never owned a drysuit and doing my research...need opinions please

[AeroMike]

I know there will be varying opinions of this subject but I figure you all can give me some good info.

So here it is; I live in Charleston, SC and I normally dive in black water rivers for fossils. I was in the water on New Years eve and it was cold in my 7mm wetsuit at 50 degrees. I was talking to the wife and I think I will get me a drysuit so I can enjoy diving in the colder months. Less divers to compete with for fossils and better viz.

I am doing my research now but I wanted to hear from others that own drysuits and what you would recommend. I would like to keep the cost below $2,000 if possible.


So........with my type of diving, what would you recommend and what are some of the things I "must" take into consideration.


Thank you all for your time,


Mike

 

[TSandM]

Well, drysuits really come in about four flavors. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.

Full neoprene suits tend to be inexpensive. (I think the ScubaPro suit retails for $999.) They are relatively heavy and dry somewhat slowly, and are usually made with neoprene seals, which can be a problem for women. You don't have to wear much of an undergarment under them, but they do lose insulating properties at depth. They're also not very useful in warmer water, because you can't really vary the amount of insulation they provide. They tend to be fairly durable.

Laminate suits are bonded layers, usually two or three. Bilaminate suits are cheaper than trilams, but not as durable. This type of suit has no intrinsic insulating quality, and the warmth is provided by the undergarments you wear. This makes them very flexible in terms of water temperature, because you can simply increase or decrease what you wear under the suit. They can be had with neoprene or latex seals. They are more susceptible to puncture or damage, but generally easy to repair (if you can FIND the leak, which many of us spend way too much time doing). Laminate suits really need to fit fairly well, because they do not stretch and if they are too large, will result in air trapping and problems with buoyancy control and trim.

Compressed or crushed neoprene suits tend to be on the expensive end of the spectrum. They have some intrinsic insulation, and they do not lose it at depth. They are very difficult to damage, but they are heavier than laminate suits and dry more slowly. They can be had with either type of seal. They do not stretch much, so fit is important.

The fourth category is "other", and into that I put the White's Fusion, which is a bag suit with a compressive outer layer, and the Bare stretch/breathable suit. The Fusion I know very well, since I own two. Its strengths are that fit is not at all critical and that mobility in the suit is very good. With the Sport skin, it is light and dries quickly, although not as fast as a laminate suit. With the Tech skin, it is heavier and dries more slowly, but still faster than neoprene. The Tech skin gives you factory-installed pockets. The Bullet skin, which is full neoprene, is heavier, slower to dry, and more of a pain to get on and off. I see little advantage over the Tech skin.

If you are doing primarily river fossil dives in relatively shallow water, and you are happy diving wet in the summertime, one of the neoprene suits might fill your needs quite nicely.

 

[griffon]

I have been mostly satisfied with the bare tech dry. Lists for about 1500. It's a light wait trilam but with she'll suites you will spend another 300 or so getting the right kind of under suite to keep warm. eBay has some pretty good knock off double layer suits for around 100 but personally I like the forth element. How much you need will very with what you feel is warm. Little trial and error that .