Dry suit recommendations?

[Acem77]

I have the same over all question,
Aqualung / apeks has 20% black friday deal through this weekend

I have it narrowed down between..
apeks THERMIQ DRY or THERMIQ Dry Advanced

I am leaning towards the advanced for a tougher build. The standard says it's more lightweight and breathable. I am not to worried about the cost difference but I like the breathable part also not sure if the socks are reinforced on the bottom as the advanced.

Hollis also has a good deal about 700 usd off for black friday for people looking to save a little more.

Looking for good rock boots that are not laced and are not too bulky where I need new fins, that maybe unavoidable.

I was lucky to score a good deal at my local dive shop for some fourth element undergarments.
Completed my drysuit course last week using a fourth element drysuit rental.

 

[broncobowsher]

What SF Tech model do you have in mind, what is your typical dive profile, and what are your personal preferences?
It seems that SF Tech went through some re-branding and now they explicitly call out 4 different dry suit types.

• Kevlar Pro is the fully Kevlar lined neoprene suit. The suit will be the heaviest and it will take time to dry. I have that suit and happy to report that it dries overnight if I get out around 18:00, let the suit drip for a few hours and then turn it inside out for the night. In my experience, the suit takes a bit longer to dry compared to a crushed neoprene alternative. I also dove this suit in tropical waters - yes, it gets a bit steamy but nothing too critical.
• Classic Kevlar is a lot like the Pro but with less Kevlar lining. Will be lighter and may dry quicker.
• Trilam Kevlar Pro and Classic Trilam Kevlar are trilam suits. SF Tech called these suits TNT until the recent rebrand. These suits are light and they dry quickly. I know people with multiple SF Tech suits who prefer to dive Trilam Kevlar Pro in tropics.

As for the weight, it really depends on your size and what you add to the suit. I was worried about the weight initially, but due to the high neoprene quality I did not find the suit to be heavier than Bare.

If you're diving in warm waters, I'd recommend going with Trilam Kevlar Pro. It costs a bit more than the Classic Trilam Kevlar, but the Kevlar lining around the entire suit is super nice.

Go back and look at that Seaskin. It will still be a better deal than your Black Friday sale.
After have one suit with Kevlar, and the total disaster that turned into, never again. Kevlar is a sales buzzword, not a good drysuit material. Maybe fine for a wear patch, but that is it. Somewhere I have pictures of the suit failing. Air was weeping in between the layers because you can't really seal Kevlar. After a couple years the suit would get a case of the bends after every dive. Which was tearing the suit apart from between the layers. And this was the improved material after the first material suffered failures.

 

[lexvil]

Order a seaskin today, you want in hand before any new tariff come into play, if the tariffs don’t happen you’ll still have a great suit for less than any other option.

 

[BabyLitigator]

I got a ScubaForce on April and have liked it, but my dive guide this weekend who doesn’t sound price sensitive (rebreather) spoke highly of Seaskin.

 

[CptMat]

Go back and look at that Seaskin. It will still be a better deal than your Black Friday sale.
After have one suit with Kevlar, and the total disaster that turned into, never again. Kevlar is a sales buzzword, not a good drysuit material. Maybe fine for a wear patch, but that is it. Somewhere I have pictures of the suit failing. Air was weeping in between the layers because you can't really seal Kevlar. After a couple years the suit would get a case of the bends after every dive. Which was tearing the suit apart from between the layers. And this was the improved material after the first material suffered failures.

It’s a pity that your unknown „kevlar” suit broke
down because of material failures. But you are replying under the comment pointing to a specific brand. Which is top notch. A lot of trilam suits are garbage. Does it mean that trilam is poor material?

 

[mr_v]

Go back and look at that Seaskin. It will still be a better deal than your Black Friday sale.
After have one suit with Kevlar, and the total disaster that turned into, never again. Kevlar is a sales buzzword, not a good drysuit material. Maybe fine for a wear patch, but that is it. Somewhere I have pictures of the suit failing. Air was weeping in between the layers because you can't really seal Kevlar. After a couple years the suit would get a case of the bends after every dive. Which was tearing the suit apart from between the layers. And this was the improved material after the first material suffered failures.

That's an interesting opinion that contradicts my experience and feedback from many Cave Country dwellers. I have no idea what suit you've used, but SF Tech Kevlar is top notch in terms of softness, built quality, and cut. Comparing it to SeaSkin is not fair - these products target different markets.

I have nothing against SeaSkin. It is a good suit for what it is, but it is not for me. I like tight cave cuts and that's where SF Tech shines. I'll be happy to explore other options that provide the same cut and suit quality, but, alas, there are none that I've seen to date. Whether you need "all Kevlar" is debatable, but the price difference between some-Kevlar and all-Kevlar drysuit is negligible, and given my dive preferences it was a no-brainer.

 

[broncobowsher]

I was using a Ursuit. Sorry if I didn't throw them under the bus the first time around.
They did make good and got me a replacement suit out of warranty for a very reasonable price.