Drysuit for Pacific Northwest

[hsakols]

I live in Portland, Oregon, and am slowly getting back into SCUBA diving. I went to Edmunds Underwater Park north of Seatle, WA, a couple of weeks ago and did a shallow dive with my 7mm open-cell spearfishing suit. It was doable, but by the end of the dive, I was chilly and done for the day. I think that for me to embrace SCUBA up here fully, I will need a drysuit, and get the proper training. What should I expect to spend to get a drysuit if it isn't custom-made? I have looked at Seaskin suits, but it takes months to get one. Perhaps it is worth it. What other suits should I consider that don't cut corners regarding durability and safety? Also, have any of you found a competent diver to train you in a pool and then go with you in the open water rather than get a specialty certification? From what I've seen, there are some key areas regarding safety and trim that one needs to read about and practice.

 

[Wheeler925]

I live in Portland, Oregon, and am slowly getting back into SCUBA diving. I went to Edmunds Underwater Park north of Seatle, WA, a couple of weeks ago and did a shallow dive with my 7mm open-cell spearfishing suit. It was doable, but by the end of the dive, I was chilly and done for the day. I think that for me to embrace SCUBA up here fully, I will need a drysuit, and get the proper training. What should I expect to spend to get a drysuit if it isn't custom-made? I have looked at Seaskin suits, but it takes months to get one. Perhaps it is worth it. What other suits should I consider that don't cut corners regarding durability and safety? Also, have any of you found a competent diver to train you in a pool and then go with you in the open water rather than get a specialty certification? From what I've seen, there are some key areas regarding safety and trim that one needs to read about and practice.

For me the drysuit specialty was worth it, not only for the training, but for the ability to rent a drysuit when needed.

 

[Badger7]

I bought a Seaskin trilam, spent an hour with a DM in a pool practicing skills, didn't bother paying for a cert. He had me read the 4-5 pages about drysuits in the PADI AOW book first, then we did a dive in a local quarry after, and I've never looked back. No reason to avoid doing an actual class for a drysuit c-card, its just not my style. I pick things up pretty quick though, and to be frank I wasn't completely comfortable with my drysuit until 10-20 dives later and changing gloves, neck seal, undergarments, fins, etc until I found a combination I really liked.

I reserve the right to buy an expensive drysuit sometime in the future, but far more likely that I'd just buy another Seaskin and send my existing suit in for third party service like a new zipper when it finally needs one.

 

[DrakeTheDiver]

Seaskin is definitely the way to go, I had mine in about 9 weeks and it is super comfortable, I would be careful in trying to upsize any of your measurements, I did in a few measurements cause I figure I may grow a bit in certain dimensions but I would not recommend changing anything but maybe your chest and waist measurements.

 

[lexvil]

By asking you have just lost a day on your seaskin order, you can spend a few thousand $ more and get one (dry suit) off the rack which may fit ok.

 

[Brett Hatch]

I bought a SeaSkin, and often recommend it to others. It is the best value suit on the market, but you're right, it will take a few months. To my mind, a few months is better than a few thousand dollars, but you may not agree

My suit arrived in the early months of the covid pandemic, so no courses were being taught at the time. I just taught myself, it's really not rocket science. You need to understand how the suit actually works, how to don and doff it, and to get used to keeping a minimal amount of air inside the suit

The easiest way to manage the air in the suit is to just leave the valve open whenever you are underwater, and when you feel it getting kinda stiff on descent, add a few squirts of air in there. Just like managing your BC air bubble, the differences feel bigger in shallow water than in deep water. If you get cold, you need more air inside the suit, but not in the form of squirting a bunch more air in there. Rather, in the form of wearing more / thicker underclothing on your next dive. A good hood and drygloves also go a long way toward keeping you warm. Best of luck

Edit: oh, and if you are a person with male junk, just go ahead and get a P valve, you will want one some day or another. All of the alternatives are pretty unappealing. For folks with female junk, a P valve is a little more involved... I can't speak to it from firsthand experience, but I can see why some folks would prefer an alternative. But if you can pee standing up, a P valve is the way to go

 

[crofrog]

The new avatar 102 suit might be a good choice for you it has 14 sizes and they’re available might be able to drive up there and try them on

https://8diving.com/products/santi_men_s_airon_drysuit

 

[Seaweed Doc]

I bought a Seaskin trilam, spent an hour with a DM in a pool practicing skills, didn't bother paying for a cert. He had me read the 4-5 pages about drysuits in the PADI AOW book first, then we did a dive in a local quarry after, and I've never looked back. No reason to avoid doing an actual class for a drysuit c-card, its just not my style. I pick things up pretty quick though, and to be frank I wasn't completely comfortable with my drysuit until 10-20 dives later and changing gloves, neck seal, undergarments, fins, etc until I found a combination I really liked.

I reserve the right to buy an expensive drysuit sometime in the future, but far more likely that I'd just buy another Seaskin and send my existing suit in for third party service like a new zipper when it finally needs one.

Just an FYI, if it really was a DM they'd be in violation of multiple PADI standards for doing that with you. Especially following the Linnea Mills' settlement and changes to PADI policies. I'm not sure if an Instructor could do this within standards, but I wouldn't unless it were very clearly allowed by standards. If you were doing a dry suit class with me, or doing AOW with the dry suit option, or doing OW but using a dry suit, I'd do it. But if you're not formally in a class and using a dry suit while I'm instructing you in any way shape or form? No chance. I like my house and don't want to lose it in a lawsuit.


Not saying this didn't work for you, Badger. That's not my business and it may very well be fine. But I'm not sure hsakols will find an instructor or DM that would do something similar for them.....

 

[Seaweed Doc]

For a novice dry suit diver that's a more-or-less standard build (slim is fine), I like Apollo suits. The ankle and wrist dump valves can help you out if you mess up. It's a neoprene suit, which has disadvantages (more later) but is warmer and has more forgiving seals than tri-lams generally do. It's inflator and deflator valve buttons are a lot easier to use than what you find on most suits; they are a lever on the side not a button on top. They're also one of the least expensive (ballpark $1400) decent suits on the market. The attached boots are really rugged and warmer than a rock boot. I dove one for 4 years (~500 dives), replacing it for routine use a couple years ago but keeping it around as a backup I've used on occasion.

The drag with neoprene is that it will wear out. Eventually it's going to fail, and likely be "totaled" at a younger age than a tri-lam. My old Apollo is very close to that point. Neoprene can also be chillier on the beach if its windy. Water runs off a tri-lam, but stays in the outer coat of the neoprene suit. You'll get evaporative cooling as long as you have the neoprene suit on.

If I had the perfect suit for me, it'd be tri-lam with field-replaceable dry gloves, attached high-quality boots, and a field-replaceable neoprene neck seal. (I don't think anybody makes a field-replaceable neck seal, but I can dream, can't I?) I'd put the dump valve at the left wrist, too.

Now everybody will tell me why I'm wrong.

 

[crofrog]

For a novice dry suit diver that's a more-or-less standard build (slim is fine), I like Apollo suits. The ankle and wrist dump valves can help you out if you mess up. It's a neoprene suit, which has disadvantages (more later) but is warmer and has more forgiving seals than tri-lams generally do.

Ankle valves have to be one of the dumbest things I've heard of on a drysuit... I assume it's for people who just never dive in trim.

The drag with neoprene is that it will wear out. Eventually it's going to fail, and likely be "totaled" at a younger age than a tri-lam. My old Apollo is very close to that point.

I have a 20 year old cf-200 that has a bunch of dives on it. I think that suit is going to basically last forever. The trilams will eventually become porous and start leaking.

If I had the perfect suit for me, it'd be tri-lam with field-replaceable dry gloves, attached high-quality boots, and a field-replaceable neoprene neck seal. (I don't think anybody makes a field-replaceable neck seal, but I can dream, can't I?) I'd put the dump valve at the left wrist, too.

You mean like this one? Neoprene Neckseal for Sitech Neck Systems

Now everybody will tell me why I'm wrong.

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