Drysuit: Nylon Vs Neoprene

[No9]

Looking at drysuits and weighing up the pros and cons.

I have been told that Nylon suits and not as conformable as neoprene as the are not as flexible and restrict movement. I assume if I get the correct size this should not be an issue.

Am I right??

I just think the neoprene suit look stupid and looks are all that matter

 

[fstbttms]

Wow, I think just the opposite. I think neoprene drysuits are much cooler looking than shell suits. That being said, I use neoprene exclusively in my hull cleaning business but come across a lot of hull cleaners who dive dry in shell suits. I've never understood the advantages of that type of suit to our (admittedly small) community of divers. Good shell suits are expensive, require bulky undergarments and are difficult or impossible for the owner to repair. Neoprene suits generally have none of those attributes. That doesn't mean that for your intended use a neoprene suit would be better, but for my money, I'll never use anything else.

An anecdote; one of my hull cleaner buddies has been diving dry in DUI suits for as long as I've known him, which is 15 years. Every winter it's the same thing; he can't stay warm, he can't layer enough undergarments, he's always tearing the latex seals, has to ship the suit off for repair etc., etc. Well, he finally went to a Bare neoprene suit this winter. His first comment to me, "I can't believe I waited so long to do this."

 

[paddler3d]

I've see some cheesy neoprene suits and some good ones.

The material that DUI uses in their CF series is indestructible. They claim it is a true compressed neoprene.

I've seen the SeaSoft drysuits and I'll leave it at that.

Do some digging on neoprene vs. crushed neoprene vs. compressed neoprene.

There been a lot of threads about this in the past.

Shell suits tend to be bulky, because they don't stretch you need the extra material for mobility, which can cause drag. They are lighter. They dry quick. That have no inherent warmth.

Neoprene suits tend to be more fitted, because they stretch. They are heavier. They actually need time to dry out. The do have inherent warmth.

There are cheap ones of both and expensive ones of both.

One that is new and kinda neat is the Whites Fusion. You can get it with a neoprene skin.

 

[No9]

Keeping warm will not be an issue.

I was going to change the latex seals to neoprene and glue on kevlar knee and elbow pads.

 

[No9]

I've see some cheesy neoprene suits and some good ones.

The material that DUI uses in their CF series is indestructible. They claim it is a true compressed neoprene.

I've seen the SeaSoft drysuits and I'll leave it at that.

Do some digging on neoprene vs. crushed neoprene vs. compressed neoprene.

There been a lot of threads about this in the past.

Shell suits tend to be bulky, because they don't stretch you need the extra material for mobility, which can cause drag. They are lighter. They dry quick. That have no inherent warmth.

Neoprene suits tend to be more fitted, because they stretch. They are heavier. They actually need time to dry out. The do have inherent warmth.

There are cheap ones of both and expensive ones of both.

One that is new and kinda neat is the Whites Fusion. You can get it with a neoprene skin.

Thanks.

 

[paddler3d]

Keeping warm will not be an issue.

I was going to change the latex seals to neoprene and glue on kevlar knee and elbow pads.

I've seen more folks with neoprene seals have leaks. I've seen more folks with latex seal have failures.

Why kelvar elbow pads?

 

[No9]

My current wetsuit has got a hiding from crayfish diving. I have a few soon to be tears in the knees and elbows and want to prevent this damage with the drysuit.

I am worried about the latex wrist seals being damaged from crayfish diving also. I could just get a long glove that protects the seal.

 

[paddler3d]

My current wetsuit has got a hiding from crayfish diving. I have a few soon to be tears in the knees and elbows and want to prevent this damage with the drysuit.

I am worried about the latex wrist seals being damaged from crayfish diving also. I could just get a long glove that protects the seal.

Makes sense to me!

The glove may be a PITA. My buddies DR 905 (shell suit, not a bad one either) has heavy cordura cuffs that come down over his latex seals. The 905 was designed for guys crawling through caves. Look at the front zip. It is telescoping so it isn't as bulky and it is what they call a cave cut. It is quasi fitted to help reduce drag in high flow caves. The cordura is though as nails.

 

[Dogfish Doug]

Just to touch up on paddler3d comment the new fusion could be what your looking for. Theres no other drysuit in the world that can match the mobility of the fusion.

 

[KathyIGH]

Hi,

This is Kathy with DUI. I saw your initial post and thought I would respond. Your first question on nylon vs. neoprene. Nylon is used on the exterior of the neoprene. Sort of like a sandwich or a quilt.

One draw back of compressed neoprene drysuits is that the insulation decreases with depth. For shallow water diving - like hull cleaning - the drysuit would be warmer at the surface than say a 60' dive.

On our CF200 Series, the material is permanently crushed. So the drysuit does not change insulation with depth.

We have our upcoming DOG Rally & Demo Tour coming up. You can test dive fabric drysuits, CNSE and CF200s. If you are interested the schedule is at 2010 DOG Rally Participating Dealers