Crushed Neoprene - Manufacturers

[akscubainst]

Jonnythan is 100% correct. ONLY DUI Makes Crushed Neoprene If you are talking CRUSHED NEOPRENE you are only talking about the CF200, Flex 50/50, CLX50/50 or the limited production CF300 which was made like one year. No other Drysuit is made from Crushed Neoprene.

Dave

 

[ClevelandDiver]

DUI uses compressed neoprene in the CNSE, the value version of the CF200. The CF200 crushed neoprene is thinner.. but I don't know by how much.

Cool. How fast does it dry? What does it feel like to the touch? Is it a lot lighter, or still kind of heavy compared to a trilam?

 

[jonnythan]

Cool. How fast does it dry? What does it feel like to the touch? Is it a lot lighter, or still kind of heavy compared to a trilam?

As heavy as a compressed neoprene suit. Texture is the same. It's not as squishy, takes as long to try, is as tough as, but is negatively buoyant (or at least neutral), not as stretchy.

It's as if you took compressed neoprene and pressed all the bubbles out

 

[akscubainst]

It's fairly slow to dry, much heavier than Trilam. The boots or socks on Dui Suits are all made from Crushed Neoprene. So if you've seen a suit with rockboots the sock is crushed neoprene.

DM

 

[Sea View]

Hardhat - Sounds like you have had experience w/several suits in the past. I'm considering purchasing the XCD2 this month through Divetank, but I'm still looking around - my LDS brought the DUI CF200 to my attention (they only had the TLS - they don't stock the CF so I could not see one).

Have you had the opportunity to dive the CF200? If so, how does it compare? The LDS tells me they are the best you can get in thin Neo w/front zip.

Several threads lead me to believe that the XCD2 is more comfy (little more stretch w/2mm compressed vs. 1.5mm crushed) and just as tuff as the DUI. Any experience wDUI Crushed Neo?

Thanks
JC

I dive a Bare XCD2 Tech Dry, which is a 2mm hyper compressed neoprene suit. I like it better then any other suit that I dove in the past. I've had Vikings, Trilams, and regular neoprene suits and now the crushed neoprene which I think is by far the best of them all. I have latex wrist and neck seals on it, suspenders are a must, large bellows pocket on my right thigh, and soft boots ( so I use Bare Treck Boots ). I just had the neck seal changed from neoprene to latex which only took a week to get my suit back. So I'm really pleased with the after sales service they have provided me.

 

[markfm]

Northern Diver Divemaster -- 4mm "hyper compressed" neoprene. Seems well built, warm, comfortable for my meager 9 dives so far.

[The soapbox gets interesting around here sometimes -- compressed neoprene is BAD and combined inflator/alternate air sources are positively evil. Of course, I don't get the impression that people have used the gear that they vetch so vociferously about.]

Anyhow, I like the Divemaster, but as usual YMMV.

 

[jonnythan]

Northern Diver Divemaster -- 4mm "hyper compressed" neoprene. Seems well built, warm, comfortable for my meager 9 dives so far.

[The soapbox gets interesting around here sometimes -- compressed neoprene is BAD and combined inflator/alternate air sources are positively evil. Of course, I don't get the impression that people have used the gear that they vetch so vociferously about.]

Anyhow, I like the Divemaster, but as usual YMMV.

I've used a compressed neoprene suit. The Northern Diver "hyper compressed" and "resin-injected" CNX. I thought it would be like DUI's crushed neoprene, but it wasn't.

It was just neoprene. Slightly thinner neoprene than a 7mm suit, but it was still just neoprene.

I sold it after a few dives.

Crushed neoprene really is pretty significantly different.

 

[dilligaf368]

I have the CF200 that I bought over 8yrs ago. I bought a second one of the crushed neoprene as a back up. I have over 3000 Hours in the first suit, the second is still a virgin with only 300+ hours in it. I've had Vikings, Poisden, Nokia, ect. The DUI crushed neoprene is the best I've ever Owned. I'll buy another after the First one dies......................Bill

 

[hardhat]

Hardhat - Sounds like you have had experience w/several suits in the past. I'm considering purchasing the XCD2 this month through Divetank, but I'm still looking around - my LDS brought the DUI CF200 to my attention (they only had the TLS - they don't stock the CF so I could not see one).

Have you had the opportunity to dive the CF200? If so, how does it compare? The LDS tells me they are the best you can get in thin Neo w/front zip.

Several threads lead me to believe that the XCD2 is more comfy (little more stretch w/2mm compressed vs. 1.5mm crushed) and just as tuff as the DUI. Any experience wDUI Crushed Neo?

Thanks
JC

I have dove the DUI CF200, it is a great suit to dive. In my opinion though the Bare XCD2 is a very compairable suit in the water. The one thing that I have seen in the past with the CF200 is that if you get one that leaks, they seem to always leak, no matter how many times it goes back to DUI. If you get one that doesn't leak you have a bullet proof suit. They seem to leak on seams. From what I understand of how DUI makes the "crushed" neoprene (the suit is built out of normal neoprene and then it is crushed in a chamber) is the problem with getting them repaired. On the flip side the Bare XCD2 is made from neoprene that has been "compressed" before the suit is made. They have worked on developing a method of seaming the material together that has a good record of sealing the seams water tight and if repairs are needed they have a good success rate. The other thing that is a noticeable difference is the cost, Dui = lots of money, Bare = about half the money.

 

[markfm]

I've used a compressed neoprene suit. The Northern Diver "hyper compressed" and "resin-injected" CNX. I thought it would be like DUI's crushed neoprene, but it wasn't.

It was just neoprene. Slightly thinner neoprene than a 7mm suit, but it was still just neoprene.

I sold it after a few dives.

Crushed neoprene really is pretty significantly different.

Thanks -- it really is helpful when people can provide the background of their experience (that they've used the product they do not like, for whatever reason).