New DUI

[Farty]

So I got new custom made DUI and yes I got cave cut....

After old/borrowed/rental dry suits this feels way different. It is well very tight. I can do all basic moves but really it's a bit uncomfortable above water.

My gut feel tells me stop freaking out, this will shrink 40ft under and you will not only be ok but won't have extra suit to drag behind you...

How tight is your drysuit? How comfortable it is on shore?

 

[SwimJim]

Sounds to me like it's too small. A drysuit should be comfortable on top as well as under water. I dive off of small boats in Lake Michigan and we usually wear our suits in the boat on the way out and way back. If you have a 15 mile run and it's a little bouncy you'll definetely want to have a comfortable suit. I currently own a CF200 self donner and it's very comfortable. Even when I wear extra layers for ice diving and other freezing conditions. I think you might want to check into some alterations and make sure you do that with the undergarments you intend to use. That can make a big difference.

 

[dave4868]

If it were me, I'd be freaking out about spending lots of money for a suit that would constantly remind me it's too small....

It might help others avoid the same mistake if you describe the process you used to determine desired sizing. I'm sure many of us have made similar mistakes and can commiserate....

I once bought a used drysuit, sight unseen, that turned out to be a little too small. Luckily, the agreement allowed return for cash back. I hope you can recoup somehow.

Since that time, I've purchased a couple of DUI drysuits and made darn sure they had ample room for my heaviest winter insulation. They're both very comfortable and minimally restrictive. Low drag doesn't matter at all for my kind of diving....

Dave C

 

[kathydee]

Hi .

Congrats on the new suit! Where does it fit tight and uncomfortable? You might want to check in with AWS and DUI sooner than later and certainly before you dive it.

 

[tstormdiver]

The cave cut suits are desinged to be tighter, for less drag & it is stated on DUI's web site about that & a waver signed for that style. It does sound as if it may be too small. I would certainly have the measurements retaken. I'm not sure what DUI can do. Our shop had a (very large) gent who recently ordered a suit, but he massively changed the measurements that were originally taken by a DUI professional during a demo. He insisted on those measurements & refused to be remeasured. When the suit came in, it was absolutely huge on him. We were told that there is no way DUI can do that much alteration to the suit. He's basically stuck having to buy a new drysuit. I had a cave cut suit on my first & it was a bit tight, but not uncomfortably so & was doable. My second suit I had the measurements taken out only a little & it fits perfectly.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I just got rid of a suit that was too tight on the surface. Not the fault of the mfg but of my middle age spread! In any case it being too tight on the surface translated into downright confining underwater. My new drysuit is a stock size from HOG and though it may look a bit bulky on the surface I can do things in it underwater that I could not do in my old one. I have a bad right shoulder and in the old suit, while I could reach my valves it was difficult. I thought it was the shoulder. Turned out in my new suit while the shoulder issue is there it not nearly as big a problem. And since I shrink wrap myself any way any extra material is not noticed. I am not a cave diver so I'm not sure why the need for a cave cut. I'm willing to be educated on it though. Is it for reasons of flow in the cave? Now I do swim slow so drag is not that big an issue to me. In a wreck I don't want material flopping around but unless the suit is grossly oversized it has not been. A comfortable fit is more the issue.

The other thing I did when sizing for the new suit was to tale my heaviest undergarment and put it on. My instructor didn;t have me do that with the first suit and when I got it it was a bit snug but thought no big deal. I see now after doing that with this one it was the right way to go.