Custom vs Off-The-Rack Dry Suit

[SpeedyJ]

Santi allows for a number of customizations of a standard size free, and a small fee for additional measurements. This is a cheap way to get a custom fit without the full MTM cost. I assume some others offer similar service.

 

[scott7685]

If you expect changes in body size as you explained, then I would recommend looking for a Whites Fusion or Aqualung Fusion drysuit as your son's first suit.

The Fusion drysuit is a 2 piece suit...the first piece is the core of the suit that is a waterproof membrane material that is designed to keep the diver dry. The second piece is a neoprene (or lycra depending on the model) outer cover that keeps the suit streamlined to the body and also serves as a sacrificial layer taking the brunt of most wear and tear/snags while preserving the core of the suit. The suit's core piece is cut oversize to accomodate a range of diver's body morphology (height and weight) and adapts well to divers that might experience significant changes over the period they own the suit. The outer neoprene skin layer keeps the bulk of the oversized suit streamlined to the body so one is not diving an unweildy oversize bag of a drysuit. The other benefit of a Fusion suit is that it accomodates diffrent thickness and/or layers of undergarments really well, making it quit adapatable to comfortably diving in quite a wide range of water temperatures.

The consensus on Scuba Board regarding the Fusion suits is that folks either love their Fusion suit, or hate it. I have had one since 2018 and enjoy diving with it. In that time frame, my body weight has swung in both direction, so much so that I would have needed to purchase multiple suits to accomodate my size shift had I not purchased the Fusion.

-Z

Just a note Z...I was checking out your recommendation and found that Aqualung stopped manufacturing the Fusion dry suit last year :-(

EDIT: I see...they actually had just licensed the line from Whites and stopped that license, so now only can buy from Whites

 

[Badger7]

So my follow-up question, Badger, was do you think all things being equal (ie, assume an off-the-rack one fit your body type) that the quality between the Seaskin vs the off-the-rack ones is similar?

If a Santi/Ursuit/DUI/SFTech drysuit was the same price as a Seaskin, I'd go with any of those instead. Slightly better fit and finish in every example I've seen. But, for less than half price and made to measure, I'd buy another Seaskin. A big tube of aquaseal cost me $30 and I'm back to diving bone dry again. Note that my issue with the seam tape on the inside of the zipper doesn't even sound that common, and it wasn't a difficult repair (for me - I'm a diy kinda guy), and expensive suits will need occasional repairs too.

I'm not trying to cheap, in general, I buy high quality regs and regular service. It just seemed like spending $1k instead of $3k on a drysuit was a better option for me. The difference growing in my IRA means I can quit the day job and dive a lot more often that much sooner.

Specifically a Seaskin isn't quite as nice as suits costing 2x-3x the price (nor did I expect it to be). The trilam cut edge on on the wrist rings is a little raw (just looks, no effect on utility), the trilam is a little lighter weight (could be a plus or minus), the telescopic torso is a little longer than I'd prefer but perfectly functional, and the seal tape has needed a little attention.

At the end of the day, the drysuit brand is just the trilam, the cut, and the seam tape used. All the hardware is YKK/Apeks/SiTech virtually identical on each suit brand. The suit itself is just a bag of air and if fits well, keeps the air on one side and the water on the other, the brand really doesn't matter in the slightest.

 

[stuartv]

My first 2 drysuits were off the rack. Neither fit me perfectly.

My next 2 were Seaskin. Made to measure and fit me perfectly. Both are still going strong.

I also got an off-the-rack Dive Rite drysuit about 2 years ago. It also fits me perfectly. They have all the normal sizes with Short and Long versions. My main concern before I got one was that normally any suit big enough for my upper body has attached boots that are too big for my feet.

I was talking to my friend at Dive Rite and he said "oh, every one of our sizes comes with 3 options for boot size. You look like a 2XL Short. What size shoe do you wear?"

I had already checked their sizing chart and determined that I was probably a 2XL Short. I was impressed that he could size me just by looking at me. I told him I wear 10.5 shoes. He pulled out his phone, did some tapping, and said "we have a 2XL Short with 10.5 boots in stock in the warehouse. Do you want it?"

And, as I said, it also fits me perfectly. I dived in it just yesterday.

If you fit in an off-the rack suit, cool.

The next question is, what options do you want and can you get that in the suit you fit in?

When I bought my first Seaskin, I specifically wanted Kubi dry glove rings in my suit. I already had the gloves, from my previous (off the rack) suit. Seaskin was the only company I could find at the time that offered that option from the factory.

Seaskin has the most comprehensive set of options for their suits of any maker I know of.

But, if the OTR suit fits you and you are happy with the options, then it's just up to you, your wallet, and how long you want to wait.

Seaskin is great quality. But, you'll likely have to wait 2 months (plus or minus) to get it. And, you will have the risk of not fitting because you didn't do the measurements correctly, or because they screwed up. And the risk they might not make it correctly based on the options you want. Or it could come with a leak. In all those cases, it's a hassle and potentially a big wad more cash for shipping back and forth. Seaskin are generally very reliable in making the suits and fit is usually reported to be spot-on. But, nobody is 100% perfect. I did have to return my second Seaskin because it was leaking a tiny amount through the seam in the sole of one of the attached boots, under the glued-on sole. They found it and fixed it at no charge. Except that I did have to pay the shipping to return it to them. And wait for all the time it took.

If you find a suit that fits OTR, you get it right away and you know it fits. If you dive it and it leaks, you can immediately take it back to your dealer to deal with.

As someone else already said, fit is key. KNOWING that it fits before you pay for it is a big deal, in my mind.