High end drysuit comparability

[Boarderguy]

Do you mean lots of space in the suit ? Anything to combat this ?

Measure yourself (have a partner do it) morning and evening a few times throughout a week to get a good average. Follow the videos for measuring exactly. My suit fits like a dream and has 100+ dives on it. Total was about $1300 ish 2 years ago and that included SiTech quick neck, SiTech valves, pee valve, Kubi dry glove rings (suit side), etc...

One of my buddies has 250+ in his over the same time and has developed a few leaks but he's rough on his stuff.

For $2k less than an off the shelf bare or dui I have a custom suit that is exactly the way I want it. If needed I can use that savings to pay a local for repairing or I can ship it back to Seaskin. They will give you a shipping label (you pay for it) and then take care of your suit in a relatively quick fashion. Shipping is 2 days and the repairs are under a month. OR just have it done locally. The money i saved on my suit provided means to buy a scooter, a few more tanks, and lots of gas to local diving spots.

 

[mr_v]

hi all, why no mention of FE Argonaut 3.0? wouldn't that classified in same category?

Looks like a good suit with MTM sizing as a standard. I'd like to know what it would cost with all options. The starting price is only $250 less than SF Tech, so Argonaut 3.0 better be super good.

 

[mr_v]

Thanks for the heads up. Can you ask for "cave cut"

p.s. what does cave cut actually mean :<

Cave Cut means the suit is cut closer to the body, much closer than typical MTM cuts. Imagine a suit that fits as comfortable as a soft, well fitted wet suit. It works well only with the right, high quality fabrics.

You can get cave cut suits from manufactures and dealers familiar with cave divers and cave diving. SF Tech is notable in that arena and US SF Tech dealer is a well-known cave instructor. To get the that cut and precision level, you must take measurements while wearing the same undergarments that you would wear diving. Some people will add an extra layer to get a bit more room.

Many manufactures that offer MTM sizing will ask you to measure while wearing your regular clothing. Then they will estimate the additional required room. Seaskin will provide extra room for thicker undergarments, but that's not a precise measurement. Even without asking for extra room, most MTM suits that I've seen (Seaskin, Otter, Bare) were on a roomier side. It is really not a big deal unless you must manage air bubble often to the point where extra bubble becomes a significant pain in the rear, like when you swim in a cave with continuous profile changes.

Also, note that "cave cut" is a personal preference. I know avid cave divers who prefer roomier suits for comfort. As long as the space between a body and the suit is more or less even, you should be okay. MTM suits with problems typically have signficant spare volume differences (e.g., top is tight but legs are very roomy) or are tight.