Drysuits - which is the better material! Neoprene, Trilaminate or Cordura
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Unfortunately, it's the standard answer: It depends.
There are a number of factors that make this a personal choice (durability, quickness to dry, weight, cost, ease of repair, etc.). I suggest you do one of three things: go in to your local LDS at a quiet time and have a nice long discussion with a knowledgeable salesperson, take a dry suit specialty class, or read the book from a dry suit class. These should help you make a decision that's right for you.
Good luck.
There are a number of factors that make this a personal choice (durability, quickness to dry, weight, cost, ease of repair, etc.). I suggest you do one of three things: go in to your local LDS at a quiet time and have a nice long discussion with a knowledgeable salesperson, take a dry suit specialty class, or read the book from a dry suit class. These should help you make a decision that's right for you.
Good luck.
If you are going to buy a drysuit, go buy the book for the drysuit class. (you will probably take the class so getting the book now doesn't hurt) Reading it and you will get a good understanding of the differences in the materials. Talk to some knowledgeable sales representatives about whatever questions you have.
Also you might want to check out the exposure suit forum here.
Also you might want to check out the exposure suit forum here.
Bob3
Contributor
There has been a lot of discussion here on the very topic, a cruise through the search option will turn up several pages.
Here's one of the better posts on the topic: http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7462&perpage=25&display=&pagenumber=1
Cordura, by the way, will be the top covering on a laminated suit. It has the nasty habit of soaking up petroleum products, as does any suit with exposed stitching or seams.
In addition to the tri-laminates (3 layers) there are also bi-lamates (2 layers) and single fabric shell suits.
Oh yah, left out vulcanized, there a coating of rubber is applied to a backing.
Here's one of the better posts on the topic: http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7462&perpage=25&display=&pagenumber=1
Cordura, by the way, will be the top covering on a laminated suit. It has the nasty habit of soaking up petroleum products, as does any suit with exposed stitching or seams.
In addition to the tri-laminates (3 layers) there are also bi-lamates (2 layers) and single fabric shell suits.
Oh yah, left out vulcanized, there a coating of rubber is applied to a backing.
Don Burke
Contributor
Once you get fluent in drysuit language, pick the brains of the local divers already using drysuits.
My favorite question is, "What would you do differently if you had it to do over?"
I ended up with a Bare Trilam and my only regret is that I didn't buy it ten years sooner.
My favorite question is, "What would you do differently if you had it to do over?"
I ended up with a Bare Trilam and my only regret is that I didn't buy it ten years sooner.
nyresq
Contributor
It all depends on your type of diving, location, and budget.
Type of diving--- Cave diving your looking for the best streamlining you can get, here a good fitting laminate or neoprene suit works well.
If your going to be diving in dirty water (rescue teams or boat yard work) then your only choice is vulcanized rubber.
Wreck diving in old rusted steel ships, with many jagged edges poking you, will eat a laminate or rubber suit. In the water here off LI, NY; 99% of the wreck divers here are using neoprene or crushed neoprene. Crushed neoprene is more resistant to punctures and tears than anything else.
LOCATION--- If your diving in cold water, then you will have to wear insulation under your suit. How much depends on how cold the water is (even 60 degrees will get cold after doing 45 mins of deco) and how much insulation your suit provides. Rubber suits offer no insultion value. Some laminate suits have a reflective heat layer in them, but if not, the they too will offer no insulation. Crushed neoprene offers a little insulating value and doesn't change with depth. Standard neoprene suits will offer the most insultion and at shallow depths may not need any under garment except a t-shirt and shorts. but like a wet suit, it will compress with depth. Anything over 60 feet will completely negate all insulation value of standard neoprene over crushed neoprene.
Budget--- Laminate suits are the cheapest, Some are cheaper than others, depending on manufacturer, features and actual materials. They are easy to patch (which is good cause they're also easy to tear), and they dry quickly when you get out of the water. You will need to buy under garments to go with this suit, polartec suits being the norm, so figure that into you price also. Standard neoprene suits are next up the price ladder and again depend on the manufacturer and features. Neoprene takes a long time to dry after a dive and are difficult to patch in the field. You also can't do an effective patch on wet neoprene. neoprene will also soak up fuel or oil in the water and stain. Depending on depth additional under garments may not be needed with this type of suit. most times regular long johns work fine. Vulcanized rubber is most often used for commercial or rescue work in contaminated water. These suits are very easy to patch and dry almost instantly when you get out of the water. Viking, Gates, and DUI make most of the rubber suits on the market today. they all cost about the same, and are all pretty similar as far as options and pricing. Crushed neoprene is the most expensive drysuit on the market. these suits wear like steel. Commercial divers in clean water have been using these suits for many years due to their puncture resistance. However, if punctured, they are very hard to repair and should normally be done by a dealer. Again like standard neoprene thay will take a long time to dry and will soak up any contaminates in the water and stain. Offering little insultion, undergarments will be needed with this suit. DUI is the patent holder on true "crushed" neoprene but there are some other manufacturers out there with "compressed" neoprene suits. I don't know the difference, but can tell you the wreck divers in this area swear by DUIs "crushed" noeprene suits.
A good dry suit will last for several years and hundreds of dives if properly taken care of, so keep in mind its not something you will need to replace every two years. Save up your money and buy the best suit you can get, cause you'll keep it for a long time. When you buy it, make sure its fitted correctly by the dealer and not the shop monkey who says "yea, that looks good on you". some suits are made to overlap and fold in some places and may feel baggy in the water.
And if you order the suit in all black you don't have to worry about stains. Jelly, pepsi, oil and fuel will never show on a black suit...
I have a DUI Crushed neoprene suit I got in 1994. With a couple hundred dives (90% in salt water); I have gotten the arms caught on jagged pieces of steel that would have sliced any skin or rubber, and never punctured it once. I wear a one piece stretch polartec-200 jumper with long john pants over the polertech, and a sweatshirt on top. This is comfortable for me down to about 38 degrees, even during long deco.
As part of a fire department dive rescue team, I wear a Gates 1500 pro vulcanized rubber suit with a attached latex hood. Underneath I have a heavy one piece thick suit that feels like I'm wearing a soft carpet. The suit is cold and any exposed skin (forget to zip up underwear all the way) that touches the suit will feel the water temp. But it is completly water tight unless punctured, but again, is easy to patch. (10 minutes to patch a pin hole or 20 mins to patch a 2 inch tear).
but once you dive dry, you'll never put on a wet suit again.
Type of diving--- Cave diving your looking for the best streamlining you can get, here a good fitting laminate or neoprene suit works well.
If your going to be diving in dirty water (rescue teams or boat yard work) then your only choice is vulcanized rubber.
Wreck diving in old rusted steel ships, with many jagged edges poking you, will eat a laminate or rubber suit. In the water here off LI, NY; 99% of the wreck divers here are using neoprene or crushed neoprene. Crushed neoprene is more resistant to punctures and tears than anything else.
LOCATION--- If your diving in cold water, then you will have to wear insulation under your suit. How much depends on how cold the water is (even 60 degrees will get cold after doing 45 mins of deco) and how much insulation your suit provides. Rubber suits offer no insultion value. Some laminate suits have a reflective heat layer in them, but if not, the they too will offer no insulation. Crushed neoprene offers a little insulating value and doesn't change with depth. Standard neoprene suits will offer the most insultion and at shallow depths may not need any under garment except a t-shirt and shorts. but like a wet suit, it will compress with depth. Anything over 60 feet will completely negate all insulation value of standard neoprene over crushed neoprene.
Budget--- Laminate suits are the cheapest, Some are cheaper than others, depending on manufacturer, features and actual materials. They are easy to patch (which is good cause they're also easy to tear), and they dry quickly when you get out of the water. You will need to buy under garments to go with this suit, polartec suits being the norm, so figure that into you price also. Standard neoprene suits are next up the price ladder and again depend on the manufacturer and features. Neoprene takes a long time to dry after a dive and are difficult to patch in the field. You also can't do an effective patch on wet neoprene. neoprene will also soak up fuel or oil in the water and stain. Depending on depth additional under garments may not be needed with this type of suit. most times regular long johns work fine. Vulcanized rubber is most often used for commercial or rescue work in contaminated water. These suits are very easy to patch and dry almost instantly when you get out of the water. Viking, Gates, and DUI make most of the rubber suits on the market today. they all cost about the same, and are all pretty similar as far as options and pricing. Crushed neoprene is the most expensive drysuit on the market. these suits wear like steel. Commercial divers in clean water have been using these suits for many years due to their puncture resistance. However, if punctured, they are very hard to repair and should normally be done by a dealer. Again like standard neoprene thay will take a long time to dry and will soak up any contaminates in the water and stain. Offering little insultion, undergarments will be needed with this suit. DUI is the patent holder on true "crushed" neoprene but there are some other manufacturers out there with "compressed" neoprene suits. I don't know the difference, but can tell you the wreck divers in this area swear by DUIs "crushed" noeprene suits.
A good dry suit will last for several years and hundreds of dives if properly taken care of, so keep in mind its not something you will need to replace every two years. Save up your money and buy the best suit you can get, cause you'll keep it for a long time. When you buy it, make sure its fitted correctly by the dealer and not the shop monkey who says "yea, that looks good on you". some suits are made to overlap and fold in some places and may feel baggy in the water.
And if you order the suit in all black you don't have to worry about stains. Jelly, pepsi, oil and fuel will never show on a black suit...
I have a DUI Crushed neoprene suit I got in 1994. With a couple hundred dives (90% in salt water); I have gotten the arms caught on jagged pieces of steel that would have sliced any skin or rubber, and never punctured it once. I wear a one piece stretch polartec-200 jumper with long john pants over the polertech, and a sweatshirt on top. This is comfortable for me down to about 38 degrees, even during long deco.
As part of a fire department dive rescue team, I wear a Gates 1500 pro vulcanized rubber suit with a attached latex hood. Underneath I have a heavy one piece thick suit that feels like I'm wearing a soft carpet. The suit is cold and any exposed skin (forget to zip up underwear all the way) that touches the suit will feel the water temp. But it is completly water tight unless punctured, but again, is easy to patch. (10 minutes to patch a pin hole or 20 mins to patch a 2 inch tear).
but once you dive dry, you'll never put on a wet suit again.
Hi,
Thanks for all that info. I am returning to Ireland and will be diving there and was thinking of purchasing a semi-dry or drysuit from Henderson's.
Have a look: www.hendersonusa.com/product_neoprene.html
They do a semidry and the Artic Dry 2 drysuit, are they any good, any thoghts.
Thanks Ronan.
Thanks for all that info. I am returning to Ireland and will be diving there and was thinking of purchasing a semi-dry or drysuit from Henderson's.
Have a look: www.hendersonusa.com/product_neoprene.html
They do a semidry and the Artic Dry 2 drysuit, are they any good, any thoghts.
Thanks Ronan.
Too Narked
New
Hi Ronan
Where are you from?
I do a lot of deep wreck dives around the south east coast.
I would not recommend a semi dry suit for irish waters.For another couple of hundred euros you will get a nice dry suit.
I had a 4mm compressed Neoprene and it was good but then i bought a Gates Trilam vsx 1000. its a great suit but i had to upgrade to a weezle undersuit for extra thermal protection.
What type of diving do you intend doing?
Regards David
Where are you from?
I do a lot of deep wreck dives around the south east coast.
I would not recommend a semi dry suit for irish waters.For another couple of hundred euros you will get a nice dry suit.
I had a 4mm compressed Neoprene and it was good but then i bought a Gates Trilam vsx 1000. its a great suit but i had to upgrade to a weezle undersuit for extra thermal protection.
What type of diving do you intend doing?
Regards David
Hi David,
I am from Dublin but live in Donegal. I am working in the states at present and have only taken up scuba diving in Donegal. I am not too sure what type of diving that I will do.
I was thinking while in the USA that I would get my first suit. I am not too sure to go with wetsuit, semi or drysuit!!
I know Irish waters are cold and if you come out, well the wind chill factor is always there!!
Any ideas, I was looking at a company called Henderson (www.hendersonusa.com) who have lots of different choices from Gold Core fullsuit and farmer john 2 piece to semi-dry and a reasonable drysuit made of foamed neoprene, all 7mm.
Everybody in dive shops over here recommend DUI which start at $1000 up..
I also wonder if anything goes wrong with suit like leaky seals, seals separating, thread undoing itself, It may not be easy to get it fixed as it was bought in the USA. Ideas!!
Thanks Ronan.
I am from Dublin but live in Donegal. I am working in the states at present and have only taken up scuba diving in Donegal. I am not too sure what type of diving that I will do.
I was thinking while in the USA that I would get my first suit. I am not too sure to go with wetsuit, semi or drysuit!!
I know Irish waters are cold and if you come out, well the wind chill factor is always there!!
Any ideas, I was looking at a company called Henderson (www.hendersonusa.com) who have lots of different choices from Gold Core fullsuit and farmer john 2 piece to semi-dry and a reasonable drysuit made of foamed neoprene, all 7mm.
Everybody in dive shops over here recommend DUI which start at $1000 up..
I also wonder if anything goes wrong with suit like leaky seals, seals separating, thread undoing itself, It may not be easy to get it fixed as it was bought in the USA. Ideas!!
Thanks Ronan.
Bob3
Contributor
Northern Diver (UK) turns out a fairly decent product; you may want to look at their suits. So far the VORTEX has been the one that combines quality at a reasonable price, though their CORTEX trilams & the "hyper-compressed" suit are also decent suits.
They regularly have a "blem sail" where you can buy assorted suits at near dealer prices. http://ndiver.com
Just don't expect them to answer any emails in a timely manner, if at all.
Don't forget that both Viking & Poseidon also have high quality suits & are "almost" local.
They regularly have a "blem sail" where you can buy assorted suits at near dealer prices. http://ndiver.com
Just don't expect them to answer any emails in a timely manner, if at all.
Don't forget that both Viking & Poseidon also have high quality suits & are "almost" local.
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