Justifying a dry suit or not

[MaxBottomtime]

I made 800 dive in wetsuits before going dry. My buddies were diving dry and telling me to get a dry suit. I didn't want to spend the money, but after making another deep dive with long decompression stops required in cold water I broke my piggy bank. I haven't worn a wetsuit since.
There are a lot of different types of suits out there. My first suit was a Poseidon rubber dry suit. I took my weightbelt off when I reached the anchor because I was too negative. I didn't need any weight with that suit. I had a DUI TLS350 for 100 dives but it leaked nearly every dive. I've had three Diving Concepts suits, two crushed neoprene and one Cordura. Even with thick undergarments I wear 18#, the same as I wore in a wetsuit for cold water. I boought a new CLX450 on Ebay for $1100 but have only worn it twice. It has zip gloves attached so it takes some getting used to learning to get in and out of the suit without removing the gloves. Once I get comfortable with that I may dive it more often.
I've had a couple of $300 Ebay specials that were worth the money. I made a few hundred dives in a $300 USIA suit before giving it to a buddy. It's still being used eight years after I bought it.

 

[TSandM]

If you are a custom size, you might seriously look into the Whites Fusion. The fit is very forgiving (as long as the suit is big enough, it will work) and the price will run you half of less what a custom DUI will, meaning that your return on investment is better.

 

[kr2y5]

I second the above suggestion, and I would add that if you ever gain or lose weight, you do not want to be stuck with an expensive custom drysuit that no longer fits very well, and cannot be sold easily because, well, it is custom... I went for Whites Fusion Sport, in large part, for this reason, and I have been very happy with it so far.

 

[LowDrag]

And have to add to both statements above. I dive he White's Fusion Bullet myself. I had about 10-15 dives when I switched over. I went with the White's because people like LCF above told me that I could pick up my buoyancy skills very quickly with this type of suit. Being a diver that, like you, dives once a month or so I didn't want to spend "30 dives" relearning my buoyancy skills which wasn't all that great yet anyway. Everyone I have talked to has said that switching to a DS will make you have yo re-learn buoyancy skills. I took to my White's right away and so did my wife. I am not saying my buoyancy was perfect but I wasn't corking and all over the place like some folks I have talked to. The White's DS is interesting to get into but once you are in it is a comfortable fit and dives really nice. If you can, I would try one out and see how you like it. I will also second the no extra cost of a custom suit comment that LCF made. The White's rep looked at me and said, "Yep, your a double, triple" meaning I would take a 2XL X 3XL and he was dead on, my suit fits great.

Good luck!

 

[TBel]

For me nothing beats diving dry other than diving with with nothing. I own a Whites Fusion Sport and love it. Great price and it wears well. I don't dive very often, maybe one weekend per quarter unless I go on a trip. I just got back from Key Largo and wish I had my dry suit on a couple of night dives. More so for after the dive than during. There's nothing like taking one off and not having to change.

 

[fbk]

I think the only justification is whether or not you will be cold without one.. I've been in SF bay in speedos in Oct and I don't think I'd want to dive in that part of the world without a drysuit, whether it was once a week or once a year. I bought a Whites Fusion for diving at home and apart from the enjoyment of being dry during surface intervals it just doesn't get cold enough here to bother me so I got rid of it. I hated the drag especially in lots of surge which we get, I hated having to wear weight, hated the constricted feeling even when running sufficient air for my u/g, and although buoyancy and trim were no problem I would so much rather dive wet unless really necessary, its much more comfortable and I like feeling the water around me.

 

[industrious95]

I dive in a wet suit now and I am warm but I like the idea of being dry. Is it worth dropping that money on a dry suit if I only dive once a month or sometimes once every other month? any input from owners that don't dive a lot would really be great.

The main reason to get a dry suit is to be warm. If you're satisfied in a wet suit now, why take on the additional expense? Sounds like a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

 

[antattack]

Like the OP, I dive in the SF and Monterey bay areas. In the winter, the water gets to about 45F, which is pretty cold for a 7mm wet suit. That said, there is another reason to get a dry suit. Some dives just aren't safe in a wet suit. For my money, anything deeper than 100fsw pretty much demands a dry suit because of buoyancy issues with neoprene. Also, if you have ever endured swimmers itch, you will appreciate the fact that a dry suit protects almost all of your skin.

If you expect to do some deep dives in our cold murky, hydroid infested waters, a dry suit solves some very real challenges in a way that a wet suit cannot.

Regarding the economics, I dove my inexpensive USIA bi lam suit for fifteen years and over a thousand dives. I've had to replace the wrist and neck seals. The boots, the valves, undergarment and shell have been bullet proof. That suit has probably cost me about a dollar a dive over the years.

In my experience, shell Dry suits, even inexpensive ones, are more durable than wet suits. I've owned two neoprene dry suits, and while they were more streamlined, they would get pin hole leaks in the seams, so I can't recommend close fitting neoprene dry suits. I've never owned a crushed neoprene dry suit, but I hear they are quite durable.

I've been exercising a bit and I've managed to get my shoulders big enough that my old USIAA doesn't fit anymore. I've replaced it with a whites fusion i purchased used on SB. I have more range of mobility in this suit than anything except a shorty wetsuit, yet it is still more streamlined than my semi-custom USIA shell suit. It's really a treat. I agree with TSandM and Kr2y5, the Fusion is worth considering and I can confirm that these suits are very comfortable, like a custom suit, even though they only come in five sizes.

Anyway, if you want a suit you can dive in cool to icy cold water and at any sport depth, a dry suit makes that possible. In my experience, shell suits last a good long time, so if you expect to dive for a while, they can be economical.

 

[poomero]

Do you think a whites with a tech package would be a good fit if I spear fish or would a dui CLX450 be a better choice? I crawl around on rocks but I also need to cover a lot of ground when I look for halibut.

 

[victorzamora]

you may or may not like the 10-15lbs additional weight you'll need to offset the bouyancy.

Additional 10-15lbs over a thick wetsuit??

a nearly 40lb weight belt is miserable

You must not be weighted right. There's NO way that's right.