Inexpensive Shell Drysuits

[jonnythan]

I wouldn't put up with the PITA of ankle seals. They won't kill you but they *can* rip and they're much harder to get on and get sealed than just built in boots.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Thats cause you don't know the secret!

You young guys need mentors in the worst way...

 

[jonnythan]

Thats cause you don't know the secret!

You young guys need mentors in the worst way...

Uh huh.. I've worn at least 10 different drysuits with ankle seals at least 50 different times. Teach me the secret Doc

 

[kidspot]

I considered the 30/30 DUI suit or one of the other tropical suits, but I was told that they don't allow for undergarments - which would be an issue since a big part for getting this would be for cold weather diving in other parts of the country (I sometimes travel 3-4 months of the year) But thanks for the recommendation Doc... I'm definitely open to other options though...

Aloha, Tim

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Uh huh.. I've worn at least 10 different drysuits with ankle seals at least 50 different times. Teach me the secret Doc

[YODA CROAK] Humph....

Young Jedi knights,...disrespectful they are. Inexperienced with the Force they are. Hurt themselves with their light sabers they might! Teach them I will...
[/YODA CROAK]

Jonnythan, the secret to being at one with your seals is LTPL - "Large Tubes of Personal Lube"!

This works initially much better if you conspire with your dive buddies. All 4 or 6 of you go to Eckerds or Walgreens or something. Each of you picks up 2 LTPLs and a sixpack. Get the Family size. The bigger the better. Go up to the youngest girl working a register and purchase said items individually. Banter about the fun you're going to have. Watch her turn redder and redder as she rings up each guys purchases. If she really gets embarrassed, you can make a point of telling your buddy within her earshot that if he runs out of lube he can use yours...but he has to put it on himself.

Out on the boat (or wherever), first slather this goop on the inside of your seals, then on your foot and lower calf. Thick layer! Unless you have, like, ankle piercings or something, your seals should slide right on over your foot and up into place around your ankles slicker than snot. If you have any friction-type problems, you obviously haven't used sufficient personal lube!

We go through about two tubes apiece every 4-6 weeks throughout the season. OTOH, no one's ever blown a seal yet (knocks on wood) and it makes it fast and easy to get seals in place especially when the boat is knocking the crap out of you on the way out.

To paraphrase Homer Simpson; "...Personal lube, the cause of and answer to most of life's problems..."

Give it a shot, young Jedi!

 

[jonnythan]

OR........ you could just put socks on.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

OR........ you could just put socks on.

Did socks work for you in the past? Those 50 times or so when your ankle seals were a PITA?

 

[jonnythan]

Socks didn't (well, don't, since I still wear drysuits with ankle seals) work with ankle seals. But ankle seals rip, they *are* much more difficult to put on than suits with boots, and they almost invariably leak unless you pull them high on the leg. Either way there's no point.. get a suit that has boots built in.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

I'm definitely open to other options though...

Tim,

I agree with some of the others, then, I think one of the best suits for your purposes might be a DUI 350, and you see them pretty frequently on ebay. I don't know much about the other manufacturers, but my buddy used to have a Bare and wound up real unhappy with it. The guys I know who own DUI, quite a few of them actually, all are real satisfied with their suits. The suit I owned before DUI was a Viking, and while it worked well, it was heavier than I liked and restricted my movement more.

FWIW. Best of luck to you,

Doc

 

[phillybob]

the coldest i've ever been on a dive was in 72 degree water at dos ojos in mexico. air temp was about 95. after two one hour dives i was freezing my can off. it happens.