Neoprene Drysuits

[Per76]

I am looking for a neoprene drysuit and would like some feedback on what company you think offers the best suit. I know many will have different opinions, so please give me some reasons why you like a particular type of suit.

Thanks for the feedback.

Per

 

[cornfed]

Any particular reason you don't want a trilam?

 

[Per76]

Cost is a factor. I have seen neoprene suits between $600 and $800 and your good to go. With the shell suits you need to buy the undergarments and before you know it your over $1000 easy.

 

[markfm]

I like my Northern Diver Divemaster

 

[Canadian_Diver]

I am looking for a neoprene drysuit and would like some feedback on what company you think offers the best suit. I know many will have different opinions, so please give me some reasons why you like a particular type of suit.

I'm a shell/trilam type of guy. But if I ever did change my mind that I like neoprene better, I'd purchase an Oceaner Drysuit. They custom fit and tailor to your dimensions, provide good warranty service, and I've seen tonnes of them that have been on 100's of dives with little or no wear.

Lots of my dive buddies wear, love 'em, and have no complaints at all with the quality of construction.

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

I have a Bare CD-4 drysuit. it is a 7ml neoprene compressed down to 4ml. its kind of like the best of both worlds. It requires less underwear than a trilam but is less buoyant than a full neoprene. It doesn't change buoyancy characteristics at different depths because the neoprene is already compressed and is stronger than a neoprene suit.

 

[Canadian_Diver]

Cost is a factor. I have seen neoprene suits between $600 and $800 and your good to go. With the shell suits you need to buy the undergarments and before you know it your over $1000 easy.

You still need undergarments with a neoprene drysuit. Don't be fooled. 40F water is just as cold in a neoprene suit (especially at depth) as a trilaminate. Thermal properties of a neoprene drysuit degrade the deeper you go and the more the suit compresses. You also lose thermal properties over time as the bubbles in the rubber rupture. Trilams are 'almost' indestructible with the exception of the seals which need to be replaced once in a blue moon.

However, you should buy what you are comfortable diving in and what your pocket book (or in my case... wife) will allow.

One last note, anyone spending $400+ on thermals is getting taken. I don't buy dive specific thermals for this very reason ... overpriced. If you go to a good mountaineering / work / ski shop, you can find REALLY good (and in alot of cases) better thermals than what the drysuit companies are offering for a fraction of the price. The whole trick is understanding how the thermals work, and the properties of the different types of fabrics out there.

I spent no more than $200 CANADIAN FUNDS for my thermals, and I stay toasty warm in 38F water.

 

[moneysavr]

Hey I dive lake Michigan with temps from the low 40's to just about the low 30's and love this neoprene suit,
Not that the shell suits are not great,but the cost of the underwear is high,If you dive like me you need several sets! You got to wash them!
My Bare Neoprene D-6 has over a 100+ dives,no leaks,never been cold or even close with my cheap poly underwear-thanks to wallmart,I can add or take off as waters warm,have several sets for multiple weekend dives,The suit is hard to hurt and a easy one to fix,Bare has a sweet set of off the rack sizes,and most LDS can order one just for you in your size,But your money will go the long way if you buy from a Canada LDS,
And I like it as I swich from wet to dry my 7MM wet suit is just a bit smaller so not to much rig change,and it acts the same at depth.
Just my 2-cents,
Brad

 

[matt_unique]

I have about 200 dives in my O'Neill neoprene drysuit. I would buy another one when this one falls apart. You can buy this suit brand new for $500. Thermals will cost you about $150. This will depend a bit on the temps you will be diving. I dive through the winter in Massachusetts. The coldest temps I experience are low 30's. I have added neoprene dry gloves and an additional torso thermal for the coldest temps.

40 degrees is definitely colder in a trilam than it is in a neoprene drysuit. You need thermals for both types of suits but neoprene offers more insulation than trilam material. For this reason trilam suits require thicker thermals than neoprene suits.

I like the durability of the neoprene suit and my seals never leak. There is a buoyancy shift at depth but easily manageable.

There are definitely nicer suits - but in my opinion they are not worth 2-5 times the cost of a neoprene suit.

--Matt

 

[Rec Diver]

Cost is a factor. I have seen neoprene suits between $600 and $800 and your good to go. With the shell suits you need to buy the undergarments and before you know it your over $1000 easy.

All the people I dive with that use neoprene dry suits; there suits leak. I would do some more investigation on dry suits and quite worrying about how much they cost. Oh, I use a shell suit and have never had a leak. I really couldn't see why I would want a dry suit that would leak.