Drysuit durability

[DA Aquamaster]

A heavy vulcanized rubber suit is quite durable but loses some flexibility compared to a lighter vulcanized suit and the weight is an issue when traveling. However any vulcanized rubber suit is very fast drying and VERY easy to repair in the field.

Neoprene suits with neoprene seals win hands down in the seal durability department. I disagree with Submariner on the flex issue. A good fitting neoprene suit on average will have less bulk than a trilam of comparable warmth and the neoprene material stretches while trilam material does not, so the neoprene suit can usually have a more streamlined cut than a tri-lam without giving up range of motion or flexibility.

 

[ScubaFreak]

I use a nothern diver cordura suit. Great re-enforced knee pads and all round durable suit. I also have a northern Diver 8mm neoprene suit which a lot of commercial divers wear- i'll have that baby till the end of time

 

[keelhaul123]

Which type of material is the best for a drysuit concerning durability???

Am I the only fan of neoprene drysuits on this board? Now granted I don't have alot of experience on the subject as I bought my first drysuit only this spring. I dive in New England, where the water has been known to get a bit chilly. The shore tends to be VERY rocky, and does demand a bit of grace to amble to the water on shore dives (which is most of my diving). I spent quite a bit of time researching suits, and from all I could gather on the web it seemed that Fabric suits, especially tri-lams, were the way to go. So there I was about to spend $1500-$2000 on one when I actually started asking DIVERS what they thought. Surprisingly to me I got alot of good feedback on neoprene from local divers. To make a long story short, I bought a neoprene (not crushed or compressed) suit, and I couldn't be happier with it. It has neoprene neck and wrist seals...its been kneeled on wrecks, rocks, and had its arms thrust under plenty of rocks in the great chase for lobsters. I bought one with a bit more cut to allow for undergarments for the winter, but I have to say...it works great. As for the buoyancy issues at depth....well I was diving in 7mm 2 piece wetsuit before, so its an issue I am able to deal with. In the end though, durability may be an issue of how well you care for your gear.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Am I the only fan of neoprene drysuits on this board?

I have been a drysuit diver for well over a decade and had always been well indoctrinated in the belief that tri-lams and shell suits in general were vastly superior to neoprene drysuits. Afterall, they cost a lot more so they must be better, right?

I was however forced by circumstance to borrow a neprene drysuit and I discovered that they have many redeeming qualities and in fact feel much better in the water. They are by and large warmer, more streamlined, are less prone to problems with shifting air or excessive squeeze and offer a snugger fit without sacrificing fexibility. Short story - I realized all the negative hype about meoprene drysuits is largely BS and I bought my own neoprene suit and now have two trilam backups.

 

[OE2X]

My limited experience is similar to DA Aquamasters. I have a trilam that is my backup and use a crushed neoprene CF200. The fit on the CF200 is much more conforming than my trilam. I don't get the dynamic instability with the CF200. Perhaps it's warmer, but I don't have the science to tell you.
Downside to the CF200 is that I don't have the flexibility that I do with the trilam. It also takes much longer to dry the CF200.

For another perspective you should ask Uncle Pug. He went from a CF200 to an Andy's trilam and has been very happy.

Choices are good!

 

[matt_unique]

I have been a drysuit diver for well over a decade and had always been well indoctrinated in the belief that tri-lams and shell suits in general were vastly superior to neoprene drysuits. Afterall, they cost a lot more so they must be better, right?

I was however forced by circumstance to borrow a neprene drysuit and I discovered that they have many redeeming qualities and in fact feel much better in the water. They are by and large warmer, more streamlined, are less prone to problems with shifting air or excessive squeeze and offer a snugger fit without sacrificing fexibility. Short story - I realized all the negative hype about meoprene drysuits is largely BS and I bought my own neoprene suit and now have two trilam backups.

Absolutely ditto for me....One of my buddies borrowed my suit for one dive (I had a custom wetsuit that I used so we could both dive) and as soon as he surfaced he said "your suit is warmer than mine". He has a $1800 trilam suit. That was nice to hear.

I was introduced to neoprene the same way keelhaul123 was, three local dive instructors were using them or had used them and all said it was the best bang for the buck. I did more research and decided to get one and I have been happy with it.

--Matt

 

[hecker-the-wrecker]

Not having previous experience with drysuits, how is a dui clx450 classified?

 

[DA Aquamaster]

DUI's suit offerrings are fairly diverse.

The CLX 450 is a cordura/butyl rubber/polyester trilam suit.

The TLS 350 is a traditional nylon/butyl/nylon trilam. It comes in both self donning and shoulder entry designs.

The CF200 is a crushed neoprene suit. Crushed neoprene is less bouyant and has less inherent insulation than a regular neoprene suit but still has some stretch to the fabric so a closer fit is easier to achieve.

The FLX 50/50 uses a poly/butyl/poly trilam material on the top of the suit and CF200 material on the bottom of the suit.

The CNse is a shoulder entry suit with a compressed neoprene and nylon fabric that also offers some stretch like their CF200 fabric.

 

[mempilot]

I dive the Zeagle Expedition GS which is similar to the DUI CLX 450, except a little more affordable. It has a tough cordura outer layer. I've rubbed up against some stuff I wouldn't expose neoprene to. Flexibility is great, and the warmth is what I put under it.

 

[Bob3]

Which type of material is the best for a drysuit concerning durability???

Kind of a loaded question; what kinds of mischief are you planning on getting into?
For "ultimate" durability, look to the commercial diving industry. You'll see vulcanized rubber and some neoprene. You won't see any laminated suits because they're prone to soaking up contamination, the most common form being petroleum. When the oil, etc gets soaked up into the material, sewn seams, etc it starts to break down the inner layer of rubber & the suit's material delaminates.
For most sport use that isn't much of a concern, but keep an eye on that oil slick from the boat exhaust anyway.