Looking for new Drysuit

[Nwcid]

There are so many options on the market for suits it is hard to decide which is best. They are expensive enough that you can't just go and try them all.

My first suit was an old Whites Bi-lam, which was quickly replaced by my current suit, a BARE ATR suit which I like. My wife had a BARE D6 suit that she used very briefly and now has a Whites Fusion. The only reason I am after a new suit is I bought my ATR used and it fits just right with light undergarments. With thick undergarments it is just slightly too small and I can not get in and out of it myself.

We dive mostly in the PNW, but are progressing into tech diving so having a suit that travels easily would be a plus. We are also Public Safety Divers so a durable suit is also a must have.

Here are my requirements;
Non-neoprene
Pockets
P-valve
Built in boots
Front entry


I have a budget of about $2500 but willing to go higher if there is a good reason.

 

[Marie13]

USIA Techniflex. They're based in OR. Base cost is about $1400. P-valve will be extra. I love my suit. See my review thread.

They have other suits, maybe a bit tougher, that will be a bit more money. USIA makes suits for the US military, so they know how to make durable suits.

 

[KevinNM]

PSD folks often need a suit that can be easily decontaminated after going for a swim in some horrible soup mixed with gasoline and dead bodies. If you have that kind of of issue, well there is a reason Viking rubber suits have been popular with PSD divers for years. They are generally not ideal for more casual use.

 

[Nwcid]

At this point our team is not set up for true contaminated diving. But we do regular training in all other conditions and with other agencies. We are often in situations where there is high levels of abrasion.

 

[KevinNM]

The compressed/hyper-compressed neoprene suits are supposed to by very good at dealing with abrasion and such. See this thread: Product Review: BARE XCS2 "Tech Dry" Drysuit

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I own two suits. A HOG that is made by USIA and an Otter out of the UK. The HOG is essentially the Techniflex. I actually have one of my customers that ordered from me in your neck of the woods diving one. He likes it and USIA is about 30 minutes from him. HOG sells a PSD suit that is the same suit with one important difference.

A relief zipper.

PSD teams often have people that stand around waiting to go in to relieve other team members. They do need to be fully kitted up and ready to go. You may not have time to use a condom catheter and if standing on the surface you don't really want to pee down your leg. The relief zipper allows you to "go" in a normal fashion without having to get out of the suit. There are other cosmetic differences such as high vis and reflective panels.

My other suit is an Otter Britannic Mk2. It is cut better than the HOG and fits me closer. However that also means I had to but new less bulky 4th element undergarments. It has some features I like that the HOG does not but also no cuffs on the wrists and ankles to protect the seals like the HOG suit. Not a big deal but I am aware of this when crawling around in wrecks.

Both are shell suits but the Otter feels warmer with the same undies.

HOG has attached boots. Otter has neoprene socks with rock boots. No real preference there but if the boots end up needing replaced on the HOG at some point, I'm getting neoprene socks instead.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

One really cool thing about the Otter is that the flaps on the pockets have pockets to keep small stuff in without digging into the mains.
Price? Otter is normally about twice the price of the HOG depending on the exchange rate. With the pound in the toilet though the difference is negligible, like a couple hundred bucks.

Oh and I sell both of them

 

[Nwcid]

Ok, I will check them out.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

When you say you are also PSD divers, is there alot of contaminated water you're diving? That makes a big difference on the type of material. What about hazards in the water? What type of undergarment do you have, or are you replacing that depending on the suit? If you liked the ATR, and the fit was good, I really think this would be your fancy:
http://www.diverightinscuba.com/hdc-tech-dry.html

Don't be scared by the price, we can get some pockets on it, and get it tricked out for your budget no problem. You can email me at mike@diverightinscuba.com or message me thru here and we can setup a time to go over all of your needs to make sure you get in the right suit. There are a LOT of great suits as people mentioned already, I'm more than happy to help you into the best one for your needs.

 

[Nwcid]

Thank you. Been looking at my options, and the HDC is high on my list.

I am currently wearing the 2 piece Wezzle and love it. Looked at some others but can't find a strong reason to change.