Dry Suit - Neoprene or shell - which is better (with poll :))

[diver gadget]

What about the people who own one type of suit but have no idea which one is better as I have not tried the other?? I have a shell, love it have probably 300 dives on it, never had to repair or fix anything though my neck seal probably needs replacing now. Keeps me warm and dry most of the time!!

 

[budgy]

I had a compressed neoprene ND suit. I would just about bust a gut to put it on and need a rest to catch my breath after struggling to get it off. It took several days hanging up to dry, so if you dived several days in a row, it was a very cold damp suit to put on. The neoprene seals were just about useless and the rolled in collar was uncomfortable, I changed them for latex. I never did get many dry dives with that suit though it looked in good condition it leaked like a sieve and the material was so stiff if you didn't work enough air into the legs you could get friction burns. I used it without a thinsulate inner suit for some time and it was never really warm enough.
A front loading heavy duty tri-laminate with a weezle is a much better alternative.

 

[Stoo]

I think it's important to recognize the difference between a Viking Pro (which I use) and the various trilam suits referred to in this thread. The laminate suits most closely resemble a BC in construction. Various materials bonded together to offer dryness and resistence to abrasion. The Viking Pro is also a laminated suit, in the sense that it is rubber and lined with a fabric to ease donnin, but it is vulcanized (ie cooked under high pressure) to form one continuous layer of rubber. Most of the comments above from neo suit users (regular/crushed/hyper crushed etc.) all refer to various amounts of wetness. Over the years, my Vikings have kept me completely dry... including my hands and head. Evenually, they will break down and when they do, you can't patch them fast enough. I generally get about 400 - 600 dives before they go.

Make sure you get a shell suit that is large enough. Continuous stretching will weaken the suit and you will want additional room for heavier underwear at certain times of the year or for long dives. The additional suit material simply squishes up and doesn't cause problems... but be reasonable about the fit...

 

[Jetwrench]

I have a neoprene as my first dry suit and love it. All this talk about shells and varying undies vs the neo stumps me. I vary my undergarments as conditions dictate and have a wide range of versitility with my suit(Diving Concepts 2mm). My checkout dive was in 36 degree water. Last night I dove in 70 degree water. Add to that the flexibility of the suit itself, and I'd say it's one exceptional suit. I just wish I had this suit last new years eve for the last dive/first dive up here. Signed, wet(and dry) in VT.

Jetwrench

 

[jonnythan]

Jetwrench once bubbled...
I have a neoprene as my first dry suit and love it. All this talk about shells and varying undies vs the neo stumps me. I vary my undergarments as conditions dictate and have a wide range of versitility with my suit(Diving Concepts 2mm). My checkout dive was in 36 degree water. Last night I dove in 70 degree water. Add to that the flexibility of the suit itself, and I'd say it's one exceptional suit. I just wish I had this suit last new years eve for the last dive/first dive up here. Signed, wet(and dry) in VT.

Jetwrench

Where did you find 70 degree water in VT??

Signed, wet(and curious) in Troy.

 

[Duncan Price]

I've got a shoulder entry neoprene, a front entry neoprene and a front entry shell. Which one I use depends on the dive or if I have someone to do up the zip (for the shoulder entry one). I prefer the shell suit for diving abroad (Fl) as it is easier to carry around and dries quickly. The neoprene suits come into their own for diving in the UK. I prefer neoprene seals over latex seals (more robust) and have just had the latex seals in my shell suit replaced by neoprene.

Duncan

 

[Cheaper]

Hi
My best advice would be to get a 2.5 mm crushed neoprene dry suit from Northern diver with Neoprene writs and neck seals of course the seals depend on your build if you have skinny wrists go for Latex as they give a better seal if you are abit on the skinny side...

Crushed neoprene is warm so the under garments can be thin adn id very strong and will resit punctures far better than the Nylon suits.

Kevin

 

[ebbtide]

I think the key word here is Dry
it dosent matter what type of suit you have.
it is personal comfort that makes the dive that mutch better .
i have orderded a bare D6 supra with drygloves and cuff rings ,
trek boots with latex wrist seals and a neo neck seal .
i had wanted the abyss pro tech 4 mm compressed neo dry suit but changed my mind as to some of the trouble that abyss has at times with coustom fit .
there is a second hand viking in mind as well for a spare suit for harsher elements like some of the oil slicks i work in .
but all in all fit and comfort is what really matters if it dosent fit it will leak .
rob

 

[Scuba446]

Hi,
So what type of 'undies' would one wear if diving a shell suit in, say, 50 or 60 degree water?

 

[Mike Maas]

I have both types of drysuits and one big difference I haven't seen mentioned yet is that the thin shell type suit, in cold water, will develop condensation on the inside wall of the suit.
The colder the water, longer the dive, and more work you do, will all increase the condensation.
Once this condensate soaks your undergarments, you get cold. This doesn't happen with neoprene.

To address Scuba446's question, fleece works great. It doesn't absorb the condensate as much. I make my own undies out of cheap fleece pants and tops, velcro, and elastic. If you have too much money you can buy the premade ones.