of 5 years, havn't needed a single seam re-taped or seal replaced.

 

[tmorg]

Dont buy without at least looking at a viking pro 1000.Vulcanized rubber is heavy but the suit is tuff as nails,love mine.

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

Hi there Scuba Steve -

Which suit is best is a very subjective issue - I'm sure if this thread lasts long enough you'll hear about every model of drysuit.

Fit is the most important factor. A good undersuit is the second most important - don’t buy a good drysuit then skimp on the stuff that will keep you warm.

Shell suits are light, dry quickly and great for travel. They need more undergarments to stay warm and are not as streamlined as a neoprene suit.

Neoprene suits are more durable, heavier, more bulky when packed but are more streamlined, a bit warmer and require less undergarments than a shell.

I dive a Northern Diver CNX compressed neoprene. They are custom made to fit and its a great suit. I've also heard good things about the dive rite 905 and other northern diver suits.

Cheers,
Rohan.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

I have a Viking Xtreme and now that I have one that fits properly I love it. I'm the queen of cold so I got the heaviest underwear Viking makes to go with it and I also got the booties. Dry gloves and a dry hood will go a long way to keeping you warm and I highly recommend going that route. The Xtreme has an attached latex hood and a beanie that you wear under it, if it fits right your hair doesn't even get wet. I learned to wear my mask skirt over the latex and that helps keep the water out although it does allow more air to get into the hood for some reason. I wear a neoprene beanie over the latex hood and the pressure from that helps minimize the need to "burp" my hood during the dive. I've finally gotten to the point where I can burp the hood by tucking my chin and turning my head to the side.

Bob3 here on the board is a Viking dealer, get ahold of him and see what he can do for you.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[vikingdrydiver]

I'll second the Viking Pro 1000 - best suit ever.....

 

[Divemark500]

Bare Tri-lam suits from LeisurePro are a good deal for a good suit.

 

[cummings66]

I'll toss in my vote for a Viking suit of any design. If you want more flexibility then the Viking extreme is nice, or for a tougher suit the Pro series is nice.

For what it's worth, if you're going to dive dry, then dive dry and get the Latex hood and dry gloves, as said earlier the dry hood will keep your hair dry as well. I find myself always warmer than my buddies who dive Bare or DUI suits, and I've dove those as well. I like a dry hood and dry gloves.

I have the Viking 200 gr thinsulate undergarments and it's fine in 37 degree water for me, I have the heaviest which I think is the Arctic Extreme, it's a 400 gr thinsulate with fleece on top and under it, extremely warm. Too warm in fact for me unless I dove water colder than 32 degrees IMO.

Viking is the way to go.

One thing I didn't add, I dive with my mask over the Latex and it always leaks water into the mask, can't quite get it sealed. I've been tempted to put it under and see if it stops the leaking. It fits fine as long as I don't place it over the hood. That may be an issue for others as well, I wonder how Ber does on the mask seal. I'm always clearing the mask, more with the X Vision than my other Akona mask but they all leak. Now my FFM has never ever leaked over the hood and it's the ultimate in dry diving.