Dry Suit Decision

[bargeman]

I'm looking at the Bare Tri Lam Tech Dry and the Bare TriLam HD Tech Dry suits. I noticed that the tri lam tech gave you the option of latex or neoprene neck seals and the tri lam hd tech only offers a neoprene neck seal! The HD model has a few extra features and is 700.00 more then tech suit but the HD model has a promotion for free undergarment witch gets the total price of suits closer! I kind of wanted the latex seal, but the promotion is tempting! Whats your folks thoughts on the seals and my dilemma? Thanks

 

[Imla]

Make sure your dealer asks BARE if they have fixed the problem with delamination of their HD Tech suits.
The Tech dry I think comes in a new fabric witch is really nice.

I have the HD Tech, and the fabric delaminated after just a couple of years.

 

[spc751]

I find a neoprene neck seal more comfortable than latex. The only reason I would get latex is to have user replaceable seals.
Have you tried both suits on? You may like one more than the other if you try them on.
I was looking at two different suits and could not make up my mind until i tried them on.

 

[Locus]

I find a neoprene neck seal more comfortable than latex. The only reason I would get latex is to have user replaceable seals.
Have you tried both suits on? You may like one more than the other if you try them on.
I was looking at two different suits and could not make up my mind until i tried them on.

This. I have an older model Bare nex gen (bilam) with a user-replaceable latex neck seal and latex quick-change cuffs. I like having the ability to swap seals in a matter of minutes (I shredded my neck seal while doffing it a while back and my suit was in the shop for a MONTH because they were backlogged), but neoprene seals look much more warm and comfortable. On a cold day I can really feel the chill on my neck through the latex seal, though once I start moving I don't notice it much.

 

[Superlyte27]

I am a Bare dealer. With that said, they have the worst customer support of any (and we sell for about 5 companies) drysuit company we've ever encountered. I love my Bare XCS2, as do my friends who dive them. But there customer services is poor enough that I'll never buy another one.

Keep that in mind.

 

[Locus]

I am a Bare dealer. With that said, they have the worst customer support of any (and we sell for about 5 companies) drysuit company we've ever encountered. I love my Bare XCS2, as do my friends who dive them. But there customer services is poor enough that I'll never buy another one.

Keep that in mind.

This has been my experience as well. I dealt directly with Bare when I wanted the quick-replace neck and cuff seals added to my suit. They told me I would have my suit back in 10-13 days. I had it in 30. That said, when I expressed my displeasure at the delay, they gave me a steep discount and couriered my upgraded suit directly to my home. Ultimately, I was satisfied.

 

[hypnodiver]

I'm the proud owner of a Bare Trilam Tech Dry, and I would happily have another one.

After two years it's showing no signs of wear, and the only leaks I've had were down to getting undergarments caught in the wrist seal, or not having the zip done up as well as it should be.

I've only ever had latex seals, and they work well for me, so I think that the choice between latex and neoprene is very much a personal one.

I know several people who originally purchased the Trilam HD Tech Dry, and to my knowledge, every single one has delaminated and had to be replaced. The delamination causes the outer nylon layer to start to bubble up and looks unsightly, but doesn't cause the drysuit to leak. I think that everyone has eventually had the drysuit replaced with the Trilam Tech Dry instead, and had no further problems.

If you were to go with the HD Tech Dry, make sure that your dive shop would support you through getting the drysuit replaced.

Or you could save yourself the hassle and get the Trilam Tech Dry instead.

 

[Dive-aholic]

I don't know about Bare specifically but my current dry suit has a neoprene neck seal, as have a couple of previous suits. I used to prefer latex neck seals because they are easier to replace myself and they are a little more water tight. That being said, I now prefer my neoprene neck seal. It is much warmer. I can definitely feel the water temperature through latex seals. The warmth from the protection of the neoprene is nice. I've had neoprene neck seals tear on me. A strip of duct tape fixed it long enough to do a few dives dry. It would be difficult to do the same with a latex seal. The negative - neoprene neck seals don't last as long. They eventually stretch (at least if you dive frequently) and will eventually start to let water in when you move your head around. Not that big of a deal. For the price of my dry suit (half of the Bare HD), I own 2 of them and when a neck seal starts getting too big I can send it off and dive the other one in the mean time.

 

[bargeman]

Thanks to all! Sounds like it comes down to personal choice, the delamination problem bothers me i will look into that. going to try them both on and decide. Its tough with these forums, if you read them long enough you here about bad customer service with just about every company out there!

---------- Post added December 8th, 2013 at 10:20 AM ----------

Thank you, really helpful info.

---------- Post added December 8th, 2013 at 10:37 AM ----------

good stuff! thanks

 

[LowDrag]

I have only used the silicone seals myself but I like them. Cold is not an issue for me (I dive in 36°F - 56°F waters) because I wear a neoprene hood over the top of the silicone neck seal. They are comfortable, they stretch well and so far are very durable. I can change them out in ten minutes if I were to rip one and I carry spares for both wrist and neck seals in my save-a-dive kit. On another note...I dive a White's Fusion Bullet and I don't have to worry about delamination and I also do not worry about relearning my buoyancy after going from wet to dry. Just a thought for you to consider.