sharkster:
I wish I could try them! Unfortunately, this won't happen because although I would probably fit a stock medium ok my feet are too big (size 12) and there's no way DUI is going to have suits like this when their demo comes to my state in 2 weeks. Not to mention Texas isn't exactly a hotbed of drysuit diving, so I pretty much have to base my purchase on anecdotal instead of personal evidence. :sad:
Still don't know which to choose! Maybe I should flip a coin...
Let start here.
1.) What kind of diving do you see yourself doing in... oh... let's say 5 years.?
2.) Will you be doing any instruction or DM'ing?
3.) On a scale of 1 - 6 how hard are you on a suit. (or more importantly how hard would you like to be
1 being very easy zero abuse... never on my knees, never rub, rinse, clean, wax
2 very little abuse.. sometimes on my knees. sometimes rub, sometimes clean etc..
3 average/some abuse but not much. Clean mostly, crawl & rub abit
4 above average abuse. clean once in a while. Do some bottom grubbin'
5 abusive don't clean much, crawl alot scrape on things
6 serious abuse.. NEVER clean ALWAY crawl may work in suit. Throw the suit and
forget it.
You want to look at the long term picture here, don't by something that you may out grow (not speaking in sizing)
Then ask yourself what types of things you'd like in a drysuit.
1.) would you like it to stretch a bit when you reach a limiting point in the suit.. like when you squat down. Or would you rather have the suit allow that by just allowing more 'room' for you to move. As I said before the CF stretchs abit so it is cut closer.
2.) How much versitility do you want in the thermal capabilities of the suit. The CF is a warmer suit inherently. It is cut closer. Therefore you sometimes will not be able to add as much undergarments under it as in a CLX. But it is about 1 maybe 2 degrees warmer by itself. This also plays into the thought that if your like me, I'd take my drysuit to mexico for the cave stuff... when I get to go get trained (you readin' this bossman?
) The CF will be heavier in the baggage and probably would be a bit too warm (at least for alot of people) even with minimul undergarments... However with minimum undergarments the CF will be a lot closer fitting... Does that make sense or did I just confuse the heck out of you.... I know I'm a bit confused now:11:
You catching on to my point about growing 'into' rather than 'out of' the suit?
3.) How much travel will you do. Is lighter better??? You have to answer that.
My suggestion to all divers who don't want to 'just settle' for something, buy something that offers a bit more then you think you'll need. That way if you need it you have it. If you don't ever need it ... so what.
When I built houses for a living nothing sucked worse than going out to buy tools being motivated by money alone. It almost always forced me to buy a tool that wasn't quite what I wanted. The whole time I used that tool I'd be thinking about the things that it wouldn't do and not being completely happy with it. So I'd abuse it so it'd break then I'd go buy the one I really wanted.. way more expensive.. I think your putting some good thought into this whole thing and haven't heard you complain about the $$ once.. good news.. you can pay good $$ up front or spend MORE of it down the road.
Those are the best tip's I can give you man..
There is just one more.. and it truely is the best tip of all. Go to your dive store. These guys know you, you know them. If you trust that they feel about your money the same way they do their own, and will help you spend your $$ as if you were their mother (you just won't get the same pricing...:11: ) then listen to them. Let them help you make a choice. If of course your not so sure that you will get trustworthy advice then you are doing the right thing by seeking advice here.
good luck
