Major Problem with New DUI TLS drysuit

[Selchie in LB]

I have to throw in my $0.02 here. Once again a perfectly good post descends into the abyss. What is it with people? I didn't see anything as an attach except the accusation by the OP that Flots and the Bee were the same. How ridiculous. Posters here don't need to hide behind their screen names. I've read plenty of more heated posts and no has ever accused someone of posting under two ID's. Maybe they have but I have yet to see it.

As for DUI and the suit, I would say send it back to DUI since it is a brand new. If I buy a computer or TV and it doesn't work, I am going to take it back. If I buy a regulator and it doesn't work I am going to take it back. I would probably want a new one, not one they fix. With drysuits it may be a little different if it was not an off the rack one. Thus, if customized, yes send it back and get it right even if it turns out to be something I probably could have done myself in the first place.

 

[flots am]

Flots am,,,i love the way your posting under two different id's..you are also underseabumblebee //you screwed up when you answered under that id ..to my response to flots am...I dont' know what your game is but I don't like your attacks or implied attacks on DUI or the shop i do business with...I prefer you just stay out of my posts...

Jump to conclusions much?

I don't know or care where you bought your suit or what brand you bought. I was commenting on the silliness of packing up a big suit for a round trip to the factory, instead of just replacing the bad part, which could easily have been done while you waited.

I don't think you have any constructive advice and im very suspicous of your motive and im making a complaint with the board..as a moderater for other sites myself ...they will be able to trace the origns of your emails..

Feel free to be as suspicous as you wish.

flots

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Flots,

I have been using DUI suits for about 20 years and DUI dealer for about 10 years. Nothing is rocket science in this context but it is a brand new suit with what appears a value that is misbehaving. The dealer or the customer have no way of determining if there are no other issues with the suit or if the valve is actually the problem. DUI has all required tools to do a full suit check to ascertain that there are no other issues. DUI will also need to determine why the valve is defective (if the valve is actually defective).

I guess my question really stems from are dealers able to service DUI suits or do they need to be sent to the factory anytime a repair is needed. It seems from the OP's post that their only choice was to learn to fix it themselves or send it to the factory.

Also from Burhan's post it is stated that it needs to be sent off to the factory as the dealer is not able to determine if their are other issues.

I have been looking at dry suits and would prefer to get a product that has more than one source of repair options. I certainly understand wanting to send a new suit back to the factory. It was just that I got the impression from the OP and dealer Burhan, that the factory is really the only choice unless you wanted to learn how to do it yourself. Is that typical that DUI dealers lack the capability to repair the suits they sell or is it a dealer by dealer issue?

I was a little taken back by the hostility to my question. In the almost 6 years I have been posting here, I don't think I have ever had such a hostile response to an honest question.

But why the attack on DUI customer service, her decision or her dive shop??

Can you point out where I attacked DUI, the shop, or the customer service? Someone else may have done that, but I did not. If I did, please quote the post and call me out on it. I did ask about field/dealer repairs. Asking if something is possible or even a consideration is not an attack. Until recently most dive computers had to be sent to the manufacturer for battery replacements. I would not personally own such a product although many people do and are quite satisfied with them. My question again is not an attack, but really what sort of service one might hope to get in the field.

 

[tflaris]

After attending the DUI demo day in Monterey I bought my first drysuit. My husband already had a DUI suit. He is an instructor and im his DM. I have dove over 30 years wet and love it but with all the "sit' time on the bottom with beginner classes i am getting cold. So i got the TLS drysuit, devoured the manual and got drysuit certified.

During my first ocean dive i got wet, all over but thought it might have been presperation because i made the mistake of wearing a cotton t-shirt. I did not make that mistake again. The next time i dove i was damp but I didn't think a lot about it because the polartec suit absorbed it..The next time there was no doubt i was wet. I felt the cold water come in and i was frozen during and after the dive and my polar suit was drenched and water was in my feet.

I check all the seals and everything is good. After everything dried out i tried it again making sure my seals were properly placed. As soon as I began descending I felt the cold. Once again I was drenched. I felt the water in my chest area and left arm down my torso and legs and feet are drenched...Im freezing!....We are at a loss to what is going on...I will take the suit to the shop and see if they have any idea...but in the mean time im back to diving in my Wetsuit.

So far my experiance with the DUI drysuit has been very disappointing. At least with a wet suit i can warm up. Once wet in the drysuit the diving is over. This is not an option for a DM or instructor. Im Hoping that DUI will be able to help us figure out what is wrong and correct this issue..Im even beginning to think maybe my body type is not able to wear a drysuit..but on the demo day i was warm and toasty after a 30 min. dive!

I did follow the manual on cutting the neck and wrist seals. Fortunately I use zip seals so I called and complained about the sizing chart in the manual and they sent me some new ones at no charge.

I went down 2 numbers from what was recommended on their chart.

Some people at the wrist the tendons can cause leakage.

Sorry about your bad luck. Any luck with contact DUI and picking their brain?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[flots am]

Posters here don't need to hide behind their screen names.

It's safer being anonymous.

flots

 

[BoltSnap]

UnderSeaBumbleBee,

Different dealers have different capabilities. Some can do simple seal replacements, some can do more and some can do zipper replacement and even some alterations. Most would just send it back to the factory or to repair centers that specialize in dry suit repairs (there are few around the country). The ones that do some or no repairs are usually bound by lack of trained and experienced technicians due to the relatively small number of dry suits sold.

For the greater majority of dealers, they don't have the test tool DUI has for proper testing of suit leakage. When a suit is brand new, I'd send the suit back to DUI and let them worry about it. Perhaps when the suit is older, the dealer would do repairs on it depending on their in-house capabilities.

In regards to attacking DUI or anyone else, I wasn't referring to you at all. As far as I can tell, my posts didn't mention your handle anywhere. As a matter of fact, my posts were directed to other folks not you.

At any rate, if you felt that I offended you in any way, please do accept my sincerest apologies!!

 

[sambolino44]

In my (not so) humble opinion, sending the suit back to DUI or having the LDS do the repair is totally up to the OP, and neither option is "silly". To you, the LDS found the problem and could have installed a new valve. To DUI, a customer has a leaky suit, and somebody who they may trust but nevertheless is not them determined the cause. If I was DUI, depending on my relationship with the LDS, I'd probably say send the suit back to us and we'll make sure it doesn't leak before we send it back. Anyone with troubleshooting experience will tell you, make no assumptions, and believe nothing unless you have objective, verifiable evidence.

Also, having gotten my own nose out of joint over stuff you'd think I was used to on this board, let me just say, "Can we all get along?"

 

[vshearer]

Bottom line. Defective DUI suit out of the gate.

 

[alibi 2]

Scubaboard does not allow posts to be edited...so Im putting out one last message on this issue. I clearly misunderstood this area of the forum. I thought it was a place to get info about problems from a manufacture..It is not.

I never meant in any way to "slam" or "insult" DUI. I had a issue with a new suit that i was looking for advice on. The problem could have been something i was doing wrong. I tried to update on how things progressed and how they were handled. I thought i clearly stated that The issue was resolved to my satisfaction and the way i I wanted it handled. I had no issues with how the shop or DUI resolved my problem and I stated this.

I have had nothing but grief over this post, and I will not make any further posts on Scubaboard. It is too easy for written words to be taken out of context and used against you.

So,,,for my last post, I want to apologize to those at DUI who found my post offensive in any way, that was never my intent. To everyone else Im sorry if i offended you in any way. I Also want to make it clear to all again that the problem i had with my suit was resolved to my satisfaction and choice by the shop and DUI.

 

[The Chairman]

Wow... I don't see how any of your posts could be found "offensive" by even the most sensitive of souls over at DUI. Heck, I consider them great friends!

These forums exist for manufacturers to give us feedback. If they are absent, users will usually try to fill in the gap. Unfortunately, DUI did not reply here and so more questions were raised. When it comes to gear, we all know that it's going to break and some of it will be broken right out of the box. What we don't know is how the manufacturer will deal with the inevitable. These forums provide a unique opportunity for manufacturers to show off their customer service.

As for other users "slamming" you... I think you are being too sensitive here. Questions were asked that concern people. You don't know the answers to these questions, and for a number of them: how could you?

One final question. Have you gotten your suit back yet? Is it fixed? That's what we really want to know.