How important is a test dive before choosing a drysuit?

[TzTz]

The last couple of dives in a two-piece 7ml with water in the low 50s made it clear that wet suit season is ending any day.
Air temps are now below freezing, and it doesn't help as well.
I know that in an ideal world, I should at the very least try different styles of suits before deciding on which one I should buy.
But in my area, there is only one shop, and I prefer buying something they carry if there are any issues with leaks, etc.
I dove with DUI TLS 350 during my drysuit course, and besides that, I have no experience with other suits.
My size is a regular Large, with larger feet, so I can't easily find suits with integrated boots that will fit me.
I'm not picky when it comes to comfort and can do well with some bulkiness. The DUI is my only reference point, and I liked it.


What I'm trying to ask is, how much of a difference is there between different suits?

Before buying one, I will try it on to make sure it fits, but I probably won't have a chance to dive in the same style suit before buying.
I'm not sure what my budget is, but trying to keep it down. So it's not going to be a high-end /customized one.

What should I look for when choosing a suit?
If I decide to go with buying one online, used or new, any tips on that?
Any thoughts?
I know it's a slippery slope, but is there a minimum sum for a good suit? something to avoid?
I don't want to buy one and regret not spending a little more, but I don't want to spend too much for benefits I don't feel.

Thanks!

 

[Marie13]

Trying on to see if a drysuit fits does no good if you’re going custom. And going custom is a good idea.

You pretty much need to narrow it down to neoprene or trilam.

Seaskin in the UK is a SB favorite. About $1500 US for a custom suit. Big thread on it. Have a look.

 

[lexvil]

You can get a great custom seaskin for even less than Marie stated. Closer to 1k but you can easily option it up to more but even with every option it will run less than 1/2 of most suits.

 

[broncobowsher]

Having gone from an off the peg, I fit in the window of size, to a made to measure suit. There is a world of difference. Well worth a few extra coins.

If you take a drysuit class in a rental, it will be in a one size fits none, but close enough to dive suit. Survive that and go to a made to measure, the stuff you fought so much with the rental suddenly isn't that huge fight anymore. If you can make it through the class with a rental suit, the one that fits will just make life wonderful and you will be in it for anything that would have required a wetsuit in the past.

 

[Marie13]

@TzTz

To give you an idea on price spread - the made to measure (custom) DUI FLX Extreme I got a year ago (see avatar photo) was $4100. American made is a high priority for me, and I will pay a premium for it.

 

[TzTz]

ok, I'm getting a little confused now. And this is great
I didn't really think about the meaning of a suit that doesn't fit perfectly. Makes sense that excess fabric means more air pockets, which affect the trim, will add unnecessary buoyancy, and will complicate air venting, etc.
But with all that, budget will be a significant factor, and as I said, except for my large feet, I fit pretty well into many clothing items. The same argument for the need for a close-fitting goes for wetsuits, but I feel that there is nothing I would change in many of-the-shelf wetsuits.

I wasn't aware of more affordable made-to-measure options. I want to spend my money as locally as possible, but up to a certain point. I don't think that I'll spend anything near 4 grand for a suit, I probably will try to stay well below half of it.

 

[stretchthepenn]

What I'm trying to ask is, how much of a difference is there between different suits?

If you browse SB, you'll see lots of discussions about which drysuit is best, and if you read Scuba Diving magazine, you'll see the annual issue with drysuit ratings. Thing is, most drysuits are pretty much the same: body-shaped Ziploc bags. Some are better than others. None of them are terrible (excepting quality-control problems, but that's pretty much a separate issue).

As @Marie13 wrote above, the biggest difference is between shell drysuits and neoprene drysuits. Shell suits need a base layer and a fluffy layer of underwear, and you can layer as need be for just about any water temp. Neoprene can be worn without any underwear or with a base layer, and they're better for slightly warmer conditions. Everything else is details.

What should I look for when choosing a suit?

If I decide to go with buying one online, used or new, any tips on that?

What are the conditions you're diving in? If you're going to be around jagged stuff, get a thick-skinned suit with Kevlar kneepads and so on. If the conditions are "soft," then you can be happy with a lighter-weight suit.

Newer is generally better. Older suits have had more chances to get pinhole leaks and are often held together with AquaSeal.

Avoid anything that needs a new zipper. Those will cost you a couple hundred bucks to replace.

Look closely at the photos of the neck and wrist seals. If they're perished, stretched out, or trimmed too much, you're looking at another chunk of change to get them replaced.

If you can find a used drysuit with a ring system on the neck/wrists, that makes replacing seals cheap and easy, and it'll be relatively easy to add a dryglove system if you want to add one later. (I'm not a huge fan of the DUI ZipSeal system, but it works fine and lots of people like it.)

Avoid suits with super-faded fabric. The suit is probably old or abused.

Since you have big feet, avoid built-in boots. Get a suit with soft feet and buy a pair of rockboots.

Don't get hung up on choosing between a front-zip ("self-donning") or back-zip suit. Both will work just fine.

I know it's a slippery slope, but is there a minimum sum for a good suit? something to avoid?

Aim for $400-900. I've owned and used six drysuits (some I bought new, some used), and they all fit in that price range. The sole exception -- suit #7 -- was a $200 eBay "bargain" that turned out to be a massive lemon, and I demanded a refund.

 

[drk5036]

You can get a great custom seaskin for even less than Marie stated. Closer to 1k but you can easily option it up to more but even with every option it will run less than 1/2 of most suits.

Right. I decided most of the things people on Scubaboard say are "required" for me was unneccesary. My suit cost about 700 dollars.

 

[Searcaigh]

If you can find a used drysuit with a ring system on the neck/wrists, that makes replacing seals cheap and easy, and it'll be relatively easy to add a dryglove system if you want to add one later. (I'm not a huge fan of the DUI ZipSeal system, but it works fine and lots of people like it.)

Cost of DUI seals is a total ripoff!

Get a suit with soft feet and buy a pair of rockboots.

Also makes it easier to turn the suit inside out to dry should it get wet inside.

My first drysuit was a DUI, never again!

 

[rx7diver]

What I'm trying to ask is, how much of a difference is there between different suits?

My approach was to ask the people who were doing the type of drysuit diving I expected to be doing. I followed their suggestions, and ultimately purchased the same type of suit at least two of them were diving. Mine wasn't an inexpensive choice, but it worked--continues to work--as expected, no issues. The purchase was in 1993.

FWIW

rx7diver