My drysuit dilemma...

[BoltSnap]

and WP

Who is "WP" please?

 

[Gareth J]

I have to agree about the quality issue with DUI drysuits in recent years.

My first drysuits (in the 90's) was a DUI membrane (TLS). Great suit, I wore it until you could basically see thorugh it.
I replaced it with a rear entry crushed Neoprene. Another good suit. I wore it well beyond its usable life (I still have it).

I also bought another TLS, which is my travel suit (Med', Red Sea etc). It is light, drys quickly, and packs quite small.

In the period after I purchased my crushed Neoprene. All the people I knew who had crushed neoprene DUI suits, where very disappointed. Poor quality, leaks, worse still - no back up or will to put it right.
When I was feed up of getting wet in my old suit I couldn't bring myself to pay DUI prices for a low quality suit, with a low quality attitude to customer support. In the end, I purchased a Whites suit as an interim suit. Which has been excellent, in particular - dry.

DUI did the American thing of thinking they where the number one, and that you should thank them for supplying you. Worse still, they started to cut corners looking for profit over quality. Then argued over every quality problem rather than just manning up and putting it right (at their cost).

Unfortunately, as has been said many times, it takes 20 years to get a good reputation and a fraction of the time to destroy it.

Gareth

 

[WantSomeScuba?]

Who is "WP" please?

Waterproof.

 

[oreocookie]

Why didn't you complain about it then? I am certain that it would have been resolved satisfactorily if it happened when it should have happened.
...
Question for you, when you wore the lighter underwear and the suit fit you OK, how did you like the suit? Was it too stiff or too heavy at all?

As somebody else pointed out, I got bad advice. My suit was delivered just before one of their demo days events; a bunch of people from my shop were going so I demoed my own suit and accessories that I was considering and/or my boss test for sales purposes. Faith Ortins, the then VP of sales, among other people said the fit the good. As I was previously using a rental that was probably a size too big, I couldn’t see reason to argue with this, figuring it would just take a little getting used to. With light underwear, I love the suit, though I probably wouldn’t travel with it (unless i’m driving or get free bags) because it’s not really light.

What undergarments are you using? Would a kwark navy or thermal fusion be thinner enough and warm enough to make the suit work?

I’m using Fourth Element Xerotherms and Arctics, so not super bulky stuff. Switching to the jumpsuit version vs the top/pants might help with the bulk at the hip (one of my problem spots) but I’m not super keen on that for other reasons.

You got a "cave cut". Minimizing the air volume in the legs. And thus the "it looks great" from the same group of people.
That was the initial flaw, don't repeat it.

I also ended up with a cave cut, despite the fact that it was never intended to be that way. The guy who measured me has (to my knowledge) never been in a cave.

I can sympathize with his situation. The problem is that, then, he was getting bad advice that the suit was fine, and didn't know any better that the fit was wrong.
...
DUI has a seven-year warranty against defects in materials and workmanship. For a custom-made suit, I would see a defect in fit as a defect in workmanship.

Thanks. Unfortunately DUI does not consider that a manufacturing defect. They have a 90 day fit guarantee on MTM suits. My hope had been that in pointing out that I expressed concern on day one to a member of their staff about the fit might help - it seemed to for a while and then it seemed to fizzle.

 

[boulderjohn]

A friend of mine went into a shop years ago to order his first ever drysuit. The shop measured him and said none of the off-the-rack sizes would work for him. They talked him into paying an extra $300 for a custom fit suit. When it came in and he tried it on, they raved about the fit and repeatedly told him how wise he was to pay the extra $300.

After he had been wearing it a while, though, his suspicions grew. He could not help but wonder why there was nothing in the suit indicating that it was made for him. (My custom suit came with my name in it.) The suit also had a tag that said "XL." It also had a serial number. He called the manufacturer and learned that his drysuit was an off-the-rack size XL, and that was exactly what the dive shop had ordered. (He no longer patronizes that shop.)

When I got my custom suit, there was something wrong, and it turned out that the shop had mismarked the order. (They fixed it.)

It is very possible that the problem with the suit was not DUI's fault. It could have been an error taking the measurements or placing the order.