Recomendations for a DRY suit

[Aqua-Andy]

I love my DUI TLS350. I've owned two of the them with no issues. I have dove Whites, Bare and Diving Concepts. None of them compare to DUI in my opinion.

Just out of curiosity why didn't the other suits compare to the DUI suit. Was it fit or did the others had quality issues? Did you own the other suits or were they demos?

I own a Bare Nex-Gen and a Whites Fusion. Both are good suits, The Nex-Gen has been a great suit except for the zipper and hopefully that is fixed with the new Ti-zip. I had two zippers fail on me in 2.5 years with the suit but Bare was excellent warranted the first one at no charge and did the second one (now with the new Ti-Zip) for the price off the zipper and they covered labor. I love how the Bare dries fast, it is almost dry by the time you are ready to put it in the car after a dive. It dives good and seams very durable. The Fusion on the other hand is only about 3 months old so I cant speak for durability but it dives so nice you have to try one to believe it. One thing about the fusion that I do not like is it seams to create a lot more condensation on the inside than my Nex-Gen, so you have to turn the suit inside out and dry the inside and then dry the outside after, so it takes a couple of days to totally dry out. The Fusion is self donning so if you do any solo diving this would be something you want to look for in a suit.

 

[ppo2_diver]

I owned Diving Concepts and Whites before DUI. The DC suit was nice, but was crushed neoprene and took forever to dry. Plus, there was a mysterious leak in both boots that nobody could find. The stock size I had fit ok except in the crotch. There it was too tight for my comfort level.

I have dove the Whites Fusion in the past and didn't like the fit. While the outer shell kept the material mostly tight, I found that the material would bunch up in random places leaving an uncomfortable fit. I also didnt like the front zip as it just felt odd with my harness.

 

[Scuba_Noob]

I've used both the White's Fusion (rental) and the Bare Nex-Gen Pro (own).

If you're going budget, the Nex-Gen Pro is good and sturdy for a price under $1000, with limited lifetime warranty on the seals. However, it is rear/shoulder entry (no solo) and there have been complaints about the difficulty of the exhaust valve, though it's not a big deal. ALSO, it's bilam; if you want trilam, Bare has plenty of options that are slightly more expensive.

White's Fusion is great. If you want ability to take abuse, I think the White's Fusion Bullet is the thickest outer layer, but all of them are good. I'd suggest trying it on before buying, as the sizes don't always fit perfectly (according to the charts, I'm a medium based on height/weight, BUT I really prefer the Large/XL with a medium undergarment). It goes for about $2300-$2500 and will last you forever.

The double zippers and self-donning ability are also really nice. I would get one if I could afford it.

 

[rhwestfall]

Love my taylored to me DUI. CF200x. Rugged as all get out. At 6'-7" and 230#, nothing off the rack was even going to be close....

 

[Ouvea]

Hello:

I dive regularly through out the year, apart fro the summer months (visibility sucks) in Monterey/Carmel. I usually weigh 125-130lbs and am comfortable wearing the Fourth Element Arctic undergarment with a Craft Pro Warm or Zero baselayer. I'm quite comfortable for an hour, which is usually how long my air supply last at shallow depth (40feet). During the second dive, there are times where I wear the Whites MK2 vest for additional warmth. I have gone down to 100-110 feet with this setup and wasn't uncomfortable. I wouldn't want to spend an extended period at such depth with these undergarments, even if PROPER training and equipment allowed.

As far as the actual drysuit, I have only used the Pinnacle Evolution 2 and the Whites Fusion Sport. The EVO 2 is far stronger than the Whites but it's a bit more cumbersome and bulky. In fact, I doubt you could cut the material unless you had something extremely sharp and pointed. The combined weight of the Fourth Element Arctic undergarment and my Whites Fusion Sport drysuit is less than that of the Evo2, if portability was of concern.

C.

 

[Tristan.ak]

I owned Diving Concepts and Whites before DUI. The DC suit was nice, but was crushed neoprene and took forever to dry. Plus, there was a mysterious leak in both boots that nobody could find. The stock size I had fit ok except in the crotch. There it was too tight for my comfort level.

I have dove the Whites Fusion in the past and didn't like the fit. While the outer shell kept the material mostly tight, I found that the material would bunch up in random places leaving an uncomfortable fit. I also didn't like the front zip as it just felt odd with my harness.

I feel the same about the Fusion's zipper. I have nothing bad to say about it and the suit is made very well, but the zipper layout is something that I don't like. Does it get annoying with the horse shoe zipper? I feel that would rub on a BP/W harness. I do like the sizing and feel, also the material is real nice. I just wish it came in a traditional back zip or front zip. Diving Concepts is another quality drysuit and it has a nice fit. DUI is again, quality at a higher cost with a nice cut and quality material. Im still looking for the right suit and I might end up going with DUI since there are so many dealers for DUI in Alaska along with Diving Concepts and Whites. I know that there is no such thing as the suit for everything, I suggest two suits. A rock solid suit for wrecks, you will loose mobility with a stiffer suit but you will have a lower change of puncture. And a more flexible suit for non penetration dives.

For a cheap suit, I suggest pay the cost for a quality product. This will end up costing less then a cheap suit in the long run.

 

[Aqua-Andy]

I know that there is no such thing as the suit for everything, I suggest two suits. A rock solid suit for wrecks, you will loose mobility with a stiffer suit but you will have a lower change of puncture. And a more flexible suit for non penetration dives.

The fusion does these two things very well. for wreck diving you can put on a bullet skin, and for normal recreational stuff use a tech or sport skin. I actually like the zipper location, it self dons very easy and you barley notice it when it is on. I would love to try a fusion with a Ti-Zip though, that zipper is so flexible you would not notice it at all.

 

[Tristan.ak]

The fusion does these two things very well. for wreck diving you can put on a bullet skin, and for normal recreational stuff use a tech or sport skin. I actually like the zipper location, it self dons very easy and you barley notice it when it is on. I would love to try a fusion with a Ti-Zip though, that zipper is so flexible you would not notice it at all.

Wait the tight outer layer comes off?! That is the coolest thing ever.

 

[Wayne at DiveSeekers]

I have dove Diving Concepts, DiveRite, Oceanic, Bare, D.U.I. and Whites Drysuits and my favorite is my SANTI Elite that I am currently diving. It holds up great to NE Wreck Diving and most people are drooling when they see it in person. True Custom suit, Great Quality & Comfort, Awesome venting efficiency and DRY!! Their boot design rocks (super flexible for maximum ankle movement and the pockets are the easiest for getting in and out of. They now have a U.S. Distributor and are building up a dealer base.

Here is my suit:


Santi Products

Oh did I also mention the their Heated Vest w/Low Profile Valve also Rocks!!

We should have SANTI Products on our website shortly!