New drysuit

[AlbertaDan]

I started my search yesterday for a new dry suit. Since this is my first dry suit I frist wanted to get sonme basic information on what types and makes are available.

After some basic research I found I can get the following-White's Fusion, Whites Catalyst, Bare CD4 or D6, Edge and HOG-Highly Optimized Gear.

Both the Edge and HOG are tri-lam.

Since there are only 2 dive shops here my selection is limited unless I order online. I am hesitant to order something like this online since it is my first.

One of the dive shops will rent out suit on a daily basis and I plan on doing this to ensure I get the right one.

So far I am leaning towards a compressed neoprene. As with many aspects of diving this will give me a trade off. A blend of manoeverabilty and snug fit with some insulation.

Just wondering what else to consider when getting a new dry suit for the first time?

 

[lsorensen]

Well I did consider the Whites Fusion for a while, but I wasn't sure about it. Some people love them, some claim there is way too much material bunched up under the skin (it apparently doesn't have very many sizes). I also thought the Bare XCD2 seemed nice, although stiff and heavy by the looks of it (never have tried one on). Then I saw the Bare SB videos, and even better a local dive store happened to be one of the few to get a prototype on display, so I went and looked at it and tried it on. It was light, easy to put on, not bulky (even though it was a size too big for me). A few weeks later I ordered one because they had a preorder deal at the store which made the price more attractive (it is not the cheapest drysuit around for sure, the Fusion is certainly a bit cheaper). I should be getting it in about 3 weeks. We will see how well it holds up.