Flexibility or warmth? Membrene or Neoprene?

[Mikebubbles]

Just about to donate another pay cheque to my diving addiction and need a drysuit for these wonderful English waters.
Tried a couple on today both neoprene and membrane but cannot decide which way to go.


Any Help??

 

[Diver0001]

What kind of diving do you do and what are your future plans (coming 5 years)?

R..

 

[Mikebubbles]

Plan to dive Inshore, mainly in the English Channel. I have been a bit of a tropical water diver for the past 5 years (hence no drysuit) but would like to spend a couple of years checking out some of the wrecks around our coastline.
As some friends would say become a REAL DIVER. Obviously I would do some training first but not many centres lend out drysuits to try near here.

 

[Diver0001]

One of the considerations is durability. If you're doing a lot of shore diving you'll find trilaminate is easier to damage on entry/exit than compressed or crushed neoprene.

For wreck diving, expecially North Sea wrecks, I also prefer compressed neoprene for the odd time it reaches out and grabs you, although in my mind this is a secondary issue compared to climbing over rocky shorelines to enter and exit.

In either case don't buy a 7mm neoprene suit. You need to strap an anchor to your butt to make it sink and once you get 30 metres under water that anchor is a real drag....so to speak. 4mm compressed is as thick as you want a neoprene suit to be. 2mm is better.

Obviously, trilaminate solves this problem but you trade in somewhat on durability and you need a lot of thermal protection in water colder than about 7C, which to me feels a little bloated.

Probably didn't answer your question but now you have more information.

R..

 

[matt_unique]

At 1/5th the cost, the extra blast of air required at depth to account for the compression in a 7mm neo drysuit may seem down right manageable

Compressed neo suits are better, but they are not 5 times better.

--Matt

 

[tangfish]

to me: neoprene = better in the water(less drag, trapped air, etc.); membrane = better on land (easier to get in and out of, dry, etc.)

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Recommend you go trilam.

Advantages include -
* flexibility offered by varying the insulation value of the undergarment;
* dries faster, which could be of value if you're traveling to a dive location;
* there is no variance in bouyancy introduced by the compression of neoprene at significant depths (with a corresponding variance occurring during the last phases of your _decompression_-oriented ascent as the neoprene now expands);
* (while relative importance will vary with personal perceptions) thick neoprene drysuits can hinder valve drills and other response maneuvers requiring extreme flexibility, dexterity, or reach. IMHO thin shell drysuits often, depending on undergarment and material, offer greater flexibility and overall range of motion.

FWIW. YMMV.

Doc

 

[Mike7]

Make sure you got your fourth element Xerotherm Arctic for the undersuit.

Keepes me toasty!