Drysuit choices

[RIOceanographer]

In case anyone is interested- I test dove the the Diving Concepts suit today. Nice suit... BUT Boogie 711 is absolutely right.... the stock size was kind of like diving in a hefty bag. It was definitely baggier than it needed to be.

The legs were like MC Hammer's genie pants. I know you need room for underwear, but I could have worn a full snow suit (or maybe two) under there.

 

[gunnelfish]

I am dry suit shopping. I am looking at getting a shell suit. I have narrowed my choices down to 3 likely candidates, from 3 different local shops.

My three contenders are:

Bare ATR HD
Diving Concepts Ultraflex Pro
OS Systems HD PRO

I would need to order the Bare or the OS Systems. The Diving Concepts suit is in stock at the shop and I tried it on. Fits well. The shop is offering a pretty good deal on it, $1200 with undergarments and a hood. The OS Systems suit is about $300 more. I am still awaiting a firm price on the Bare but it is probably in the same ballpark as the OS Systems suit.

I am currently leaning toward the Diving Concepts suit just because of the price. Anyone think I should change my mind?

In terms of use. I plan to dive it a lot. Including plenty of shore diving at some pretty rocky coastlines.

I had the os systems hd pro great suit. This suit was the easy to put on and off out of any suit i ever had or tried. I did rip the suit a few times and with the patch kit from os it was very easy to repair myself. This winter i replace my os systems suit with a Dui cf 200. I did try on the dive consepts ultra flex pro but the stock size didnt come close to fitting me.
The d c suit looked very nice and i think a custom fit suit would be great for any one. The reason i bought the Dui was that the shop i use had it in stock and it fix very well. This suit fits me realy well and i love it, but the next suit im going to buy is the dui flx 50/50. It has the cf 200 bottom and a polyester/ rubber top. I tried it at dui dog days and loved it.
Dive as many suits as you can they feel alot different in the water than they do in the dive shop. A lot of guys will tell you that the suit should be snug but make shure it will fit with a nice heavy under garment.
good luck

 

[RIOceanographer]

I had the os systems hd pro great suit. This suit was the easy to put on and off out of any suit i ever had or tried. I did rip the suit a few times and with the patch kit from os it was very easy to repair myself. This winter i replace my os systems suit with a Dui cf 200. I did try on the dive consepts ultra flex pro but the stock size didnt come close to fitting me.

Thanks for the info. You are right, I am sold on the try it first school of thought. It definitely altered my thinking on the Diving Concepts suit. If I get that one I would need to spring for a custom.

I have a question about the OS Systems suit since you are the first person that had one. What did you think of the weird horizontal front entry with the chest flap they use (or anyone else with a take on that as well)? Aside from the fact that you said it was easy to put on and take off that is(which is good to know). The flap is one of the reservations I have about that suit. Seems like a diagonal front entry is a lot simpler. Plus I would think it adds unecessary bulk and might trap air. Unfortunately of the 3 suits I was looking at that is the only one I will not get to try. That is the other big reservation. Thanks in advance for any info.

I get to try the Bare suit next week. I just need to figure this out before it gets cold again....

 

[alemaozinho]

I am dry suit shopping. I am looking at getting a shell suit. I have narrowed my choices down to 3 likely candidates, from 3 different local shops.

My three contenders are:

Bare ATR HD
Diving Concepts Ultraflex Pro
OS Systems HD PRO

I would need to order the Bare or the OS Systems. The Diving Concepts suit is in stock at the shop and I tried it on. Fits well. The shop is offering a pretty good deal on it, $1200 with undergarments and a hood. The OS Systems suit is about $300 more. I am still awaiting a firm price on the Bare but it is probably in the same ballpark as the OS Systems suit.

I am currently leaning toward the Diving Concepts suit just because of the price. Anyone think I should change my mind?

In terms of use. I plan to dive it a lot. Including plenty of shore diving at some pretty rocky coastlines.

check out www.whitescoldwater.com,they make some of the best suits in the industry and have many different models and prices to choose from,os-systems and the others you mentioned are toy like and fragile compared to the whites suits,your choice check it out and if you dont like them there,s a lot of rugged nice suits from uk and mainland europe,peace

 

[Boogie711]

I think that's the first time I've heard "Whites" and "best in the industry" mentioned in the same sentence, personally.

Go figure.

 

[Atticus]

I think that's the first time I've heard "Whites" and "best in the industry" mentioned in the same sentence, personally.

Go figure.

I was just thinking that fellow must be an employee myself...

 

[yknot]

If you have a source for Andy's dry suits, give them a look also. If custom fit is an issue, Andy's sends a mockup of the suit, after measuring but before manufacturing the "real" suit. This way you can see how well the suit will fit or where it needs to be adjusted before it's too late.

 

[waterkitty]

I think you should get the one that comes with a mullet and beard.

 

[bcsean]

I think the DC suit is actually even bigger. I'm 6'-3" 240 and the guy said I'd be in the upper limit of the suit. I'm gonna start working out regularily and get down to my desired weight before I try the suit though. I'm aiming for 220, so if all goes well, the XXL might just fit perfect. Undies will almost definitely be custom.

 

[Divindave]

Hi Rio, I know this is a few weeks after you first posted here, but if you haven't bought your suit yet this info may still be useful. First, let me say I do not have a DC Ultraflex Pro yet, I'll be ordering one within the next few weeks though. From what I've read and heard from people who do have the suit,ie firsthand knowledge, it is one of the best out there. If you want a custom suit they make it from the ground up, from scratch, unlike others like DUI that makes your suit from one of their premade patterns that they feel most closely fit your measurements. This is the main reason I'm going with DC, because if I want a custom suit I WANT IT CUSTOM MADE! A good description for the DUI custom is "tailored", I don't know how the other two manufacurers your looking at customize their suits but it is sure something to check into. Another good thing about DC is their warranty, I beleive it is 7 years on the suit, one of the longest available, check it out. Also,I like DC because they are a small company that has gained a good reputation. By being small its a whole lot easier to talk to them to iron out any problems or answer any questions. Collin will give you the good, the bad and the ugly on their suits. Next, I hate to burst any bubble or be the bearer of bad news but I think you have been looking at the DC Z Flex suit. It's basicly an Ultraflex Pro, with some changes to bring down the cost, ie back entry only, only stock sizes, no custom cuts, etc. It retails at $1200. For a custom fit you need to go to the actual Duraflex Pro which retails at $1600 ($1500 for stock size). Maybe the dealer is going to give you a great deal, or maybe there's some miscommunication somewhere.
Well I haven't really been able to give you any info on the suit itself but hopefully I've been able to give you some questions to ask and maybe a little insight of what to look for. When I first started researching drysuits I sent out lots of requests to people who had the suits I was interested in asking not for the manufacturers propaganda but for info you could only get by diving the suit, the little things that'll make you love it or hate it.Try it, look for a thread about the suits you're looking at and email the owners of those suits with questions. Most will respond quickly and they are usually very willing to share their knowldge and experience with their suit.Good luck. Dave
PS Check out "The Deco Stop", its this sites twin but it seems to have more info on what you're looking for.

Thanks for the info. You are right, I am sold on the try it first school of thought. It definitely altered my thinking on the Diving Concepts suit. If I get that one I would need to spring for a custom.

I have a question about the OS Systems suit since you are the first person that had one. What did you think of the weird horizontal front entry with the chest flap they use (or anyone else with a take on that as well)? Aside from the fact that you said it was easy to put on and take off that is(which is good to know). The flap is one of the reservations I have about that suit. Seems like a diagonal front entry is a lot simpler. Plus I would think it adds unecessary bulk and might trap air. Unfortunately of the 3 suits I was looking at that is the only one I will not get to try. That is the other big reservation. Thanks in advance for any info.

I get to try the Bare suit next week. I just need to figure this out before it gets cold again....