Budget drysuits - Bare Nex-Gen and ?

[kidspot]

Once you go dry, you will never go back...

Why is that when drysuit divers come over to my neck of the woods they leave the DS home and dive wet then? j/k - there are a couple dry divers in Hawaii that I know of, so it does seem they are quite versatile.

just pokin fun at ya' Jeff

Aloha, Tim

 

[crpntr133]

Why don't most dive dry in Hawaii? Maybe because most of the divers aren't weenies.
I will never forget my first dive, Aruba, what temp was 75. The Dm was from Chicago and he said that he wouldn't dive in Aruba with anything less than 5mm. I dove it in my trunks and loved it.

You should love the Bare Nex-gen. I just bought the Tech HD since I wanted the self entry.

 

[Fr0sty8]

I recently picked up a TRILAM HD Tech Dry suit but I am very curious what kinds of actual differences there are between BARE and DUI especially when you are talking quite a bit of money between the two.

 

[jonahfab]

I may have just got a lemon but i've been diving with a nex-gen for almost two years and it has been a struggle. I had the shoulder dump valve blow off after five dives, and I think a have had to patch every inch of seam on the suit because of leaking. I have always taken great care of this suit, but it hasn't returned the favor. Doing what I should have done from the get go and save up for a better model suit. In the long run I would have saved money if I would have just done this in the first place.

 

[scubadobadoo]

Just for the record, I bought my wife and my DUI TLS 350's for $1200 each and they came with split jets. Stock sizes. New from a LDS that deals with DUI. Look around. Deals can be found. Good luck!

 

[scubadobadoo]

Why don't most dive dry in Hawaii? Maybe because most of the divers aren't weenies.
I will never forget my first dive, Aruba, what temp was 75. The Dm was from Chicago and he said that he wouldn't dive in Aruba with anything less than 5mm. I dove it in my trunks and loved it.
.

Probably because the DM spends all day in the water and is constantly frozen to his core after months or years of being a DM. One of my favorite DM's in Coz uses a 5mil with hood and puts a jacket on after the dive in the summer. LOL. If you spent hours and hours in the water, you would chill more easily too.

 

[scubabob123]

I bought the Bare Nex Gen a couple of months ago and love it. Paid about $700 for the entire package. This is a helluva dry suit for the money. Let's see how well it holds up over the long run. So far - totally dry and warm.

 

[ScubaSarus]

For the comarison question. Look at the interior seams of the nexgen or any bare suit and look at the DUI seems. Like comparing apples to oranges. DUI uses what looks like a thick line of expoxy of some sort to reinforce the seams. Thats all I really notice. Latex is latex and fit is fit. 10 K zipper is a 10 K zipper. I never expect a drysuit to be 100% dry amd my Oceanic Flex always is damp around the wrists. Thats another reason to get a good thinsulate undergarmet with a bottom layer of good polypro underware

 

[jonnythan]

I recently picked up a TRILAM HD Tech Dry suit but I am very curious what kinds of actual differences there are between BARE and DUI especially when you are talking quite a bit of money between the two.

Having just finished my first dive in a DUI TLS350 after having owned Bare ATR HD for a while, I can offer some comments.

The fit is night and day. The cut on the Bare suit is far more restrictive. Some may not have problems, but while I could reach my valves on my Bare suit (which was much too big for me, mind you) I couldn't even bend over to tie my rock boots. The DUI fits me far far better and I have a full range of motion. The elastic panel inside the Bare that made it auto-telescoping also made it needlessly restrictive.

The quality of the construction on my Bare suit was lacking. The kneepads weren't quite centered, for one thing. The leg anti-inflation system was very goofy and totally unnecessary. The 7mm neoprene socks are no good because they take up so much room in the boot and compress at depth (the DUI uses crushed neoprene).

The Bare is a fine suit, particularly if it fits you well. The material is ridiculously strong, though this makes it slightly restrictive as well.

 

[ScubaSarus]

"The cut on the Bare suit is far more restrictive."

Oh I Forgot to mention I had to help my buddy out of his new bare suit. He could undo the zipper by himself but after that the suit was too restrictive for him to get out of without help or putting undue stress on the suit and seals. I suggested we dislocate a shoulder because it was like a straight jacket on him. I was in disbelief. He has the front diagonal zipper.
Good point Jonny!!!!.