Cold water dives and drysuits

[Trippysmurf]

Ok so I am hoping this is the right spot for this as it is not a basic question since it pertains to both subjects matters. I am a new new diver. I am moving to Washington state here very soon along the coast. I am getting certified for open water and drysuit while i am here in Utah while my GF finishes her job before the move. My background in diving is mainly freediving and spearfishing.
So my questions is that if someone is going to be doing dives (and sometimes multiple dives) in the Pacific Northwest waters possibly even up to Canada, what would be an ideal choice for a drysuit. I really like the way the neoprene ones feel but i havent tried a Tri-lam drysuit on so i cant say anything about them one way or another. So to any cold water divers out there I would love some advice on this before i go and drop the cash on a drysuit. My budget is about 2 grand if I need to go that high.

 

[grf88]

I use a Whites Fusion which allows me to easily adjust my underwear depending on the water temperature which can vary between 30 and 65 degrees. Above 65 degrees I switch to a 3mm wetsuit but could continue to use the Fusion if I wanted to. Several of my buddies started out with neoprene suits but have since switched to the Fusion or Trilam suits.

 

[tomfcrist]

I use a Whites Fusion which allows me to easily adjust my underwear depending on the water temperature which can vary between 30 and 65 degrees. Above 65 degrees I switch to a 3mm wetsuit but could continue to use the Fusion if I wanted to. Several of my buddies started out with neoprene suits but have since switched to the Fusion or Trilam suits.

Now that's a true cold water diver. 3mm in 65 deg water is insane to warm water folks. Folks in the keys look at me like I'm crazy when I dive in board shorts and a T-shirt in 70 deg water...lol.

To the OP, the price of the suit will limit your options. Fusions are nice because they dive more like a wetsuit, and trials are easier to doff and dawn. Either way it's not the suit that will be keeping you warm, but the undergarments. Buy the best quality suit you can afford. If that means a Bare, so be it. The only suit that doesn't drive me completely nuts is the fusion.

 

[elan]

it is a basic question
anyways, shell suits is the way to go imho as they do not lose buoyancy with depth and dry faster.

 

[SSpiffy]

Puget Sound diver here. Everyone I've talked with who uses one raves about the Fusion, and almost every one of them added, "Once you learn to put it on properly." Several of the instructors at LDS have switched to one, some even before they became a White's dealer. I have yet to talk with anyone who tried one and bought a different suit.

Personally, I dive wet in a 7mm farmer john. I'm drysuit certified, but I find that it's not worth the added expense - for ME. Maybe next year; maybe not. If I were buying today it would either be a Fusion (not sure which skin) or a bespoke neoprene suit from Dry Suits from Seaskin Custom Drysuits home page , I could order a custom-made suit with all the bells and whistles I want, including a custom undergarment and shipping for less than about any off the shelf suit. Only downside is if the fit isn't quite right, shipping will be expensive to fix it.

Off to dive, I hear the Sound is about 47F today.

 

[TSandM]

Your budget leaves you with a somewhat limited set of options.

Full neoprene suits, like the ScubaPro Everdry, are inexpensive options for a first dry suit. Like wetsuits, they lose insulating capacity at depth, and they fatigue over time, so they will not insulate as well after 100 dives as they do new. They are fairly tough, but not easy to repair. You can get the EverDry for around $1000, with undergarment.

There are a number of bilam suits available in the same price range (USIA, for example). Bilam is more delicate than trilam, and that is particularly from the inside, so you have to be careful with zipper on undergarments and the like. Inexpensive suits are generally not as carefully fitted as more expensive suits, because the simpler they can make the pattern, the less expensive it is to make the suit.

The Fusion One is a back zip version of the Fusion that sells in the $1000 range, and to me, it's a screaming deal. Fusions are something of a pain to get into, but they are very forgiving with respect to fit (if you have any doubts about size, buy the next one up). They are also VERY durable and difficult to damage. You will need a good, thick undergarment for Puget Sound, like the Thermal Fusion or the Halo or Weezle -- plan on budgeting at least $350 for undergarments.

Used dry suits can be a real steal, if you have any DIY ability. A suit with not too many dives on the zipper, that needs seals replaced, can go for a fraction of its new cost. We bought my husband a used DUI that needed seals for $400, with the new seals included. Of course, we have repaired a few leaks, as well . . .

What do I dive? Well, I have been diving a standard Fusion for the last five years, and own two of them. And I recently acquired a Santi E-lite, which is a great dry suit but well out of your budget.

 

[Peter_C]

Buy a used drysuit for a reasonable price. Change the seals if need be. Buy nice low use or new undergarments. Get a set of dry gloves, and order An Otter Bay hood (They ran out of 12mm material for a couple more weeks).

If you want a new drysuit take a look at the HOG drysuit.

I dive a Fusion with a Tech Skin and wouldn't buy one again.

 

[mathauck0814]

Any drysuit will suit you fine for cold water diving. Try before you buy if you can and don't skimp on your undergarment as that's the piece that actually will keep you warm. I personally greatly dislike the Whites Fusion suits, but some folks are fond of them. Really, at your level any suit that gets you in the water is probably the best one for you. Don't discount a used suit. Skimp on the suit, spend on the undergarment. YMMV

 

[Trippysmurf]

So after talking to my cousin who dives alot with and without a drysuit I went with the Scubapro Tri-lam setup. As advised and told i went with a polar shell undergarment which rates it for waters 32-54ish degree water. As I am planning to do alot of cold water dives i went with a Diaphram stage 2 with a nice first stage. Got some nice boots also as suit did not come. Plus I would rather have boots then built in ones personally. Ty tons for the info and I will try to make my next post in the right category. And any advice from Pacific northwest divers please by all means message me. I am very very serious about getting into the dive world so trying to learn all I can from wherever I can as long as it is sound advice and safe advice.

 

[RJP]

And remember, "there's no such thing as 'cold water' only 'wrong gear'!"