DIR drysuit specs

[limeyx]

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.

I used (well, I *think* I used -- eh RJack?) Argon for the 1st time in Seattle with Lynne/Richard last weekend.

It was hard to see/compare the effects of it (if any) as the dives I did with it were 44F on the bottom (which is the coldest I've dived) but I was using the DUI 400 thinsulate which I've only dived a few times.

i think for a "proper" Argon experience you need to flush the suit out pretty good with it, which makes it more of a pain to use.

I like the TLS, but it is definitely more prone to holes/leaking (I already have some almost-holes in mine after 1.5 years)

 

[Capt Tom McCarthy]

Yea, I don't think the risk is worth the reward for Argon. Isobaric Counterdiffusion is an interesting problem that I don't feel like encountering. I'm warm enough with my 400g space suit. Plus I dive a rebreather so it keeps you a significant amount warmer than OC. I decided to go with the CF200 btw. For what I do it fits the job nicely. The durability was the factor. Anywear I need a dry suit for i'll drive to so the travel weight wasn't an issue. Flying vacations are usually warm tropical places for me that are within wetsuit depths.

 

[BigTuna]

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.

FWIW, I had DUI retrofit my neck Zip seal with a standard seal on my TLS-350. The Zip seal ring under the warm neck collar seemed to create a sloping shoulder effect. The result was that the shoulder straps tended to slide out past the ring and settle on my shoulder joints. This was uncomfortable, and the straps threatened to slide off. The retrofit seems to have solved the problem.

I still have the wrist Zips, and I got them for the reason suggested--to minimize the chance of having to abort a dive due to a torn seal. But I do have two reservations. One is practical: with the Zip ring positioned at the wrist bone, it's hard to get enough forearm exposed for pulling on wet gloves. With the tapered fit of standard wrist seals I don't think this would be a problem.

My second reservation is theoretical and concerns drag. If I hold my arms straight out in front, the Zip rings present a drag cross section similar to the bases of two wine bottles held by their necks. If I bend my elbows and hold my hands together, now I have the wine bottles broadside to my swimming direction. I'd think that standard seals would look (and be) more streamlined.

 

[SparticleBrane]

Anyone tried any of the DC trilam suits? I'm looking at those...I hear they're supposed to be pretty tough.

 

[DIR-Atlanta]

My second reservation is theoretical and concerns drag. If I hold my arms straight out in front, the Zip rings present a drag cross section similar to the bases of two wine bottles held by their necks. If I bend my elbows and hold my hands together, now I have the wine bottles broadside to my swimming direction. I'd think that standard seals would look (and be) more streamlined.

I've often wondered about that issue myself. Another somewhat related problem is heat retention. As you mention above, the Zip Seals are not as tailored as the standard seals, and I've often wondered if they would result in more rapid heat loss.

My 9-year-old TLS has standard seals, and I have been pretty happy with them. I've never cancelled a dive due to a torn seal (duct tape works wonders in a pinch ). I'm considering buying a second TLS and relegating my original to "backup" status. I'll probably get standard seals on that one as well.