Front entry vs rear entry on a drysuit

[Dive_Girl PNW]

Not having the ability to use a pee valve or relief zipper and having dove both back entry and front zip drysuits, I do appreciate the front zip suit. Although I have used a variety of methods to get out of a back entry suit by myself (including using the handle of a tank secured on a boat while sitting on the bottom of the boat and scooting around to unzip it in an emergency), I still prefer being able to unzip the suit by myself wherever/whenever and found the front zip easiest to use.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Have never dove a rear entry and don't care to. My os systems hdpro has front entry and relief zipper and I've had no problems with either. Also the new model have flaps that velcro over the zippers and the entry zipper and flap are the same width as the cummerbund on my bc so there is no negative effect on mobility or comfort level.

 

[Snowbear]

I started out with a rear entry suit. I learned to zip (and unzip) it myself... with a "tool" as Walter's friend does. If a buddy's available, I would sometimes "let" the buddy help.

I now have a front entry suit. It fits better and other than the latex neck seal, is WAY more comfortable and easier to don and doff than the "custom" rear entry suit (both are Diving Concepts suits). I have made my $300 front entry suit my primary while my $2000+ "custom" rear entry suit is my trusty backup that I hope I never have to use :11:

 

[KOMPRESSOR]

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.

This reminds me of a late cold and dark night last winter. My buddy stood me up, and there I was, gear all over the living room floor ready to go for a night dive in the lake. I decided to do things my own way, and did something like you described, at home, to get my drysuit on. I drove to the lake wearing my zipped drysuit, not stopping at any gas stations or anywhere for any reason!

It was January, and about minus ten degrees Celsius outside. I little snow on the ground. I had a great solo night dive for about 75 minutes. As I came up to my truck after my dive, it was about 11 PM and DARK, I realized I hadn't made ready any device to open my back zipper. -AND NOW I REALLY, REALLY HAD TO, in a hurry... There I was, crawling at the rear of my truck, trying to hook up the zipper to a string I had attached to the trailer hook of all things. Attempts on higher mounted objects, like door knobs, had failed. I was getting desperate to have a wiz, and I was probably huffin' and puffin' like a whale back there. -In my all black neoprene drysuit... Then there was this little old lady walking her poodle... Well, you can imagine the rest. She didn't see me before she was at 6 feet distance, and I didn't see her. -But I sure heard her!!!

-So front zipper it is for me, next time around!

 

[Walter]

...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?

She's very independent, she unzips it herself.

 

[teksimple]

Thanks, all, for the very good advice. With the four plus hour dives on my rebreather, a P-valve is a given anyway. I am thinking that the front entry is for me. I just placed an order for a Bare XCD2 Tech.

 

[san diego diver]

i have a bare front entry drysuit. i mainly do dives off my boat or my buddy's. doing multiple dives it is very important to be able to open it and pee!! i owned a DUI TLS 350 front entry and had to take it off down to the waist. Being as the seals are thin latex,the more times you take them off the more times you need to replace them!!
(wonder if Dick Long had that in mind when he designed them?) that is one of the advantages of a neoprene suits,they have neoprene seals that seem to last longer.But in my opinion the Bare front entry tri-lam is the best one ive owned or dove yet!!

 

[Dean810]

I have used both front and rear entry zippers. Front entry is a convenience, but I have never had a problem finding someone to help me zip up a rear entry, and people tend to be very careful doing so. With a front entry suit, you have no one else but yourself to blame if you neglect to zip up all the way, which I have done on one occation with a front entry suit! Rear entry is cheaper, and a good option for the budget minded, such as myself.

By the way, has anyone heard anything GOOD about the new style DUI front zipper? People seem to have a much harder time zipping them up un-assisted

 

[mnj1233]

I have used both front and rear entry zippers. Front entry is a convenience, but I have never had a problem finding someone to help me zip up a rear entry, and people tend to be very careful doing so. With a front entry suit, you have no one else but yourself to blame if you neglect to zip up all the way, which I have done on one occation with a front entry suit! Rear entry is cheaper, and a good option for the budget minded, such as myself.

By the way, has anyone heard anything GOOD about the new style DUI front zipper? People seem to have a much harder time zipping them up un-assisted

Because they reversed the zip direction on the DUI self don Ive seen divers zip up the inner and when they go to zip down the outer zip actually open ever so slightly the inner. Bad news. Been there, seen it happen at least 3-4 times. Take it for what its worth.

 

[Dean810]

Because they reversed the zip direction on the DUI self don Ive seen divers zip up the inner and when they go to zip down the outer zip actually open ever so slightly the inner. Bad news. Been there, seen it happen at least 3-4 times. Take it for what its worth.

The zipper also seems longer, and wraps around more. Why did they do that?