Front entry vs rear entry on a drysuit

[teksimple]

I am sure this has been proposed and dissected numerous times. I am ordering a crushed neoprene drysuit, and am wondering if I should pay the extra $100-200 for the front zipper or just get the rear entry (technically not self-donning). Someone said that I should not because the zipper area on a Bare or DUI crushed neoprene drysuit is stiff when it is up front and it will be uncomfortable. Others say you gotta get the front entry because you definitely want to be able to get it off by yourself. I know there are other configs out there but those are the two that I have to choose from.

Last time I wore a drysuit for any length of time was a DUI tri-lam in the 80's. I had no problem with the rear entry then.

Would be nice to hear from divers who've dived with both styles. Aside from price, why do you dive with a rear entry rather than a front entry and vice versa?

 

[The Kraken]

Let me state in the beginning that I am VERY NEW to dry suit diving.
Having said that, I have a new Bare XCD2 "Tech" front entry suit and have no issues at all with any "stiffness" or discomfort.

I'm diving a Hog rig.

the K

 

[glbirch]

My current drysuit is also a Bare XCD2 front entry, and I haven't noticed any 'zipper stiffness' issues. My last suit was a rear entry Viking that I 'retired' a while ago.

A number of front entry suits seem to be 'semi' self-donning depending on individual flexibility, so if possible try before you buy just to make sure you can get in and out by yourself if that's the reason you want the front entry.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Get a suit you can put on and remove yourself.

There is no significant advantage to any other format for 99% of non-commercial diving.

 

[Walter]

I have a dear friend who dives with a rear entry dry suit and she zips it up by herself. She uses a tool, but she does it.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

The only drawback to a front-entry suit is that when you replace the zipper ... which you will eventually do ... it will cost you more than a rear-entry style. That's because it's a longer zipper.

There are no comfort issues related to the position of the zipper ... when wearing it, you won't even know the zipper is there.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Doc Intrepid]

I have a dear friend who dives with a rear entry dry suit and she zips it up by herself. She uses a tool, but she does it.

...in which case she clearly puts it on herself! :05: But after the dive does she most often use the same tool, or do the "I-gotta-pee-dance" while asking her buddy to unzip her zipper?

 

[KOMPRESSOR]

Guess what you can do by just opening the zipper a little bit on a front entry suit!

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I own both front zippered self-entry drysuits and rear entry zippered dry suits.

The front zipper runs under the harness, bunches up just a bit and front entry suits need to be cut slightly longer in the torso so that you can get your head through the zipper opening. It's not really a problem and not really something I would call uncomfortable, but I do think that all other things being equal that rear entry suits fit better and I prefer them.

As for doffing and donning, I have a carabiner mounted at zipper level on my boat and it is an easy matter to clip the carabiner to the zipper pull and then turn yourself around to zip the zipper. It takes just a bit of practice but after that, works every time. You can unzip the same way or clip a 3' line to the pull and just pull the zipper open with the opposite hand with the line running across your back.

The only real advantage with a front entry suit is that, as pointed out above, you can unzip slightly to take a wiz rather than having to strip the suit down to your waist. But then that's why God invented pee valves.

 

[bertschb]

I can easily don my DUI (front entry) suit myself. I wouldn't have it any other way. I've never experienced any discomfort. Quite the contrary, I much prefer this DUI front entry to my old rear zipper. No comparison for me. I like to easily get in and out of my suit by myself. I like to be able to do as much as I can by myself and a self donning, DUI front entry suit is the cat's meow- for me.