Breathable drysuits: do they really make a big difference? Does it make the gearing up process a little less miserable?.
I have a D9X and like it a lot. It is WAY nicer for gearing up and surface intervals than my Bare compressed neoprene suit. But, I have no direct experience to compare it to a non-breathable shell suit.
That said, I have 30 years experience riding motorcycles, with a lot of experience in non-breathable textile jackets and pants and also breathable (e.g. Gore-tex and similar) jackets and pants.
My experience is that breathable does not make a huge difference - but it DOES make a difference and it is worth having (to me). My experience so far is getting out of the water and being clammy on the inside happens a lot more with my Bare suit than my breathable suit.
I've been looking at the Argonaut Hybrid Kevlar suit. From what I've read, it is a really nice suit and their custom fitting process works really well. If I could afford a new suit, I would get one of theirs custom made to measure. But, the D9X fits me pretty darn well, so I am really quite happy with it. I just want to spend money on it to add permanent dry glove rings, a Si Tech Quick Neck system, and change it from attached boots to neoprene socks. And for all that money, I'd be a decent way towards just getting a new suit with those features already built in.
The D9X is also a pretty good price, for what it is. And the D9 is a really good price. A D9 with some glued on pockets would be pretty darn inexpensive. The only question is whether if it would fit you well and if it's heavy duty enough for what you want to use it for. The D9X material is not exactly heavy duty and the D9 is even lighter duty. The D9X is not the right suit if you're going to be doing much in the way of wreck penetrations or cave restrictions. Or banging into coral.
