Need some Dry suit advice

[Wetsuit 4 life]

Hi, I need some advice for my first dry suit; it’s mostly for work and I was wondering if there was any advice as what brand/make would be best and what to avoid.

Thanks

 

[battles2a5]

Like any other geat purchasing decisions, there are about 100 right answers to this question. I will give you some basic advice and you can take it from there.

Brand: There are several good brands out there. Any of the good brands will do. You have to decide if brand is more important than local support. It would be a good idea to get something where you have a local dealer to help with sizing, repairs, etc.

Material: Vulcanized rubber vs. neoprene vs. compressed or crushed neo, vs. trilam (nylon and/or cordura, etc.). This is a highly personal decision. Rubber and neo suits have some inherent insulation, trilam does not. Trilam suits are lighter, generally allow better flexibility when fit correctly, but are not quite as durable as neo and have a little more drag. Neo suits are more form fitting and are very durable. Decide what you want

Suit features: Just about every suit has the same zipper and valves, which are critical. So as long as you have a good brand suit, you should have good zippers and valves. You need to choose front-entry vs. shoulder-entry. Front-entry you can don yourself but there will be more material (usually a fold at the abdomen. Shoulder-entry usually requires a buddy to zip you up. They are cheaper and have less material to worry about. Many people add pockets, p-valve, and dry gloves. All of which should be considered w/ any ds purchase.

Undergarments: Critical part of the purchase process. Make sure you get the suit fit with the thickest undergarments you will be wearing. Choose the garments that will fit your local conditions. In your area, you will prob want thick ones.

That's about it. All pretty basic, but recommending one suit is usually not helpful since there are so many variables to consider. Here are some good suits that I, personally, would consider:

Trilam:
DUI TLS-350 (what I dive)
DUI CLX-450 (kevlar trilam- very durable)
Bare Trilam HD Tech
Whites Fusion
USIA Techniflex
- there are several other good ones out there

Neo:
DUI CF200
Bare XCD2
Tons of others, I didn't look at many since I went trilam

Rubber:
Viking
That's the only one I know. Didn't look at these

Hope this helps. I'm sure several others will chime in.

 

[karstdvr]

Like any other geat purchasing decisions, there are about 100 right answers to this question. I will give you some basic advice and you can take it from there.

Brand: There are several good brands out there. Any of the good brands will do. You have to decide if brand is more important than local support. It would be a good idea to get something where you have a local dealer to help with sizing, repairs, etc.

Material: Vulcanized rubber vs. neoprene vs. compressed or crushed neo, vs. trilam (nylon and/or cordura, etc.). This is a highly personal decision. Rubber and neo suits have some inherent insulation, trilam does not. Trilam suits are lighter, generally allow better flexibility when fit correctly, but are not quite as durable as neo and have a little more drag. Neo suits are more form fitting and are very durable. Decide what you want

Suit features: Just about every suit has the same zipper and valves, which are critical. So as long as you have a good brand suit, you should have good zippers and valves. You need to choose front-entry vs. shoulder-entry. Front-entry you can don yourself but there will be more material (usually a fold at the abdomen. Shoulder-entry usually requires a buddy to zip you up. They are cheaper and have less material to worry about. Many people add pockets, p-valve, and dry gloves. All of which should be considered w/ any ds purchase.

Undergarments: Critical part of the purchase process. Make sure you get the suit fit with the thickest undergarments you will be wearing. Choose the garments that will fit your local conditions. In your area, you will prob want thick ones.

That's about it. All pretty basic, but recommending one suit is usually not helpful since there are so many variables to consider. Here are some good suits that I, personally, would consider:

Trilam:
DUI TLS-350 (what I dive)
DUI CLX-450 (kevlar trilam- very durable)
Bare Trilam HD Tech
Whites Fusion
USIA Techniflex
- there are several other good ones out there

Neo:
DUI CF200
Bare XCD2
Tons of others, I didn't look at many since I went trilam

Rubber:
Viking
That's the only one I know. Didn't look at these

Hope this helps. I'm sure several others will chime in.

Some good advice.

I've owned 5 different brands of dry suits,and have used another 3,so there are some really good suits out there besides DUI. I have become a fan of Brooks,Atlan,and Dive Rite suits.A new suit on the market that interests me is Santi.

 

[sambolino44]

Until I started looking into drysuits I had never heard of High Tide, which is what I ended up getting. I find the neoprene, being more flexible, allows the suit to fit snugly and still be comfortable. I also think the neoprene seals are a little more comfortable. I was very pleased with the customer service I received from this small local company. I considered getting a front-entry suit instead, but have since found that it really isn't as big a deal as I thought it would be.

Not sure if there's an authorized dealer in Vancouver (B.C.?). You may have to travel down to Bellingham to get fitted.

I tried a couple of DUI suits at a DOG days demo. Good suits, but I don't care for the rock boot system. They also offer integrated boots. Their top of the line polarfleece undergarment is the best I've seen.

I agree with most of what the earlier posts said, except there are different zippers available, for instance Diving Concepts offers two different types on various suits. Also, I've heard some people express a preference for the SiTech valves over the Apeks.

For a work suit I'd get a relief zipper, as opposed to a pee valve. I'd get suspenders (they don't all have them), and I'd get a durable outer fabric. As far as what to avoid? I've heard some people say that zipper covers really just trap debris, I don't know.

 

[Wetsuit 4 life]

Just want to say thank you to sambolino44, karstdvr, and battles2a5 for the advice in my time of need, This Sunday I am going to pick up my first neoprene dry suit.

Thank you for your help.

 

[sunkmail]

Hi, I need some advice for my first dry suit; it’s mostly for work and I was wondering if there was any advice as what brand/make would be best and what to avoid.

Thanks

2 Things:

1) What are you doing for work? It could have some bearing on the material.

2) What happened to "Wetsuit 4 Life"???

 

[Wetsuit 4 life]

Sunkmail

I had to change “Wetsuit 4 Life” to “Wetsuit 4 Recreational Diving”. Starting commercial diver training in the fall and one of the requirements is to have a dry suit, the school never said anything about shell or neoprene, so I went with neoprene because of the low cost and I believe its suppose to be easer to repair.

Keeping the wetsuit for diving at Whytecliff in February, if you’re around and interested I’m trying to setup a dive to Kelvin Grove next Monday evening.

 

[walrus2]

Nothing to do with drysuits, but is Kelvin Grove actually accessible? I heard residents made it impossible/illegal/impractical to park near the water access. I haven't tried it myself though.

 

[ucfdiver]

Our local dive shop has the santi drysuits, and I'm not gonna lie, I want one (can't afford one).

 

[Wetsuit 4 life]

Nothing to do with drysuits, but is Kelvin Grove actually accessible? I heard residents made it impossible/illegal/impractical to park near the water access. I haven't tried it myself though.

Walrus 2

You can’t get right down to the water, what you have to do now is drive down to the cul-de-sac next to the gate and drop off your gear. You would have passed a parking lot on the way down and that’s where you can leave your car. The locals probably won’t like it if you go and take up the last parking lot on a Sunday afternoon but if you go during the week it shouldn’t be a problem.