Drysuit for Pacific Northwest

[Brett Hatch]

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.

Nova Drysuit Customisation Options - Quick Neck system with Silflex seal

 

[MikeHoncho]

Decide and have on hand your thermal underlayer when fitting a suit. Consider a decent, well fitting used suit. Take excessive time inspecting the zipper for delamination. Even with having to replace a zipper, you can save well over a thousand on a well fitted, well maintained used dry suit. Use a good dry suit instructor. Its worth it given the learning curve. Consider dry gloves. If you going to go that far, go all the way. Thats a long drive for a single cold dive or even two not warm dives.

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

Don't count out considering buying an "other than brand new" drysuit. Lots of great bargains out there on quality suits with little to no use!

 

[pauldw]

This is going to sound weird, but I took two dry suit classes. I wasn't comfortable enough with my dry suit knowledge and skills after the first one (PADI), so awhile later I took another one (SDI). In fact, during the first one I had considerable trouble during the first pool dive because of a tight neck seal. Usually I think specialty classes are a waste of time. But for me, and I think this would not be the case for very many other people at all, this is what I needed for dry suit.

 

[crofrog]

This is going to sound weird, but I took two dry suit classes. I wasn't comfortable enough with my dry suit knowledge and skills after the first one (PADI), so awhile later I took another one (SDI). In fact, during the first one I had considerable trouble during the first pool dive because of a tight neck seal. Usually I think specialty classes are a waste of time. But for me, and I think this would not be the case for very many other people at all, this is what I needed for dry suit.

Quantifying drysuit seal pressures in non-immersed scuba divers

This is an interesting paper that Andrew Pitkin oversaw: Quantifying drysuit seal pressures in non-immersed scuba divers - PMC (nih.gov) Abstract Introduction Drysuits use flexible neck and wrist seals to maintain water-tight seals. However, if the seals exert too much pressure adverse...

scubaboard.com

I wish more people would become aware of this paper, it really helps imo new dry suit divers understand what's to tight and what's not because depending on peoples individual perceptions it can really effect there seal tightness.

 

[Seaweed Doc]

Nova Drysuit Customisation Options - Quick Neck system with Silflex seal

Ah, sorry. I meant to say nobody makes a field-replaceable NEOPRENE neck seal. Sadly, this one is still not neoprene....

(I use Latex seals now that are field-replaceable. )

 

[lexvil]

Ah, sorry. I meant to say nobody makes a field-replaceable NEOPRENE neck seal. Sadly, this one is still not neoprene....

(I use Latex seals now that are field-replaceable. )

Waterproof make one as did aqualung

 

[PDodson]

My trilam Seaskin is great. I found the class super helpful just for extra practice, it really did take ~10 dives for it to start to feel natural. I've since added dry gloves (Rolock, but we don't need another debate thread on that lol). Love it now!

 

[Scuba_Spike]

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.

I'll second this one.
I did my drysuit as part of my OW class and the shop had Apollo's as rentals.
I later had a few rental tri-lam's and while any rental won't be a good fit, I hated them, felt like getting in a plastic bag.

We bought all our gear in the first year and were Seattle region based, so it was a no brainer that since I liked the Apollo and it was like half the price of a DUI. My wife had to have a custom DUI made and it was not without delays and issues.

My Apollo isn't perfect, but it works well, and I find it extremely warm in the cold Puget Sound (minus the wet hands).

My last PNW dive before moving Tropical, I ripped a cuff, so I had Kubi dry gloves installed, haven't dove it since But besides that issue, I put about 130 cold dives on and never had any issues otherwise, it still looks like it's in great shape. My complaint, is the back zip lol

 

[Scared Silly]

A bit late and not a much to offer but the OP's post reminded me of my first dive. It was at the undersea park. My first dive was in a dry suit. Been diving dry since then, at least in the cold water.