Drysuit choice...

[BarryNL]

Ok, so I hear a lot about the DUI suits but to my (perhaps untrained) eye I don't really see the difference between the DUI cave edition and a suit from another manufacturer costing half the price.

I'm looking to get a new (custom sized) drysuit and I'd like one that will last for all my diving for the coming 10 years even if that includes trimix and caving etc.

So, do I need to spend the $2,500+ for a DUI or are there other brands people have used happily for the full range of tech diving?

(Yes, this could have gone to the drysuit forum but I'm looking for tech diver input on this).

 

[PerroneFord]

No you do not need to spend $2500 for a DUI. And yes there are other brands comparable, or with better features, in my opinion.

I walked away with a custom cut suit that I feel is every bit as good or better than the CLX450, for under $1500. There are plenty of posts out there about suits from Pinnacle, USIA, Bare, Whites, etc. DUI certainly makes a fine suit (though I don't care for the taped seams which leak) but I feel they are grossly overpriced in many cases.

 

[GoodToGo]

Consider what you'll be required to do when diving with doubles. It's very important to be able to reach and turn your valves for your tanks or manifold. My Bare suit which I love, requires me to almost stand on my head to get the job done. For my particular suit the material under the arms allows very little reach behind me.
Most manufacturers will let you try their suits .... ask to do so.

 

[Meng_Tze]

Ok, so I hear a lot about the DUI suits but to my (perhaps untrained) eye I don't really see the difference between the DUI cave edition and a suit from another manufacturer costing half the price.

I'm looking to get a new (custom sized) drysuit and I'd like one that will last for all my diving for the coming 10 years even if that includes trimix and caving etc.

So, do I need to spend the $2,500+ for a DUI or are there other brands people have used happily for the full range of tech diving?

(Yes, this could have gone to the drysuit forum but I'm looking for tech diver input on this).

I have a cave cut TLS350, like it, but the seams do seem to leak easily. I had to patch some of the twice in the last 12 months, once the seams had to be resown...... But I do like the cave cut, it is like 'wearing nothing'. But it is a bit more tricky to don/doff. Especially witha thicker under suit. But I can go 110mph on my scooter.....

But Barry, I have also been intrigued by Santi in Poland. Their suits seem well made and cheap.... and look cool too. Have been contemplating getting one.

Their undersuits definitely have a stellar reputation.

 

[Mike Edmonston]

I have a cave cut TLS350, like it, but the seams do seem to leak easily. I had to patch some of the twice in the last 12 months, once the seams had to be resown...... But I do like the cave cut, it is like 'wearing nothing'. But it is a bit more tricky to don/doff. Especially witha thicker under suit. But I can go 110mph on my scooter.....

But Barry, I have also been intrigued by Santi in Poland. Their suits seem well made and cheap.... and look cool too. Have been contemplating getting one.

Their undersuits definitely have a stellar reputation.

Nice suits,

Do they have a US Distributor? I checked their site, and had no luck.

Cheers

 

[BarryNL]

Consider what you'll be required to do when diving with doubles. It's very important to be able to reach and turn your valves for your tanks or manifold. My Bare suit which I love, requires me to almost stand on my head to get the job done. For my particular suit the material under the arms allows very little reach behind me.
Most manufacturers will let you try their suits .... ask to do so.

This is precisely the problem - I have a Northern Diver Divemaster neoprene drysuit now and reaching the valves is virtually impossible - the suit is just too restrictive, hence the desire for a trilaminat suit.

 

[texdiveguy]

I would recomm. you look at BARE....a full line and very competative in quality and options. I have dove one now for years and love it.

http://www.bare-wetsuits.com/main_dive_drysuits.aspx

 

[amascuba]

I've heard great things about the diving concept suits as well.

I had a BARE XCD2 Tech drysuit (crushed neoprene). It's a very good quality suit, but I hated the built in boots and honestly the suit was a little baggy for my personal taste. I would definitely own another one in a heart beat, but I would get one that was better fitting and I would get it with a rock boot type system instead of the built in boots.

I currently own a Mobbys Armor shell (older model before they were bought out and quality suffered) It's a nice quality trilaminate suit and is much more flexible in the water than my Bare suit. I've had DUI turbo soles put on the suit, which is very nice compared to the boots that they had on it. It's a great suit.

My next suit will most likely be a DUI or Diving Concept suit, but at that same time I won't turn down consideration from other vendors as well. There will be features that I look for such as self donning, the boot system, fit, flexibility, ease of traveling with, etc. So to answer your question, DUI isn't the only solution. Figure out what you want in a suit and seek out vendor who make suits with the features that you want and go from there.

 

[Doc Harry]

I spend about 2 years looking at dry suits before I bought one. Everywhere I traveled, I looked at dry suits. Seattle, Vancouver, Boston, Los Angeles, Florida, Toronto, etc. I looked at DUI, Viking, Bare, DUI, Whites, Harveys, OS, and other brands.

There are many fine dry suits out there.

I settled on DUI because of the finishing details. Compare how the suspenders are attached from one brand to the next. Look at the seams. Look at all of the details.

After I did this, it was a "No Brainer" for me.

DUI was it.

 

[Colliam7]

I spend about 2 years looking at dry suits before I bought one. ... There are many fine dry suits out there.... I settled on DUI because of the finishing details.

I did much of the same (although I took a year rather than two) and came to a slightly different conclusion - DCI (Diving Concepts) was the choice, and I have not looked back. The advice to look at the details is 'spot on'. With my (custom cut) DCI shell, I have had no leaks, I can get to my valves and I feel very comfortable in the water. It wasn't $2500 but ran close to $2k with undergarment, pockets, etc. My ONLY complaint about DCI is they seem to be a bit overwhelmed by their volume of business and turnaround times - for new suits, alterations, etc. - appear much longer than when I bought mine several years back. Another comment on custom suits - the fit is only as good as the competence of the 'fitter', and I have buddies who ended up with balloons, and others who ended up feeling shrink-wrapped (before purging).