Ebay Drysuit Question,Can You Advise

[Morg_NZ]

:dazzler1:
Hey there,

Can I ask your opinion please?
I 've been keeping an eye on ebay for some new(ish) gear. I've always used wetsuits, however the British waters are a little chilly at best of times. I've seen some really good deals for drysuits and I was wondering if anyone has ever got anything off ebay like dive suits.

My idea was to get one and have it customised/altered if needed.I've seen a new DUI suit for sale going for £75 with no reserve, never used and current model. So surely a few extra pounds on top of the £75 isn't going to break the bank.

Has anyone any good advice on this matter

 

[DMDC01]

I have never bought a dry suit from anyone but a dive shop for simple fact of fit, maintenance, and seals. A drysuit fits alot different than a wetsuit, and your seals are custom to your body. You might want to do a little more thinking and homework on this one. And dont forget you need undergarments too.

 

[Morg_NZ]

I have never bought a dry suit from anyone but a dive shop for simple fact of fit, maintenance, and seals. A drysuit fits alot different than a wetsuit, and your seals are custom to your body. You might want to do a little more thinking and homework on this one. And dont forget you need undergarments too.

Yeh, but surely the saving made justifys the extra cost in replacing the seals and perhaps removing a little from the sides. I'm a fairly regular size{medium tall) so the potions in fit for me aren't to variable.

Question? has anyone purchased a second hand suit and had it altered, if so what problems did you have?

 

[Morg_NZ]

So. Is my idea that bad???? wondered why not manypeople replyed.

 

[mikswi]

So. Is my idea that bad???? wondered why not manypeople replyed.

Be sure to price getting the suit "resized" to fit you as well as the cost of replacing all the seals.

You may find that after that, your only a short jump to the cost of a new suit.

 

[Sideband]

:dazzler1:
Hey there,

Can I ask your opinion please?
I 've been keeping an eye on ebay for some new(ish) gear. I've always used wetsuits, however the British waters are a little chilly at best of times. I've seen some really good deals for drysuits and I was wondering if anyone has ever got anything off ebay like dive suits.

Anything you get used on Ebay is a crapshoot. Some stuff is great. Other stuff, not so great.
Be ready to replace all of the seals and possibly the boots in addition to having it fitted. I've never seen a suit in my size with boots that were also in my size.<shrug>
Good luck. You may get a perfect fit, but be ready for the other possibility.

Joe

 

[jagfish]

OK
Looks like you've got a lot of advice here, some of it pretty good. Having bought two DUI suits off ebay (one for me, one for my wife) here is the experience I can pass on...

1. Make sure of your size before you buy. I mean try a suit on for sure. I was surprisd to find that many of the suits for sale on Ebay were new owners of used suits that did not fit.

2. Make sure the suit is actually the size claimed. I have seen several suits for sale that actually turned out to be a different size than originally advertised.

3. I agree that you need to plan on replacing all seals and have a pressure check. The cost of this is quite reasonable in comparison to the price of a new suit (in my opinion). Wrist seals and neck seals are about 120 buck for both installed, and the pressure check (and monor patching) is another 60. So plan on adding 180bucks on to the price.

4. Used suits commonly have added feaures and undergarments sold with them that make them an outstanding value. The DUI undergarments are really good (in my opinion) and really expensive. They are often included wiht the suit in Ebay sales.

5. Lots of peole selling their suits are those who bought new suits, dove a few times and found out that they did not like diving in cold water. Those are the suits I think are in the best condition, since they are hardly used.

I was able to buy my TLS 350 with Thinsulate 200 underarments for 300 US dollars. After I put another 180 dollars in seals and checks into it, I had a great suit in mint shape for 480 dollars.

Assuming that you will have to add almost 200 dollars of service to your suit will help you create your target price. For me, I set 3 to 400 dollars. Prices are best once it gets warm out.

A new suit will cost 1300 to 1500 dollars at a discount and the DUI undergarments are an additional 300 to 400. So new, the items would cost 1600 to 1900 dollars plus tax. In view of that, getting a suit for 5 to 600 dollars is quite a goood deal in my estimation.

 

[jagfish]

Oh yes...
and for the boots. There are basically two options for DUI suits. One is the turbo soles. They come in a one size fits all for each suit size range. Basically, you are lucky if they fit you perfectly. If they are a bit loose (as is my case) you can bulk up with the thinsulate booties and a couple extra socks if you need them. Too tight is a worse issue, but one I have never seen.

The trubo soles are adequate for boat diving and light shore entry. I have rather unforgiving terrain here for my shore entries, so the turbo boots are actually not a great choice, but I am not convinced the Rock boots are for me, either. The turbo soles also allow most people to use their usual fins as well, another plus.

Rock boots come in definite sizes. There is a soft watersock attached to the suite that the boot fits over. You should definitely try these boots on somewhere so you know your size. My size is 12. If you buy a suit with a size boot that does not fit you (probably the usual case with rock boots) you will have to buy another pair (but you can resell the old pair on Ebay). I see them occassionally on Ebay. Retail thay can be had for about 60 bucks from an internet discounter.

Rock boots (as their name would suggest) are very rugged and good for rough shore entries as well as boat diving. Downside for me is that you will likely need a dedicated fin for these boots, and the lacing system seems like a potential entanglement hazard. I'd rather see some kind of velcro closure.

JAG

 

[MgicTwnger]

A little advice from a guy who has bought and sold a lot on eBay:

Check the sellers feedback.

Make sure he has a return policy you can live with. Good sellers will take it back, no question asked, less the cost of shipping.

Compare what the suit will cost up front and to repair/alter with the cost of a new suit. Remember, it's easier to deal with your LDS when you have a problem than with some guy who just wanted to sell his old suit.

Shop eBay over a period of time. It's often worth the wait and effort involved to get a bargain on exactly what you are looking for. Set up a search in "My eBay" to email you when new items come online.

 

[oxyhacker]

Serious alterations on shell suits are expensive, and can lessen the integrity of the suit. Shortening the arms or legs is relatively simple, bit and will cost $100-200. Taking in or shortening the torso, or taking in the legs would cost more, and letting them out even more. Even then you can end up with a odd fitting or badly balanced suit since when doing alternations it's usually possible to work on only one or two aspects - you can't take it or let out the whole suit. For example, if you take in the torso you can end up with oversized shoulders.

It's really not something you want to get involved in if you can avoid it.