First Drysuit

[Boarderguy]

Kubi - nice, somewhat expensive. Good following. I have never used them but I defer to @Boarderguy and his experience.

Rolock 90 - pretty inexpensive, great system, easy to load. To me they had a little bit of a break in period but now they're great.

Waterproof - somewhere in the middle expense wise (last time I checked). Very hard to load but pretty flawless once on. Can use a different size o ring to make them worlds easier to load.

To me they've all got little nuances. I was in the water at depth when a buddies Kubi popped off.. no idea why, maybe user error? I've never had either the Rolock or WP pop off. You can't go wrong with any of the 3 imo. The Rolock is probably the most secure because it twists on, but reality is they all work great.

That's crazy pants! I got the kubi covers for that specific reason AND to keep them looking nice. I don't know how he would have popped one of at depth without reaching into a hole

 

[rob.mwpropane]

That's crazy pants! I got the kubi covers for that specific reason AND the keep them looking nice. I don't know how he would have popped one of at depth without reaching into a hole

Lol.. I'm not sure I've ever heard that saying before.

I don't know how they popped. He's a really skilled diver, was my tech instructor. He said he didn't know, but its never happened before. It actually happened on one of my checkout dives... we weren't doing anything strenuous.

 

[Gelirfella]

Last question. Ordering tonight or tomorrow. I was leaning towards neoprene socks but now thinking integrated boots may work better. Don’t need different fins for wet vs. dry that way right? Thoughts?

 

[lexvil]

Last question. Ordering tonight or tomorrow. I was leaning towards neoprene socks but now thinking integrated boots may work better. Don’t need different fins for wet vs. dry that way right? Thoughts?

I prefer socks, I can match shoes to fins easier than the other way around.

 

[Boarderguy]

Last question. Ordering tonight or tomorrow. I was leaning towards neoprene socks but now thinking integrated boots may work better. Don’t need different fins for wet vs. dry that way right? Thoughts?

Socks...
boots can lead to, but not always, floaty feet. Damage to the boot means you get a leak. You're stuck with whatever you can use to fill that boot and no more.
Socks you can invert your suit to dry if/when needed.
Neo socks help to minimize air and thus have less floaty feet tendencies.Rock boots can be damaged and you stay dry. You can add more or less insulation to your feet depending on how tight you lace your boots.

Lots of opinions on both sides of the issue here. I only have experience with socks but chose them based on the above after lots of reading.

 

[Gelirfella]

The deed is done. Now I wait.

 

[passeparici]

Never get a back zip, you'll regret it.

Back zip are ok. You need help to open and close it but you don't dive alone normaly so what's the problem ? 99 % of the time other divers are happy to help (they also need help anyway).

 

[passeparici]

My small experience with dry suits : I bought a trilam (Waterproof) with boots. Although it fitted me it was bulky and not hydrodynamic at all so hard in the currents. Also it had quite big boots. They were quite confortable but bulky, I had to use bigger fins than my normal fins so it added to the difficulties in current (more difficult for my small legs hehe). It had big pocket but I don't really need that : bad for the hydrodynamic. Good silicon wrists and neck but quite big (bad also for the hydrodynamic etc.
At the end I sold it and replace it with a neoprene (Scubapro Exodry 4). It is closer to the body so much better with the hydrodynamic). It has neoprene socks so I can put the suit inside out to dry it (very practical). But then those socks are very sensitive to puncture when you walk : I always put some thing over it but I chose that to not be as bulky as the trilam boots suite.
The trilam was very good in not so cold water or even in warm water because I could put almost nothing under it and not be too hot. I was trained for dry suit in Thailand and I only needed to get wet with the suit on and I was not too hot on the boat. So it is a good suit for year around. And I was also better to travel as it is lighter. It was not easier to dry it as I could not put it inside out.
The neoprene is good in the sense that it is already warmer by itself so I need less undergarnment and less weights. It is WAY more hydrodynamic, it feel almost like a wetsuite (big one though). And it is less expensive...

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Back zip are ok. You need help to open and close it but you don't dive alone normaly so what's the problem ? 99 % of the time other divers are happy to help (they also need help anyway).

I dive alone all the time? Not to mention, on a busy boat it sucks standing there waiting for someone to finish whatever they're doing so they can "zip me up".

Back zips work fine, but they suck

Quick story. 3 of us diving over the winter in a quarry. We all get in and one guy is just there to test his back zip that he just replaced. Well his patch job didn't work and leaked right away, so he turns right around and says go ahead without me. No one remembered he had a back zip.. he had to drive home in his suit.

See...back zips suck.