First Diving Suit

[alewar]

Hello,

I'm completing my CMAS* certification with a diving club and want to buy my first diving suit.
I don't want to break the bank, but neither do I want to buy something of low quality just to replace it in the near future.
Primarily I will be diving cold water here in Germany and Scandinavia, with luck once per year something warmer, so the choice would be either a thick wetsuit or to go semi- or dry.

Is a drysuit too much overkill for a newbie? Given the fit is equally good, which suits should I avoid and which one would you recommend.

Thanks!

 

[jIM STEELE]

check with your local dive shop take a dry suit class then decide

 

[dbulmer]

Hello,

I'm completing my CMAS* certification with a diving club and want to buy my first diving suit.
I don't want to break the bank, but neither do I want to buy something of low quality just to replace it in the near future.
Primarily I will be diving cold water here in Germany and Scandinavia, with luck once per year something warmer, so the choice would be either a thick wetsuit or to go semi- or dry.

Is a drysuit too much overkill for a newbie? Given the fit is equally good, which suits should I avoid and which one would you recommend.

Thanks!

A drysuit is not overkill for a newbie. Given that you are in a dive club your training will include tuition in using a drysuit. A thick wetsuit or semi dry are usually compromises that are made when money is tight. If you can afford a drysuit now then that is the right choice in my opinion.

The choice of drysuit is going to depend on your budget largely and to a certain degree by the people you meet in your club. There are various types of drysuit each with advantages and disadvantages. My own preference is for what is known as a trilaminate drysuit.

I won't delve into the details here but if you opt for a trilam suit you also need to budget for good quality clothing underneath the drysuit. We call this clothing undergarments or undersuits. There are various options here and the choice like the drysuit itself is subject to personal preference.

One thing you have to understand is that your drysuit has to fit you well. The fit of the drysuit has to allow for the bulkiest underwear that you might wear and at the same time be comfortable to wear. It should not be baggy nor should it be very tight fitting. At this stage in your diving, I suggest that you talk to members of your club about their suits. Look at what they are using and ask what they like and dislike about their suits.

The brand of drysuit is less important in my opinion. If the suit fits well, is not restrictive in movement and has a reputation for lasting well then that is a suit you should consider trying.

The link below should give you a helping hand on how to fit a drysuit.

Dry suit fitting

Hope that gives you a start

 

[Aqua-Andy]

dbulmer, That is a great link for fitting but I still think a drysuit is too tight if you can't do this in it.

This photo was taken off the Whites website. When it was first posted on there site they offered a free undergarment to the next person who posted a a picture like this. I don't think they gave it out yet.

 

[jerzeedivr]

I started wet then dry, back to wet. New Jersey temp. is about 47*F- 70* F in the summer. Of course the bottom is the coldest. This time I bought an Aqua Lung 7 or 8 mm flex 1 piece suit back zipper and I really like it. I also prefer to wear a Dry Suit Hood. It is a wet hood cut short so movement is a lot easier.I don't like the restriction of movement with the full collar wet hood.I am Warm. I got 7 or 8 mm non zipper boots and my feet are warm. My dry suit was an old Hendersen. I hated turning the suit inside out to rinse and dry the suit 2 times. It was a lot more work then rinsing and drying on the line.

Hello,

I'm completing my CMAS* certification with a diving club and want to buy my first diving suit.
I don't want to break the bank, but neither do I want to buy something of low quality just to replace it in the near future.
Primarily I will be diving cold water here in Germany and Scandinavia, with luck once per year something warmer, so the choice would be either a thick wetsuit or to go semi- or dry.

Is a drysuit too much overkill for a newbie? Given the fit is equally good, which suits should I avoid and which one would you recommend.

Thanks!

 

[seattlepaul1975]

Dry suit for me. Granted diving in puget sound anything else would seem way too cold to be enjoyable. Water was 46 today

 

[Johanan]

A dry suit gives not only the best thermal protection during the dive. It feels totaly different to be dry after or between the dives. In a cool, windy weather a drysuit diver is blissfully warm among the shivering wet divers. In a hot weather, getting into the water or out of it can be a sweatty experience.

Regarding the price, the divers with a longer experience say, that dry suits last much longer whereas the wetsuits tend to loose their insulating properties. The initial investment for a dry suit (not forgetting the undergarments) will be higher but the cost per dive relation can be in favour of a dry suit. It is more versatile, form ice diving to tropical.

Whites dry suits were mentioned above - they are interesting because they actually do not require an exact fit. You can buy online and probably will not go wrong without fitting. They also take away much of the air bubble management task, typical for dry suits. Longer users say, they are very durable, too.

For a European diver the Finnish Ursuit is a brand to explore. If something happens, you will not have to send your suit all the way back to Canada.

 

[gcarter]

check with your local dive shop take a dry suit class then decide

I second that. Many advocate going dry right away, but IMO that is not necessarily the right answer. I dive wet comfortably for 2 x 60 minute dives wearing a 7mm john (14 on the core) with 5mm hood and gloves in 6c - 7c water. I am not inclined to do more than 2 tanks at such temperatures. What are your local temperatures, and just as (if not more) important, what is your own tolerance?

The reality is that dry is more expensive. And it is an extra bit of task loading. Certainly far from insurmountable, but it is what it is.

At the same time, if you can afford it and are ok with the extra "work" of managing the drysuit, it certainly would indoubtedly be more comfortable.

So I second the advice to take a class and try it, then decide if going dry is worth it to you.

Keep an open mind and make up your own mind.

For me, I am OK with what I dive and see no need to spend any more money on dry gear. But everyone has different criteria / decision thresholds.

 

[tphelps]

Hello,

I'm completing my CMAS* certification with a diving club and want to buy my first diving suit.
I don't want to break the bank, but neither do I want to buy something of low quality just to replace it in the near future.
Primarily I will be diving cold water here in Germany and Scandinavia, with luck once per year something warmer, so the choice would be either a thick wetsuit or to go semi- or dry.

Is a drysuit too much overkill for a newbie? Given the fit is equally good, which suits should I avoid and which one would you recommend.

Thanks!

Hey alewar, congrats on your certification. I guess it kind of depends on the water temperature you will diving in most. I dive in the south-west United States. The water temp ranges from 50-60 degrees F (10-15 C). I had a 7mm wetsuit for years and took it to a dive shop to get the arms tailored to me. It worked great and kept me warm but I dont like how 7mms restrict your movement. I just got a Whites Bullet drysuit and totally love it. Even though you are still a fairly new diver, if you do a drysuit course with a dive shop you have nothing to worry about. Hope that helps!

 

[Johanan]

I had a 7mm wetsuit for years and took it to a dive shop to get the arms tailored to me. It worked great and kept me warm but I dont like how 7mms restrict your movement.

Fully agree with that. Quite warm but restrictive.

I just got a Whites Bullet drysuit and totally love it. Even though you are still a fairly new diver, if you do a drysuit course with a dive shop you have nothing to worry about. Hope that helps!

I got a Whites Tech and have not used my 7+7 wetsuit ever since. But now, with some experience with Whites I would consider even a Sport instead of a Tech. It it's blissfully light, flexible and fast drying. Pockets can be added with shorts, when needed. I really think of getting an extra Sport skin.