Preferred Drysuit Config

[Bob]

Go with the front zip suit. I dive a TLS 350 and it's very easy for me to zip and unzip. I also dive with friends who have back zips and not a single one of them can zip themselves in... As you say, it's about the team, but it's very convenient to be able to zip/unzip without help, especially between dives,and after the last dive of the day.
almtree: Bob

 

[mikerault]

I have dove the DUI rear zipper and my Bare NexGen rear zipper. WHile i like the convienioence of the front zipper, I found my Bare to be more flexible and easier to reach my valves with than the DUI. I also found the DUI to be resticting on my arms and legs with the 200 gram under garments, so much it reduced the loft of the undergarments and caused my arms and legs to feel chilled. The DUI is a tri and the Bare is a Bi-laminate. I have never felt chilled in my Bare with the 100 gram under garments they provided, mainly because I was easily able to keep them "lofted".

Mike

 

[hantzu701]

I notice that the original post started with someone from Florida where drysuits are more likely to be seen in cave country. Part of the question revolves around cost as a good drysuit is a good chunk of money. I think the process is akin to looking at options when you are buying a car. "Do I really need to add heated seats?"

With respect to DIR, I think that the principal of shared team resources prevails.

If you can fit into a stock sized suit, you can not only save a few bucks, but chances are that someone else on the team can also fit into the suit. If the team has zip seals, then spare zip seals are also a team resource. If there are any failures, then the dive isn't ruined.

It does seem that everyone has complaints about drysuits. I, myself, have been very happy with my suits, but I have had friends who complain that they leak or fit poorly. Friends who have gotten custom suits either love them or hate them.

With respect to dry suit zippers, three placements of dry suit zippers. 1) back zip (rear entry) 2) diagonal front zip -closes from top to down and 3) diagonal front zip - closes from bottom to top.

As discussed, the back zip is not preferred simply because you generally need someone to help you in and out of your suit. It is cheaper to manufacture and easier to repair, so back zips tend to be on entry-level suits. Unfortunately, entry-level suits tend to be cut generously to fit a greater segment of the dive population. The suit that fits so well in the shop - easy to get in and get out on the surface, presents a lot of excess material underwater. This can add to problems with maintaining your buoyancy. Avoid if possible.

The diagonal front zip - opens bottom to top - is the original placement for DUI suits. To close, the zip pulls down to the waist and slightly to the right side. The argument that I've heard is that this configuration is bomb-proof. This design has held up for a long time. You have to specifically ask for this as this is no longer a standard option on a DUI suit.

The diagonal front zip - opens from top to bottom - is the current configuration on DUI drysuits. The advantage is that you can visually inspect that the zipper is indeed closed. I was told that the reason that they went this way was because of the high number of suits that were being sent in for zipper failure, when it was only because the zipper had not been pulled shut. Many of my diving buddies do not like this configuration because they are concerned that placing the zipper pull on the high left of the chest results in higher wear from the zipper pull being crushed under the webbing.

I have both styles of drysuit. I have 500+ dives on the zipper that opens from top to bottom (new style) and 50+ dives on the zipper pull that opens from bottom to top (old style). I have not noticed unusual wear either way.

 

[b1gcountry]

FYI, other manufacturers offer additional zipper configurations. Whites offers a front zip that is basically a 'U' shape (you look like someone out of Star Trek.) I know Andy's user to make a drysuit that went from armpit to armpit. There are likely other variations as well, I'm just not familiar with them.

Tom

 

[Sas]

Ok might be slightly off topic... but if you have a backzip drysuit you can get out of the suit yourself easily enough, just takes more effort than if a buddy does it. My buddy (if no buddy around for whatever reason), has a hook one one side that he can hook onto his car (or a pole), with a piece of material (like the wetsuit zipper tag things) attached, the hook on the other end attaches to his drysuit zipper. He can then get his suit off. Few other friends use this method also.

So I think ability to get one's self out of a drysuit alone is not a huge concern when selecting a back zip as it can be done fairly easily