Drysuit options - DUI/Andys/Whites

[jasondbaker]

I'm looking at dry suits for primarily open water dives in quarries and the great lakes -- some wrecks, but with no penetration. This would be my first dry suit.
Options:

Used DUI TLS350 (25 dives/1 yr old), SI-5 dry gloves, rockboots
$995
(New $1350)

New Andys DS3 extreme
$1050

New Whites Nexus 2003, boots
$800

DiveRite 905
$1230

I plan to buy the softwear undies, fifthd pockets, and p-valve. All the above suits are stock sizes. Are any of these suits a clear winner? These are suits I can buy locally.

 

[ericfine50]

I have a CF 200, but if I would do it again, I would go with the Andy's. Great suit. Well made and Andy has great customer service.

Eric

 

[dmdalton]

I've been diving an Andy's DS3 Extreme W/US140 undergarment, since 98 and love it. If you want to match the fabric in the TLS350 you should get the "Ultra" rather than the Extreme. The Etreme is more rugged and I like it.

Dave D

 

[vnp514]

I've got the Whites Aqua Pro. Had some quality control problems with the suit but Whites took good care of me. I've put a couple of small holes in it using it for SAR. I'm not sure if the Aqua Pro uses the same material as the Whites Model you mentioned you were looking at.
Pete

 

[Wreck/Tec]

There are alot of nice suits on the market today. Buying one that will serve you well with out spending to much may be easier than you think. Depending on what type of seals you get, how you treat your suit, and what you do with it will determine alot. OSS and Andy's are affordable and in my opinion, some of the most under rated suits out there. DUI's would be nice, but are expensive to repair, at DUI, and I hear depending on the time of year, may have a longer than desired turn around time for repairs. Beautiful suits yes, more expensive as well. Make your own well informed decision, don't let a, not as famous name stop you from purchaseing a suit!

 

[jasondbaker]

The biggest challenge is sorting through all the options. I'm finding that every suit has different pros and cons -- fit, material, durability, price, etc. Being in a large metro area I have too many options to pick from. Plus I can't walk into one store and compare all the different suits side-by-side. I have read the dry suit reviews on this forum extensively. I have rarely read a review where someone said that they didn't like their drysuit purchase. Maybe that means that most dry suits are fairly high quality and that it is really comes down to the bells-and-whistles.

 

[divrnr]

I've got the White's Nexus with about 50 dives on it and absolutely and I mean ABSOLUTELY no problems... And it fits like a glove, not the extra baggies you usually get...

 

[Mo2vation]

I chose DUI. What sealed it for me was proximity to service.

I'm in So Cal - a Canadian, Euro, or even East Coast suit was simply not an option when DUI is in my back yard.

Lots of great suits out there - but DUI's reputation, the fit, the features, all of the people I've met there, the fact I can drive it in to get it fixed (if ever needed) made the decision easy.

Consider total ownership - fit, features, reputation, upgrades, service, what are your buddies diving (important - as they've likely had their suits a lot longer than you have...) before you make the call.

DUI was the clear winner for me.

K