Drysuits and Options: DUI, White's, Diving Concepts

[dave4868]

THALLASAMANIA - About finding an expert and asking them, probably the best advice I could hope for. Just really don't know how to go about finding them locally. I really do not know of any shops that do this kind of diving. I know they must be out there, it's New England for cryin out loud. I have just never been to one.

Some shops in New England rent drysuits. Burlington Scuba in Burlington, MA, is one that does, I believe.

Burlington SCUBA Diving

That might be a good way to get the info you need.

Dave C

 

[elvisisalive]

TS&M - Glad you are here!! I have read so many of your post lately. Used to live in WA, with I was still there. What is is about permanantly mounted rings that you dislike? About the price of the SeaMar gloves, this is why I'm scepticle about the zipgloves. The price for replacement is astonishing. I have read people having good luck gluing new Atlas gloves to the zip ring though. Any wreck divers out there that think the compressed/crushed neo suits are not the end all be all?

 

[Teamcasa]

Some wise folks have given you good and sage advice. I’d just like to add one thing, I have the Whites Catalyst 360 and my wife has the Fusion. We both love these suits. Not having a dealer near by is no issues. White’s customer service is terrific and will arrange service with virtually any of their dealers in the US.

 

[elvisisalive]

I think I should go shopping in a store that is outfitted for what I want to do. TeamCasa - thank you for the info about White's. That's good to hear. I just think that for this amount of money I should be able to have my cake and eat it too!!! Maybe I need to find out which cake I want to eat.

 

[Thalassamania]

THALLASAMANIA - About finding an expert and asking them, probably the best advice I could hope for. Just really don't know how to go about finding them locally. I really do not know of any shops that do this kind of diving. I know they must be out there, it's New England for cryin out loud. I have just never been to one.

I you can wait till the Boston Sea Rovers 55th Annual Clinic (March 6-8, 2009) everyone that you might want to talk to about it will likely be there.

 

[Rick Inman]

Ask Rick Inman about how his did with some heavy-duty wreck penetration back East just recently!

Here's my report: FUSION REPORT

Oh, and as long as we're giving credentials, I've owned a DUI CF200 crushed neoprene, OS Systems hyper-light shell, Whites Shell suit, Diving Concepts UltraFlex Pro, and now the Whites Fusion. The worst of the bunch for me to deal with was the crushed neoprene. It weighed a ton out of the water and was bulky and required a DIY drying rack to dry the thing out.

 

[TSandM]

I like the idea of being able to dive the suit without the rings, when I take it to warmer water, where I don't need gloves. And I like the idea of being able to move the rings (which are NOT cheap) to another suit, if I get a new one. When I demoed the Fusion, I put my dry glove rings on the demo suit, so I didn't have to dive with wet hands.

I WILL not dive a system that doesn't preserve the inner seal. I've had a dry glove leak when I hadn't arranged my seals correctly, and I poured water out of my arm when I got back on the boat. Inner seals are good.

 

[karstdvr]

I've been fortunate to have owned/used many brands of dry suits,but until recently nothing has really gotten me excited. I have been very impressed with the Santi drysuit ( Santi Diving Equipment USA, Inc. - Home Page ) . It is very high quality,and have been very pleased with the one I obtained.

 

[elvisisalive]

Very good advice from all, that's why I asked. Concerning the DC rings on the zipseals; if they will fit and be in a good position maybe that is the way to go.

About preseving the inner seal; this is of utmost concern to me. I know the Viking, Sitek, and DC systems all have that option. The shop that sells the DC gear says it's not as easy as you think to install it that way. I'd like to be able to remove the system in between dive outings so that I do not prematurely wear the seal. The Sitech system, as posted earlier, doesn't seem to be an option with the zipseals.

About a compressed/crushed neoprene suit; one of my instructors whom I value the opinion of very highly had a horrible situation with a diver in a bi/trilam suit that completely flooded. She is adamant about not ever diving a shell suit after that. Says the loose cut of the shell suit allowed so much water in that it took three other divers so get the one off the floor. Granted the flooded suit was cut far less than ideal.

Do you think that having both the zipseals AND a regular latex seal is worthwhile? Do you think that it's way overkill and I'm making this harder than it has to be? I have never seen a zipglove so I do not know if the seals in the zipglove WD is really going to last. If I can reglue gloves onto the zip portion of the system cool. But I still need a seal, hence the question about having both.

Hardest part about DUI: everything is expensive to the point that the few shops I've been to do not have everything there to look at. Maybe I am in the wrong shops. I am going to a different shop in Connecticut today. Been around for a while from what I'm told and the owner is really plugged in, at least by reputation.

Thank you all so much. I'm really trying to muddle through all the options wisely, and not buy something just because the shop wants to sell it to me. Rick, TS&M, Thala, Teamcasa, and all others, what a big help. Keep posting any info out there. I do not want to stop diving this year!!!

 

[Rick Inman]

About a compressed/crushed neoprene suit; one of my instructors whom I value the opinion of very highly had a horrible situation with a diver in a bi/trilam suit that completely flooded. She is adamant about not ever diving a shell suit after that. Says the loose cut of the shell suit allowed so much water in that it took three other divers so get the one off the floor.

Really? What does water weigh in water? Sounds like maybe there was another weighting issue...