Question Best HOT weather drysuit?

[broncobowsher]

4E argonaut was about the only breathable drysuit that would hold up to more than moderate usage, but they might have got out of the drysuit biz (not seeing products listed on their page for some reason)

if you aren't requiring breathable, look at ursuit. like crushed neoprene is more durable, but i would not want to dive a pinnacle or otter in florida/MX

I had a 2nd gen suit made out of that material. This was after they fixed the issues. Still had issues to the point the suit needed replacing with a regular one. The breathable doesn't breath enough to make any real difference. But it did let salt water get in the fabric and the salt crystals stabbed the suit from inside. If you only dove the suit in fresh water only, might work. Salt water, even with a fresh water rinse, doesn't get the salt out from inside the material. The suit started getting bent. I would come up from a dive and there would be bubbles of air trapped inside the layers of the suit. It was like a mini airbag motorcycle suit had been deployed. The next day the bubbles would be gone.

 

[BFRedrocks]

Florida cave divers deal with heat. I haven't heard anyone say they favor one brand over another because it lasts longer in a hot climate. Other than FL and MX, I'm not sure there are places in the world where it's common to use a drysuit in a hot climate.

In Arizona I dive in a drysuit 11 months out of the year. I try to avoid the summer months, but I've dove our local lake when it's been 110 degrees above the water, and 60 degrees below.

FWIW, I used to dive a DUI FLX Extreme, but it never fit quite right. And then after it "shrunk" too much, I upgraded to a Santi E.Lite+ that I love. It's definitely durable, although it's not necessarily made for warm weather. I've dove it in Arizona heat, but also in Antarctica and the Arctic, and it is much nicer to don that thing in colder climates.

 

[PEDiver]

The 4E Argonaut was actually what I had most recently, and it fell apart quite quickly and dramatically (48 leaks repaired and a zipper replaced not because of zipper malfunction but because the adhesive gluing it on dissolved…all in the first year of use). I’m annoyed because I had a lot of very experienced people recommending it prior. And for the price tag that wasn’t nearly enough usage.

I have two friends who purchased 4E drysuits and both had issues very quickly after putting a few dives on them (mostly due to the zipper and glue delamination). I would probably never purchase a 4E drysuit now based on that and other similar feedback. I mostly dive in FL cave country year-round and absolutely love my Scubaforce Xpedition MTM. I also see a lot of people diving Otter drysuits and love them. My next suit will most likely be an Otter.

 

[Thunder Struck]

I've been diving in the Mojave with a DUI TLS350. Biggest thing is silicone seals for better UV resistance than latex.

 

[Learner Diver]

Before anyone asks, the suits are stored properly hanging in a dry, cool area of my house….so I don’t think storage is the issue.

Interesting article. What brand of drysuit were you using?

SANTI and DUI are popular here and could work, but I have yet to find one that makes me really happy in terms of overall fit and features, so I’m open to alternatives.

So I'm guessing you didn't go with the trusted notion of experience?

Waterproof had some drysuits that looked interesting on paper, but no one I know here has one so I have no idea if they would have the same problem.

What do you feel when you use that expression: looked interesting on paper?

 

[speleo]

I'm definitely not representative of the norm, but when I lived in N. Florida and dove the springs almost daily & year round, I dove a full neoprene Poseidon Jetsuit (not crushed neoprene). This allowed me to wear just the drysuit with a tshirt & shorts underneath, no insulation layer required. Longest dives were in the 4-5 hour range, and stayed comfy.

I used Viking and DUI shell suits w/insulation, including in Lake Superior to 130ft at 33 degrees or so. I didn't like them as well, but most of my peers dove shell suits with thinsulate or something.

My next drysuit might be a Bare neoprene, although I'm on the fence about it. I'm not doing super long dives or very cold water much these days....

 

[crofrog]

Are you using anything to clean it?

 

[ZenHscuba]

That’s exactly why I’m asking for people with experience living in those places to tell me what they use. Clearly some brands stand up and others don’t. And since it’s not something you can look up in the specs for the suit my only option is to find out who still has theirs and likes it after a few hundred Florida or Mexico

 

[ZenHscuba]

I’m using a Waterproof D7X in Japan, in water temperatures ranging from 13°C to 20°C.

Its durability is excellent, but the fit feels a bit loose.

What about the Argonaut 3.0? It seems to offer a good fit, and I like that you can choose the fabric.

 

[ZenHscuba]

Hi guys, thanks in advance.
I’m looking for feedback from those who dive dry in HOT climates, on their experiences with drysuit durability.

I’ve been living in the Caribbean and diving caves the past 5 years, and just had my second drysuit fail due to the climate. In both cases, the adhesive used to seal critical parts of the suit degraded to the point where the constant fight against leaks just wasn’t worth it anymore. I’m convinced that the issue is that most suits are manufactured for cold weather diving, and aren’t tested for long-term survival of the adhesive in hotter weather.

Before anyone asks, the suits are stored properly hanging in a dry, cool area of my house….so I don’t think storage is the issue.

So I’m in the market for a new suit and exploring options. SANTI and DUI are popular here and could work, but I have yet to find one that makes me really happy in terms of overall fit and features, so I’m open to alternatives. Waterproof had some drysuits that looked interesting on paper, but no one I know here has one so I have no idea if they would have the same problem.

Must haves - very durable fabric/build, I do a lot of crawling around on rocks for some of my dives. Also, front zip as I find back zip uncomfortable in my sidemount harness. Metal zipper as I’ve had no luck with plastic ones.

Nice to haves - cave cut option, female cut option, soft wrists (hate trying to force wrist rings between tanks to clip/unclip stages), user-replaceable seals.

Thanks for any advice you can come up with!

After hearing so many different opinions, I realized that the best drysuit really depends on the region and how it’s used.


I’m a diver from Japan, and I used to think Japanese-made drysuits were not very reliable.


But now I’ve changed my mind — they’re actually good enough for the typical diving style here in Japan.


Hearing feedback from divers around the world has been really helpful.


Thank you all!