Dry Suit too big?

[LunaticFringe]

I have the chance to get a decent dry suit shell (Moby - not Mobby) from a friend who is moving to warmer climes for $100. Its only been used a handfull of times and is in great shape, zipper and seals are all tip-top.

The problem is that its a wee bit big, and by "wee bit" I mean that I could fit another one of me in the trunk portion of the suit. The boots are also a little large (say to the tune of at least 2" too long - size 8 vs my size 6). The arm and leg lengths are fine as are the seals at the wrists and neck.

So, my question is should I get this suit and just make sure my BC and weight belt are extra tight when I use it or is it just too big to be used safely? I don't have any experience in diving with a dry suit but I have a friend with 200+ dives who is willing to help me out (yes, I realize that some people take courses on dry suit diving but I feel that if I approach this cautiously it isn't something that I can't learn on my own). It was through him that I learned of this suit's existence and the owner's need to be rid of it. He has said the size isn't really a concern as the use of ankle weights and lower leg straps would prevent air from getting where it shouldn't be and stop my feet from sliding out. I'm just unsure of whether I should purchase this suit as a starter suit or if it would just be too big to be of any use.

I would appreciate any input from the members of this board as I am new to diving and don't have much experience to draw on. Thanks muchly!

 

[Ber Rabbit]

I have a shell drysuit that's a little too big but doesn't have nearly the size difference you mentioned. It's a PITA to have a suit that's too big. I bought some 400g thinsulate undies and they take up most of the extra air space and made my life a little easier but it was still a challenge to get the drysuit to behave. Personally I would save my money and find a suit that fits, you will be so much happier in the long run.

I tried the weightbelt method to keep air out of the lower part of the suit when I was diving thinner underwear and it let the air down but kept it from coming back out--bad thing.

Another problem is the compression of the suit, all that extra material is going to form folds as you descend and those folds are going to grab skin. My suit removed a chunk of skin from my knee once in 30 feet of water before I got my thick undies. I've come up with so many suit hickies I looked like someone beat me with a whip for an hour.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[MarkH]

My shell-type suit is way too big on me too. It took me alot longer to get used to it than my old neoprene suits, but now I can't tell the difference. My major problem was dumping air since all the loose material created a bunch of air pockets. I moved the shoulder dump to my wrist and now it's alot easier to dump air. Now it squeezes fairly close underwater and probably feels like a normal fitted suit.

 

[LunaticFringe]

Thanks for the input!

I still haven't decided what I'm gonna do. I think I'm gonna have to try it out in order to tell if the size thing is gonna drive me nuts. I don't want suit-issues to keep me from enjoying my dives!

And suit hickeys!! That doesn't sound appealling at all...

 

[Jim Lapenta]

No! buy it turn around and sell it on ebay for alot more and get one that fits. This is not a pair of fins or a mask strap. a drysuit is LIFE SUPPORT EQUIPMENT. Just like your reg or your bc. It can seriously injure or worse if you don't respect it. What are you going to do? Put straps all the way up and down your legs. That much room is too much and you'll probably have large air bubbles moving all around your torso really messing up your trim and buoyancy. That much excess air does not have to go to your feet to cause a problem, that much in your calfs will send you up like a missile feet first and if you don't know how to get out of such a situation you could end up bent depending on your depth and time. also how much extra weight would you need to carry? Tightening the weight belt that tight may make it impossible for air to flow the way it should in the suit. All that extra material will create folds when you burp it before getting in the water that may feel very uncomfortable and which you may not be able to get rid of and under pressure the folds could actually bruise or severly pinch those areas where they are located. Some things you can cut corners on a little. some things you can cut corners on alot and juryrig something that will work. A drysuit IMO is not one of those things.

 

[Derek S]

No! buy it turn around and sell it on ebay for alot more and get one that fits. This is not a pair of fins or a mask strap. a drysuit is LIFE SUPPORT EQUIPMENT.

Agreed.

 

[LunaticFringe]

Duly noted...your comments echo some reservations that I was having so I'm glad you posted them! I did consider selling it on eBay or trading it in for another size (I have been told this is possible at certain shops where they sell used gear) and haven't excluded this as a possibility.

I was also wondering if its possible to alter the suit. If I was to cut out some of the excess material, replace the boots and reseal all the seams. Is this possible or just too much bother? Since this suit is used I doubt the warranty is valid so I'm not concerned about that.

Edit: So I've decided to buy it but I'm selling it to a friend (who it will probably fit). I do have a 7mm wet suit with hood/boots/gloves. Just means my dives at this time of year are a little shorter because of the water temp.

Thanks for all the input!

 

[Hydrophobic]

Sell it, don't alter it. There are divers of all different shapes and sizes. Someone will want it. Also, as JimLap said, "It's Life Support Equipment" don't make unneeded adjustments. They could fail when you need them to stay intact.

There is an old maintenance saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

 

[ScubaJW]

I bought an used drysuit, everything fits but the feet area. Just a tad bit larger than my feet size. I bought gaiters to wrap around both of my lower legs and with rockboots, and I have been diving in it ever since without any problems.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

And suit hickeys!! That doesn't sound appealling at all...

Just a tip for future reference. Don't wear a bra with a suit that doesn't fit well, stick to a bathing suit top. You don't want to find out the hard way (like I did) what one of those folds can do with an underwire :icon10:
Ber :lilbunny: