drysuit check b4 buy

[kidspot]

When I picked mine up a friend recommended using converse tennis shoes instead of trek boots because they cost less, and had more ankle flexibility. The added benefit is they are easy to see underwater. I just got a size larger than I would normally wear, and pulled the insoles out of them. I've been quite happy with them. Though you will get a lot of comments at the beach... First thing people seem to comment on after "is that a drysuit? in Hawaii?" is "converse huh... I didn't know Chuck Taylor made dive gear" lol

Have fun - for the price it's a great suit. I believe the gloves and hood from Divetank are wet - not dry. (of course they arrive dry in the package)

Aloha, Tim

 

[*Floater*]

How do the trek boot works - I mean is there anything special about them or can I really just use regular tennis shoes? Would I need them in colder waters?

 

[grf88]

I have about 50 dives on my NexGen and have been very happy with it. It is only an entry level suit but excellant value for money. I think you will find the Divetank deal includes wet gloves rather than dry but they do have a good price on the dry gloves. I have the T100 underwear and wear polypro under that. In cold water less than about 40F I usually use an extra layer of fleece. The Trek boots are part of the package and will probably hold up a lot better than running shoes, also the velcro allows you to hide away the ends of the laces.

 

[Green_Manelishi]

i've spent a lot on dive gear and diving lately, so would still need to explain this to girlfriend... (the more money i spend on dive gear, the less i have for spending on (non-dive related) things and activities with her)... and i make sure i have enough for living expenses.

Explain to girlfriend? Us married folks (might) have to explain to a spouse but when I was simply dating someone, I never explained why I was spending money on moi.

Always make certain you have money for living expenses; otherwise you might have to sell dive gear. Or, grovel at feet of girlfriend.

 

[*Floater*]

Explain to girlfriend? Us married folks (might) have to explain to a spouse but when I was simply dating someone, I never explained why I was spending money on moi.

Always make certain you have money for living expenses; otherwise you might have to sell dive gear. Or, grovel at feet of girlfriend.

how long did you date? if you've been going out for a while and your girlfriend starts to feel that you are spending all your extra time and money on scuba or some other hobby then it might spell trouble for the relationship. better to explain things before rather than after the fact... living expenses in terms of necessities will be fine, but a big purchaase might affect the level of a hotel i'll be able afford next time i take a trip with my girlfriend for example...

anyway, i'm starting to think that i should just get the drysuit without any extras. what about the lp hose? will any lp hose work such as the one I used on my dive-rite octo before switching to a shorter hose?

 

[kidspot]

it will work, but if you're wearing thick gloves the DS hose has a large knurled knob to make removal in the event of a stuck inflator easier. I just use a lp inflator hose that was the right length which I had laying around, but then again I don't dive with gloves most of the time...

It's actually a pretty good deal for all the extras, if you don't already have them... I did, so I just ordered the suit by itself with no extras.

Have fun, Tim

P.S. I just tuck the laces under the tongue of the shoe - so far they are holding up well (20 dives), and many of my shore dives mean walking over sharp lava rock... but they do look a little "funny" lol - also I've been told you can replace the laces in either type of boot with bungee... I haven't tried it, but might be another alternative.

 

[*Floater*]

It's actually a pretty good deal for all the extras, if you don't already have them... I did, so I just ordered the suit by itself with no extras.

Well, I have a 6mm neoprene hood and boots, so maybe I could use those in some temperature ranges. I have some leftover lp hoses, so maybe one of those would do. What length hose do you use for this drysuit? Also I probably still have some undergarments I used for skiing and during my military service in finland which might do.

If these extras are things I would probably end up replacing later anyway, then I'd rather not get them now - I assume the suit is avaliable without them at a lower price... I will need new, thicker gloves though but that's not a big deal - maybe 5mm neoprene ones would do. Also, how much does it usually cost to install the bellows pockets (exclusing the cost of the pockets themselves)? Is it easy to DIY?

I probably won't know what I really will need or would have needed until I get the chance to do some cold water diving. Also, people call this an entry level suit, and I realize it's not the best out there, but what's the big problem with this model that leads to people to upgrade later?

 

[do it easy]

I bought the Chuck Taylors as well when I changed my turbo soles to neoprene socks. They made an all black on black version so I got that, although I was tempted to buy the pink, the plaid, or the camo as well. They came with black laces that were to short to use, so I replaced them with the only cord I could find- white parachute cord, so now they look like hockey skates.

I've got one dive on them and they seem to work, although I can feel the spring strap on my heel towards the end of the dive.

 

[Green_Manelishi]

how long did you date? if you've been going out for a while and your girlfriend starts to feel that you are spending all your extra time and money on scuba or some other hobby then it might spell trouble for the relationship. better to explain things before rather than after the fact... living expenses in terms of necessities will be fine, but a big purchaase might affect the level of a hotel i'll be able afford next time i take a trip with my girlfriend for example...

anyway, i'm starting to think that i should just get the drysuit without any extras. what about the lp hose? will any lp hose work such as the one I used on my dive-rite octo before switching to a shorter hose?

Good questions.

Not long enough, or too long, in most cases. Probably should not have even been interested in the first place.

Perhaps your girlfriend should take up diving

 

[*Floater*]

Good questions.

Not long enough, or too long, in most cases. Probably should not have even been interested in the first place.

Perhaps your girlfriend should take up diving

Actually, she's the one that got me to dive... She wanted to do the OW together and then later bought me my first uw camera as a gift, but since then I've perhaps become more enthusiastic about scuba than she would want... If I show up with a brand new, expensive set of gear and then insist on staying at a cheap hotel she might reach the illogical and wrong conclusion that quality dive time is more important to me than quality 'together' time... Also, if I dive dry, then she'll probably need a dry suit as well...