Pinnacle Evo 2 Dry Suit Review from San Diego

[mattsd]

Hi all-
Just wanted to share my thoughts on my new drysuit, the Pinnacle Evolution 2 for anyone who was looking to buy one or was shopping around for a dry suit--

Diving the cold California waters last winter make me break down and get a drysuit--the ol' 7mm wasn't cutting it for Multiple daily dives

I am 6 feet tall and tip the scales at a lean 155lbs, and went with a size ML as said on the Pinnacle website. As far as options, I went with the neoprene socks (size 11, same as my regular shoe size) and they are a perfect fit. The rock boots are a size larger at 12. I also had a P-Valve installed. The suit comes with a 7mm hood, hose, suspenders, and storage bag. I also ordered the Pinnacle Evolution undergarment, size Large. Total time from order to delivery was less than 2 weeks.

First, what I don't like/would change...
Overall, the fit is very good. There is some extra material around the calf that creates some air space, but this might be because of my lean (skinny) legs/build. The extra space did not cause too much of a problem during my first couple of dives, but I want to try it with gaiters to see if it makes a difference. The suit is very stiff when dry, but loosens up nicely when underwater.

The Evo 2 does come with pockets--which are pretty small but functional. I was able to fit a backup light in one pocket and an SMB in the other. Larger pockets would have been nice, but I don't carry too much gear, so it shouldn't be too much of an issue. The Suit is not as form fitting as say the whites fusion, and you can definatly feel the extra drag and effort it takes to push through the water.

The stock pinnacle rock boots are very narrow, so if you have wide feet, you might want to try a different style of rock boot.

The wrist seals are thick latex which is good, but where they attach to the suit is a bit bulky, so adding gauges (wrist computer, compass, slate) takes some care/repositioning and effort.

The SI p-valve sticks out. it is not in the way, but it is not as low profile as some of the other models out there.

Now, what I like:

The Evo 2 is definitely a rugged suit-the cordura looks like it can stand up to a lot. it looks tough, and although I tend to baby my gear, it can hold up to some scrapes and scuffs. The wrist seals are very heavy latex--heavier than the DUI ones on the suit I was looking at.

The front entry, Telescoping torso, and ample space in the torso make it a breeze to put on and take off. In the water, the suit becomes much more flexible, making putting fins on, venting air etc an easy task.

From my experience, the Pinnacle size chart is a good measure of size/fit.
The Pinnacle Evo undergarment is VERY warm. it is a bit buoyant so extra lead might be in order, but for california diving it fits the bill. The moisture wicking aspect of the undergarment does its job perfectly.

The rock boots, while narrow, have laces that go far up the ankle, giving a good amount of support and security from feeling the air rush to your feet.

Bottom Line:
I am very happy with this suit. It has all the features/options I was looking for (pockets, front entry, warm neck collar, p-valve, relief zipper, vulcanized boots or neoprene socks, etc) and for the price, is a great deal. I was able to get the Suit, Undergarment, Rock Boots and Accessories for a lot less than a stock DUI TLS350. If you are in the market for a drysuit, give pinnacle a try. As I get more dives in this suit I'm sure I will have some more to say. Lastly, Thanks to Scuba Center Temecula for the great service!

 

[PatrickDives]

I appreciate the info. Looking at the same suit myself. Might be making the plunge in the next few days.

Have a good one.

Patrick.

 

[scuba_frog]

I purchased the Evo2 about a month ago and have several dives in it. Only difference there is between my suit and mattsd is that I do not have the P-valve and I opted for the boots instead of neo socks. Needles to say, because of my build (6' 285 lb) I went for a custom suit. It fits perfect. It took a little time to retune my weights, but once I got that figured out, I love this suit. Definitely worth the money.

 

[digital_steve]

How do you guys find the flexibility of the suit?
I personally just sold mine for fitting reasons... but i found that the suit wasn't flexible at all especially when running minimum suit gas
Cordura makes it super tough, but not super flexible in my experience

 

[BORG]

Mine is due in tomorrow at Divers Supply in Atlanta. I went with a custom order on this suit. I ordered back in April and there were some delays, but I should be diving it this weekend in Lake Lanier north of Atlanta. It's too hot to get any heavy undergarments, so until I get used to diving it in shallow water(20 ft. or less), I will be wearing sweats probably. But I will be getting the heavy undies soon though. Thanks for info. makes me not regret my decision to finally go "dry".

 

[RoyN]

I'm happy with mine. You can see it in action in my profile picture.

 

[scuba_frog]

How do you guys find the flexibility of the suit?
I personally just sold mine for fitting reasons... but i found that the suit wasn't flexible at all especially when running minimum suit gas
Cordura makes it super tough, but not super flexible in my experience

Cordura is not an elastic material so it does not stretch at all. However, because of the telescoping torso, I found it a lot easier to put my fins on that with my old USIA. And while underwater, I do not like the vaccum sealed feeling of the squeeze, so I add enough air to alleviate that feeling and use my BCD for buoyancy.

 

[mattsd]

How do you guys find the flexibility of the suit?
I personally just sold mine for fitting reasons... but i found that the suit wasn't flexible at all especially when running minimum suit gas
Cordura makes it super tough, but not super flexible in my experience

The suit is a little stiff on the surface, but seems to get more "flexible" in the water. You are definitely right about it being super stiff with minimum gas in it---Since I am still new to diving dry I have been experimenting with how much air in the suit is comfortable while avoiding the floaty feet, and only a little air in it restricts mobility. My suit is a little loose so there is some flexibility still there.

Also, I did two dives in it with leg gaiters yesterday, and that made a huge difference in restricting the airflow to my feet.

 

[webgoalie]

Hello all,
haven't posted forever but have been researching the evo 2 lately and ordered a custom one myself. I am 6'3", 225 and tried on an xxl at the local dive shop. I really liked the quality but the legs were way too short, hence the custom size. I've used a suit that was too short in the legs before (an old viking hd) and it really puts pressure on my knees and having the crotch lower offers much less mobility in the legs. I think if they offered the bigger sizes in a tall option, that would be nice. The valves seem top notch as do the wrist seals. The boots are on the small size so I ordered them a size bigger than my shoe size. I have recently been diving with a dui tls and really like the flexibility and packablility of that suit. The evo seems bulkier but I am hoping that it's as tough as it seems. I'll be using it in real cold water so lot's of underwear and weight will be in order. I can't wait to try it and will try to remember to give it a full review after a few dozen dives.

Thanks for everyone's comments on this site about the suit, it helped me make my decision! I would love to see some more pics of the suit other than from thier web site.

 

[BORG]

I love mine other than the fact that with my pretty buoyant winter undergarment and it's lack of flexibility caused me to fall over and lose one of my fins when I was putting it back on to retrieve my dive flag about 3 weeks ago in 5ft. of water in a local lake.
I remember last summer, I'd have to get down on all fours near the shore in about a foot of water and stretch each leg around to get my fins on. I didn't do that this time and lost a fin.
It's a great suit, just not flexible at all other than swimming underwater.
I should outlast my me and my diving career however.