DIR drysuit specs

[TSandM]

Well, warmth issues are different from person to person. I've pretty much maxed out what I can put under a suit (400g of Thinsulate with polarfleece underneath it). The compressed neoprene IS warmer -- It delays my "time to shivering" significantly. Argon will be next, although the physics are not terribly convincing.

Weight and drying are definitely better in the trilam, but trilam also doesn't stretch, so if the suit isn't cut well for good upper extremity mobility, there's nothing you can do about it. Compressed neoprene stretches.

There are pluses and minuses to both. I just think you should get what works for YOU in a suit, rather than following somebody else's rules blindly.

 

[DIR-Atlanta]

Very true, but some drysuit options are better than others. The WKPP has chosen certain features to be installed after much trial and error. We take take their knowledge to help build a better drysuit than a stock suit.

One thing to understand about WKPP diving vs what most people do is that it involves multi-hour bottom times, and tends to be very mission-oriented. The effect of this is that some gear choices that are good for WKPP divers are not necessarily the best choice for "mere mortal" divers.

For drysuit diving, one of the common issues that comes up along these lines is choice of seals. WKPP divers tend to prefer the standard seals for team dives, due to the reduced number of failure modes. A failed seal on a dive with a five hour bottom time is going to create some serious thermal problems for the diver, so reducing the chances of failure is important. Most of the gas divers on the team have extra drysuits, so if they rip a seal while gearing up, then they just grab a backup suit and go.

For divers who have only one suit, whether due to economics or the constraints of traveling, the Zip seals might be a better choice. There is nothing worse than having to call a dive in the parking lot due to a seal failure, so if you only have one suit, then Zip seals are probably the way to go.

Just remember that if you choose to go with the standard seals, then make sure you get the heavy duty ones. They last longer and are much less susceptible to damage.

 

[DIR-Atlanta]

The compressed neoprene IS warmer -- It delays my "time to shivering" significantly. Argon will be next, although the physics are not terribly convincing.

I agree with all the comments made so far about why the crushed neoprene may not be the best option (weight, drying time, difficulty repairing, etc). Personally, I would try an Argon system first before deciding to go with crushed neoprene. You may find that it keeps you warm enough with your existing undergarments.

There are pluses and minuses to both. I just think you should get what works for YOU in a suit, rather than following somebody else's rules blindly.

No offense intended, but to me that sounds like the start of a "personal preference" argument. There is a lot of "real world" experience to suggest that the TLS 350 is the superior choice for most situations. Just make sure you have truly weighed all the options and pros/cons before you make a decision.

 

[Mr.X]

The compressed neoprene IS warmer -- It delays my "time to shivering" significantly. Argon will be next, although the physics are not terribly convincing.

There is a story of a Scottish technical charter boat captain replacing a well-known British technical diver's argon gas with just plain air. The technical diver came up from his dive stating that he was incredibly warm and insulated as he was using argon. At this point, the captain reveals his joke whereupon group laughter ensues boatwide.

 

[PerroneFord]

Well, warmth issues are different from person to person. I've pretty much maxed out what I can put under a suit (400g of Thinsulate with polarfleece underneath it). The compressed neoprene IS warmer -- It delays my "time to shivering" significantly. Argon will be next, although the physics are not terribly convincing.

Did you ever try the Weezle Extreme Plus? Or the Pinnacle?

 

[BarryNL]

One recommendation with respect to the pockets. Get bellow pockets on both legs vice a bellows pocket on left and a flat pocket on the right.

Jonathan

STROKE!

 

[DIR-Atlanta]

One recommendation with respect to the pockets. Get bellow pockets on both legs vice a bellows pocket on left and a flat pocket on the right.

STROKE!

Sorry but I don't follow this. I also have bellows pockets on both legs. Would you care to elaborate on your comment?

 

[PerroneFord]

DIR-Atlanta,

Have you seen anyone with the new Explorer pockets? Ken told me of these new larger Bellows pockets at the CDS convention, but I haven't been by EE in the past few months.

 

[DIR-Atlanta]

Have you seen anyone with the new Explorer pockets? Ken told me of these new larger Bellows pockets at the CDS convention, but I haven't been by EE in the past few months.

I've not seen them myself, but someone was talking about them at our last meeting. I hear they have a small zipper pouch inside them.

Mine are the standard DUI pockets, with D-rings removed and line loops installed. I used to have one bellows and one flat, but I had them both replaced with newer bellows pockets a couple of years ago. The flat pocket wasn't good for holding much more than a set of Wetnotes, so two bellows pockets seemed like a better choice (especially after I got addicted to double-enders ).

 

[TSandM]

Well, DIR-Atlanta, I guess my point is that there may actually be places in the DIR canon where personal preference is legitimate. As I said, I like Joe's take on it.

If you were doing an exploration project in Mexico that involved moving from site to site and dragging wet, heavy gear, then it would be advantageous to have everybody in trilam, and the suit choice impacts the team. Otherwise, what fabric my suit is has NO effect on my teammates, or my ability to function as a team member (except that I think a lot better when I'm warm).