Drysuit advice requested

[Scuba Skaughtie]

So I'm tired of freezing my :shock: off every dive and have decided to surrender and go dry... now I have to choose the right suit.

On the neoprene side I am looking at the Apollo Bio Pro 4.0 and the Scubapro Everett.

On the shell side I am looking at the DUI CF200 and the USIA Techniflex.

I am 6'1" and 185 lbs so I fit a Large, Large-tall, or Extra Large depending on the brand so at least I don't need a custom cut.

Does anyone have any first hand experience with these suits? If so I would love to hear the positives and negatives you found with the suits.

Thanks!

 

[Scuba Skaughtie]

BTW

I should mention that I am a cold water diver in the Pacific Northwest (40-55 degree water).

Thanks again.

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[Peter_C]

What is your budget? New or used? Can you perform simple repairs like seal replacement?

There are many good suit manufacturers. You can get great deals on used suits if you know what to look for, from forums like this one, and places like Ebay.

Having owned quit a few different wetsuits, I still lean towards a trilam like a DUI TLS350. Of course Bare, Whites, Santi, and others build totally usable suits too. I have been diving a Whites Fusion for a while now and at this point would like to switch back to a trilam, or I might just switch back to my worn out CF200.

Don't forget you will need undergarments. For where you dive I wouldn't consider anything less than a 400g. There is some great new technology recently released on the market.

You are also going to need a new hood to go with your drysuit. The Otter Bay hoods are some of the warmest on the market and are made to your head for a reasonable price. http://www.otterbaysuits.com/wetsuits.cfm

 

[Spg01]

If you are looking at the USIA they also make the HOG dry suits. They are very reasonable and made to fit.

 

[Scuba Skaughtie]

I would prefer to keep it under $1500. I new or used is fine with me. This is my first drysuit so repairs will probably be done by the LES at least for a while.

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[Spg01]

I was under that with a HOG including a P-Valve and pockets. It is also my 1st drysuit, so I am not able to compare to any other suits. But I have had no problems in the first ~15 dives.

 

[rhwestfall]

CF200 is a workhorse DS. Look if they (DUI) have any stock (returned, ordered wrong size, color, demo, etc.) on hand. Some of the prices are absurdly low.....

 

[Kunundrum]

I like compressed neoprene suits, they offer out of the box thermal protection and some stretch, unlike a Shell suit, other benefits include having less bulky underwear and less prone to rips and leaks.

Get any add-on the suit when you buy it or you will be kicking yourself later to get cuff rings, suspenders... ect installed later.

 

[Scuba Skaughtie]

Thanks for the good input!

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[Beyond_Diving]

I used my Hollis Biodry suit in Canada for several years with no problem. Still using it now back in Mexico diving caves almost every day. It is strechy, very durable and mine fits me quite nicely.