Questions for California Drysuit Divers

[cppike79]

I'm looking into getting my first drysuit, and have been doing a lot of research to help figure out exactly what I want, but I also want to get some feedback from some of the local drysuit divers.

It seems like most divers are pretty well split between crushed neo and shell suits, and I think for my personal preferance I'm leaning towards a shell suit. I do a fair amount of lobstering in the winter though and wanted to get some opinions from anyone that goes lobster diving in a trilam, i.e. how do they hold up agains abrasion and puntures, is a crushed neo more durable?

Even though I'm leaning toward a shell suit, I recently saw a really good deal on a Bare XCD2 Tech that would fit me perfect, and I'm wondering if this is something that I should consider. My biggest concerns with the crushed neo are the mobility and the weight, but since this is only 2mm neo is it still pretty flexible adn somewhat light, and how does it compare to most shell suits? Any feedback on this would be great.


The shell suits that I'm mainly looking at are the USIA Techniflex, the Pinnacle Evo 2, and the Bare Trilam tech. Any opinions or advice would be greatly appreciatied.

Thanks.......

 

[Mo2vation]

I dry suit lobstered for years. Now, I only lobster in a wet suit. I'm WARMER in a wetsuit, as most of my local lobstering is 30 FSW and less.... and I got tired of watching all of the air I put in vent out every time I hit 20' or less. No air in the suit makes for colder diving.

That said, I lobstered in TriLam. No worries. I've put hundreds of holes in my TriLam wearing it to photograph - many more punctures than I have lobstering.

I recommend wetsuit lobstering.

For the other couple of hundred dives a year, its all dry, baby.

Tri Lam is much cooler in our hot summers on the SI. If you dive frequently, Tri Lam dry much faster. But the Crushed Neo I have is much more comfy, as it stretches. As a frog kicker, that makes a big difference.

But the Neo is heavy to transport, slow to dry.

On the Neo I have a Neo neck seal - best choice I ever made. LOVE IT. Well, the dry gloves are really the best move I've made.

My buddy has a Bare - friggen tough as nails. She's never had a problem, and she dives the heck out of that thing.


---
Ken

 

[jlyle]

I dive a DUI TLS-350 shell drysuit nearly all year long, but, for lobster diving, I dive wet - too much drag in the drysuit.

 

[Docklobster]

I have done 10 years of lobstering on my DUI crushed neo - no punctures or problems, but like others have said I prefer a wetsuit for lobster.

 

[Karen Cleveland]

I am afraid you are going to get a mixed bag of responses here. For me I lobster in a drysuit....diving all night is just too cold for me in a wetsuit. DUI-TLS350 works fine for me. That said I dive a live aboard with multiple dives.....maybe a different story for 1-2 dives for lobster.

 

[Rickster]

Definately wet for lobster. I dive a Trilam (USIA Aqua Pro Plus) in the winter months on the boats. Wet the rest of the year.

Rick

 

[ICY ICE]

I've always dove wet for lobstering.

I'll be diving dry in a DUI 50/50 this season; untill I get tired of the drag or I puncture it

It really depends on how much control you have, you don't want to be bouncing off the reef with a TLS.

 

[vetdiver]

I don't lobster, but I wanted to make a comment. I bought a DUI CF200 (crushed neoprene) when I lived in New England, welcoming the slight increase in warmth I knew I'd get over trilam, as well as the purported durability. Never ahd a problem with it, though it wasn't as warm, obviously, as my first drysuit, a 7 mm neoprene (Bare proDry).

I have now had the DUI suit over 1 1/2 years (since I moved to CA in January, I have completed - quite easily - 200 + dives in it, mostly shore dives), and other than seal issues, I have not experienced leaks at all. I do take pictures, so there are times that - ahem - I may not be off the bottom as much as I should be. Several others who I dive with regularly have trilam suits, and nearly ALL of them have had some issue with leaks/holes in the suit itself - I can list off three people out of the five I dive with regularly who have had an issue in the last 4 months.

I am only speaking of my own experience, so please don't flame me for this!!!!! It makes sense that crushed neoprene would be more durable, and my experience supports this. I agonized over the extra cost (I am a woman and had to get a custom suit), and I have had to defend my choice in front of one or two rabid local trilam suit lovers, but I would make the same choice again in a heartbeat!!!!

That said, there is more drag, certainly, with my suit compared to the divers using trilam suits. It is very noticeable getting in/out of the water and kicking out to the drop site. This might be more of a decision-maker for you.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[scuba1456]

I agree with most. I dive dry when i am just diving. and wet for lobster. I find my self in the weirdest positions while lobstering. my feet tended to fill with air in a dry suit. i also tore two seals reaching into rocks. so I went back to my wet suit.

the way i dive lobseter, 2-3 for dinner off of my private boat, its fine. I usally dont do more than one dive a night for lobsters. so I dont get very cold