Drysuit purchases from Leisurepro, would you recommend it?

[ewaiea]

I know you dive shop owners are going to hate me for this.....

But have any of you drysuit owners out there ever bought your drysuits from leisurepro or some other online retailer? It looks like you can get a drysuit for around $649 or higher, which is a much lower starting price than what most dive shops sell drysuits. I've always had great experiences with no complaints from Leisurepro - bought all my new gear from them - but have never bought a drysuit from them.

Any success stories or horror stories? Did you have good customer support in the event of a seal replacement or any other repairs? The one I'd be considering is the Bare Nex-Gen Pro Dry Suit Mens Black - it's selling for $989.00. But there are plenty of others to pick from, I'm just in the preliminary browsing phase.

I live in Hawaii but my wife and I take a yearly trip every October to Whidbey Island, WA and I absolutely love the diving up there. I dare say that I enjoy diving in the Puget Sound more than Hawaii - maybe it's the macro photographer in me....

I am considering a drysuit purchase and though I want something with reliability and good seals, I'm not wanting to break the bank as I will only get to use it once or twice per year. But owning one will give me more flexibility as to where I can use it. My hope is to eventually dive the Monterey and the Channel Islands in California, as well as British Columbia and maybe one day Antarctica.

Any advice you all might have would be quite helpful to me...

Thanks!

 

[Jim Lapenta]

What size are you? I have a DS for sale here and on ebay that was originally 1500 bucks. Selling for 650 or best offer. New seals, P valve- unused, and just tested.

 

[ewaiea]

I'm 6'0" tall, 185lbs...

 

[Jim Lapenta]

If you can you drop 35 lbs and cut about 4 inches off your legs it'll be perfect!

 

[Web Monkey]

I know you dive shop owners are going to hate me for this.....

But have any of you drysuit owners out there ever bought your drysuits from leisurepro or some other online retailer? It looks like you can get a drysuit for around $649 or higher, which is a much lower starting price than what most dive shops sell drysuits. I've always had great exp

I don't see any there for that price. They have one for $750, but it's used and only comes in medium, and all the rest are nearly $1000 and up, and only in specific sizes. If you check the "size" checker, nearly all their suits only have a few sizes available.

That said, if you like the suit, and they have your size, and you have nerves of steel so you can cut your own neck seal, it's almost certainly exactly what they say it is.

For me, a drysuit falls into the same category as "mask". I like to try it on and see if I like it before I buy it, and since my last attempt at trimming a neck seal ended up looking like I rolled it in peanut butter and let rats gnaw on it, I'm happy to let my LDS do the trimming.

Also, once you get past the used suit for $750, they're not all that much less expensive than any other shop that sells a reasonable number of drysuits. If you have a decent size shop near you, you should be able to buy it in person and get a very similar deal.

And since I'm rambling, you can often get used drysuits for a small fraction of new. One of my buddies bought a DS that had maybe 5 dives on it for about $500, and it was way over $2000 new.

Terry

 

[Bubbletrubble]

That said, if you like the suit, and they have your size, and you have nerves of steel so you can cut your own neck seal, it's almost certainly exactly what they say it is.

For me, a drysuit falls into the same category as "mask". I like to try it on and see if I like it before I buy it, and since my last attempt at trimming a neck seal ended up looking like I rolled it in peanut butter and let rats gnaw on it, I'm happy to let my LDS do the trimming.

@Web Monkey: Why not get someone to show you how to trim a neck seal properly? If you are reasonably careful, take your time, and have the right tools (rotary cutter or sharp scissors), trimming a neck seal is not that difficult.

Of all the scuba gear maintenance/repairs out there, this is one thing that any drysuit diver should be able to handle on his own.

 

[JoeC]

I made a purchase of a drysuit from Leisure Pro last February, and have had no problems with it. While I live in AZ and have only used it in the local lakes in temps of 50 degrees. I have not had it in salt water yet but am planning on that in So Cal. It is a whole new set of skills to master.

 

[jac_3232]

I have no problem buying gear online if there is a significant savings. I have a Whites Fusion on order. In this case, I was able to get the suit and all accessories at an LDS for quite a bit cheaper than any online store. At least give your LDS a chance to match or beat the price.

I was also looking at the Nex-Gen, and I found it $100 cheaper at an LDS than it was at LP. But being in Hawaii, I imagine everything is more $$$.

 

[ewaiea]

Well we really don't have any dive shops out here that carry drysuits, they would order it for you but they probably wouldn't make it very cheap for you considering the cost savings through leisurepro.

Many dive shops say that the leisurepro people screw you over on equipment like regs because there is no warranty, but according to leisurepro and their documentation the gear is under warranty. Certain LDS owners just get their undies in a bunch when it comes to leisurepro and will refuse to service your stuff. But if you told them that you simply bought it from another dive shop then they'd be happy to help you. I know this is not in reference to all dive shops, but there's been plenty that this is true for.

I might get a drysuit from LP this summer in preperation for my trip to Washington State/Puget Sound this fall - maybe......

 

[clifftondiver]

Last year, I bought the exact model you're considering and have LOVED it! While I recently upgraded to a loaded DUI, the BARE served me well. It never leaked and was never punctured (took into some wrecks). I think I put 60 dives on it, or so. The only complaint I had was it didn't have any pockets and the pockets one of the LDS's attempted to install wouldn't stick. So overall, I'd say go for it I'd totally buy that one again!

Cliff