DUI Dry Suits and Zip Seals

[theskull]

Soggy,

A very reasonable and civil reply. Agreed that DUI is not the only suit--in fact mine is the second brand I've owned. The point I was trying to make (less than optimally) is that, like many of our gear choices, if you spend more than you wanted to originally to get one of the top-rated products you will be glad you did over and over. This also assumes one plans to dive a lot. When I was an occasional dry suit diver I would not have truly appreciated the difference in function.

Back to Tim's original question: I have dived with some who do have experience with the zip seals and there is no difference unless you like to swap back and forth between dry gloves and wet gloves or no gloves--they are really ideal for this option. Also good for rental or training suits, which most of you won't care about. So again I return to your passion for diving---for occasional diving needs, they are a luxury, possibly an extravagance. But if you dive all the time and don't want to miss a single weekend, the zip seals are not only worth it for the convenience, but also for the service aspect since avid divers will wear out wrist seals in a period of lots of months as opposed to lots of years.

theskull

 

[Arnaud]

Several friends got the new seals. Mine were terribly worn out and I went for it. I will dive on Saturday with the new improvement.

The two reasons why I got the new seals:

1. Ease of repair if I'm on day or multi day boat trip: I now have spare seals in my bag and they can be replaced in just a few minutes

2. Ease of switching from dry gloves to latex seals: don't have the gloves, yet, but now I can.

The retrofitting is kind of pricey but seems highly worth it for those doing more than a one tank shore dive a day...

 

[timhernandez]

Folks,

Thanks for the information so far, keep it coming !

To clarify the situation a bit, I live in Michigan and dive the area of the Great Lakes frequently (25 dives this last season, will be more this next season with a dry suit).

I also travel a bit to somewhat warmer areas (Florida, the Carolinas, Texas) and dive there (10 dives last season, 15-25 this coming season).

I also try and go someplace warm during the winter to dive. Did Belize last year

I am only going to buy 1 drysuit in the forseeable future, and want it to be one that I enjoy wearing, that will last, and is of high quality.

I see the Zip Seals as allowing me the flexability to re-configure on the fly based on diving location/conditions.

Again, thanks for the info and opinions. As this is a pretty high dollar purchase, the input has helped me in making some of my decisions (P-valve, or not to P-Valve).

-Tim

 

[Soggy]

timhernandez once bubbled...
I see the Zip Seals as allowing me the flexability to re-configure on the fly based on diving location/conditions.

What do you see yourself reconfiguring?

You can't dive with the seals off. Dry glove ring systems allow you to dive with or without the gloves also as the seals stay intact. The zip seals just seem like an awful failure point that could potentially be dangerous in very cold water. They also seem like a very expensive option with little or no benefit....basically solving a problem that doesn't really exist.

 

[Arnaud]

Soggy once bubbled...
...The zip seals just seem like an awful failure point that could potentially be dangerous in very cold water...

In general, seals are a failure point. The zip seals just help quickly replace a damaged seal.

Yes, the zips could not be properly in place when you jump in the water. But the result would be just like a damaged seal. A small leak. If you're thinking about the possibility of losing the seals outright because of the new zip system, I just don't see how that could happen.

You're not really adding another failure point. And now, the existing failure point is easier to correct.

 

[Scubatooth]

well if you think about it the price of the zip seals is about on par, because what does it cost to ship the suit back to get a new set of seals put on and then how much do they charge you to ship it back, and then DUI also might need to test the suit so that would be another charge on top of that, so the price works out about the same

food for thought

 

[BOATS313]

It's not worth the money to me. I can change a seal out overnight for less that $20. It's just glue and latex. You don't need a Phd or any special skills, just some simple homemade forms to keep everything lined up. The hardest part is removing the old seal and glue.
Plus $138 for a new next seal is a rip off. How much is a rental suit going for these days? Even if you miss a dive it would cost you less to get you suit fixed and take the boat out again.
Just my 2 cents.