New dry suit, got some questions...

[James Sizemore]

Good to hear clear results on that. Get the thinsulate. Won’t waste my time with that then.

 

[lexvil]

Warm neck, I have the one that has Velcro, gives you a place to tuck the hood. Recently bought a waterproof 10mil hood, amazing.
I use wool and fleece, Monterey is usually several ° colder than SD.

With a front zip suit the quick neck ring isn’t even noticed, on my back zip suit I feel it until I hit the water and no more notice.

I would never again consider glued in seals, I have had suits out of commission to often waiting for a seal replacement when latex fails it’s sudden. Neoprene is an option but I’m really sold on silicone seals.

 

[divezonescuba]

The issue about plastic drysuit zippers originated with tizip. The mounting material around the teeth degrades in a couple years, leaving white woven material underneath, which leaks. I thought that they had redesigned this a couple of years ago, but we just received four freshly manufactured drysuits with the same zipper.

Tizip should have recalled all those zippers and paid for new ones.

When I ordered my personal waterproof ex2, some of the pictures had the drysuit with the tizip and others with the ykk plastic zip. I had them personally go out to the warehouse to verify that it had the ykk, not the tizip zipper.

Last year, we replaced almost all the tizips on our shop suits to ykk zips which have been performing fine.

We recommend that as soon as a built in seal tears, rather than putting in another, that the diver install a sitech necktite or quick cuff system. We don’t like the Antares or quick glove systems as the gloves come off too easily. Some people seem to like to use the waterproof ultima system with the sitech quick cuff system.

I used to use the Sitech Glove Lock system, but have since moved on the vastly superior rolock system on that ex2.

 

[EireDiver606]

Warm neck, I have the one that has Velcro, gives you a place to tuck the hood. Recently bought a waterproof 10mil hood, amazing.
I use wool and fleece, Monterey is usually several ° colder than SD.

With a front zip suit the quick neck ring isn’t even noticed, on my back zip suit I feel it until I hit the water and no more notice.

I would never again consider glued in seals, I have had suits out of commission to often waiting for a seal replacement when latex fails it’s sudden. Neoprene is an option but I’m really sold on silicone seals.

Do you not think silicone rips so easily though?

 

[lexvil]

Do you not think silicone rips so easily though?

Not really, unless it has a nick or small cut, they stretch and hold shape, latex will stretch but before long it won’t rebound. I don’t trim my silicone seals except the ones I use with dry gloves .

 

[James Sizemore]

Thank you for the information. Zipper is a YKK zipper. I ended up ordering a few days ago with the following:
Fitted nova suit
Plastic YKK zip with protective zip
Neck seal is orust with silicon seal
Warm neck,
Kubi dry cuff
Kubi dry glove
Dump valve moved to DIR
Compressed socks,
Knee pads
Bum protection
Telescopic torso
No reflective tape
Large zip pockets (not expedition pockets) both legs outside seam
250 full suit, 150 shortie. It’s not the quite the full suit thickness recommended by others, but I do also have some warm long underwear that are wicking that I use hiking.

No pee valve yet, will add a halcyon valve.
Scheduled delivery in February....so now I wait....

 

[lexvil]

You should be happy with the suit, probably happier if you had them put the pee valve in during the build, cheaper that way and you don’t have to use it until you’re ready.

 

[W W Meixner]

I dive in southern California with typical 75-100 minute dives and am looking to purchase a dry suit. I am pretty well set on a seaskin nova due to their custom sizing and price. Here are the features I am thinking of adding and would like some opinions on the items I am selecting. This will be my first drysuit.

Nova membrane suit,
Front zipper, with protective zipper over traditional metal zipper,
Neck seal: Nova orust with Siflex seal
Kubi dry glove systems (this is one of my specific questions later)
Moving the dump valve to DIR position, further forward on the arm,
Compressed neoprene socks,
Additional protection on the back, butt, and shoulders,
Knee pads,
Telescopic torso,
large zipper pockets on both legs,
and lastly, some under suits. 250 full and 150 shortie. both high wick thinsulate

for a pee valve, I'm thinking of a balanced halcyon valve.

So now a couple specific questions,
The kubi systems, if I want to have a silicon wrist seal and the option for the dry gloves, do I need both? I like the idea of being able to still dive if I puncture a dry glove and switch to wet gloves.

I will be diving in southern California, with typical depths of 75-100 feet and average water temps of 50-55 deg F. I typically get cold in my 8mm with vest and hood. Would a 250gram under suit be sufficient? Or would adding the 150 shortie be ideal as well?
Would I need the extra allowance option to accommodate both of these suits? (this is an option they provide to allow thicker undersuits to fit)

Lastly, if I want to order extra seals to keep on hand, how many is a good amount to have extra? How long do silicon seals store before that become damaged from age?

James...

Sounds like you've done some research...you're on the right track...

I own a DUI...CF-200 Signature suit...I like the comfort of neoprene over a ''bag'' suit...

I also prefer soft feet as it allows you to completely turn the suit inside-out for proper cleaning and drying...I'm of the belief that no piece of dive gear should smell like a ''mushroom farm''...

Avoid ''bulk''...creases trap air...restrict range of motion...and bite you...if there's enough room in your suit for you and two small elephants...look at something else...E-Bay is overloaded with bad suit choices...

Kevlar knees...and duel ''zipper top'' cargo pockets have also been a preferred choice...

In my opinion front zipper/self donning should be your only consideration...

My suit has a DUI pee valve which I've blinded off...I go before...doff the suit on the boat if needed...I have some concern with urinary tract infection...

Seals are a personal thing...I like neoprene...both neck and wrists...comfortable...warm...very durable...

My undergarment choice is T-MAX HEAT base layer...with thermal knit cotton ''over-base''...and T-MAX HEAT socks...

I don't wear ''dry-gloves''...I prefer 5 mm Waterproof G1...with a zippered gauntlet...I've heard so many divers say...I have a great dry-glove system...but I had to butcher my wrist seals to make the system work...

If you really prefer dry-gloves...I have used ScubaPro Easy-Don...if you don't mind the large collar ring...they seal well...come complete with inner gloves...do not require suit wrist seal modification...and by comparison...are not expensive...

Here in Ontario...Great Lakes water temperature is only a few degrees above freezing below the thermocline in July...my combination works great...gives me full range of motion...and keeps me nice and warm...

Shop carefully...there are many pit-falls...and many common mistakes made when purchasing a dry-suit...

Dive Safe...

Warren

 

[James Sizemore]

Both good points. I’ll see if they can install the halcyon valve. Then it can also be leak checked at the same time.

From my understanding of the Kubi system is that is used rigid rings and orings to seal the wrist and gloves making it a user replaceable system and a system can be used either way, or both wrist and glove (need a vent to allow air to pass through the wrists)

It is a front entry suit.

 

[superheavydeathmetal]

I ended up ordering a few days ago with the following:
...
Scheduled delivery in February....so now I wait....

Awesome! I bet you are excited!

I also pulled the trigger on my first dry suit this week. Here is what mine looks like:
Nova Membrane Dry Suit
Main Body Dry Zip Cover
YKK Plastic Dry Zip
Fitted SiTech Trigon Pee Valve
Quick Neck system with Silflex seal
Attached Hood (vented)
Kubi Fitted Dry Cuff System
Move Dump (DIR)
Inflation Valve Comfort Patch
Compressed Neoprene Socks
Kevlar Knee Pads
2 Large Zipped pockets
Computer Strap Patches
Seaskin Undersuit High Wick Thinsulate 250
Seaskin Shorty Undersuit - Thinsulate 150
Seaskin Knee High Sox
Kubi Fitted Dry Glove System Glove Set
2 spare sets of SiTech Cuff seals SILFLEX
2 spare SiTech Neck seals SILFLEX
Bees wax blocks