Relative costs of drysuits

[st456ar]

Aren't drysuits relatively expensive, particularly for someone entering the sport of diving? I don't want to make a significant investment until I'm certain that I want to stay with it?

 

[H2Andy]

yes, they are expensive, around $1,000 and up, depending on model.

in some places, they are really a necessity, though. where will you be doing
most of your diving?

also, you might consider buying used. dry suits last a long time if well taken care
of. the issue is going to be fit. i just bought a used DUI suit for $800 that i
consider a bargain. it's a sock medium, and it fits me very well.

if you can dive wet where you live, i would suggest that you do so for a bit to
see how you like diving, etc. before making the financial commitment.

 

[kalvyn]

if you can dive wet where you live, i would suggest that you do so for a bit to see how you like diving, etc. before making the financial commitment.

Speaking for myself, I would not have continued diving locally had I not purchased a drysuit immediately after getting certified. I did not enjoy wearing a 7 mil farmer john plus a 7 mil hooded shorty and wearing 39# of lead around my waist. Of course, I could afford to buy a drysuit and that is not an expense that everyone can shoulder! There are some good deals out there though; The Bare NexGen is like ~$600/$700 new and there's always the used option like Any mentioned.

Andy's advice is good advice - continue diving locally and if you find you're just flat out too cold, start saving for that drysuit instead of buying a Starbucks mocha every day.

Jimmie

 

[Mo2vation]

.... continue diving locally and if you find you're just flat out too cold, start saving for that drysuit instead of buying a Starbucks mocha every day.

Jimmie

You gotta want it. My line is usually "eBay the Play Station...." but the above works just as well.

For me, I was diving in SoCal (not tropical, but not cold by PNW standards) for about 3 years before I moved to a DS.

That's when everything changed. It extended my season - I was diving 12 months a year now. I wasn't shivering on the SI, I dropped a bunch of weight off my belt, etc, etc. It coincided with me becoming a serious diver (100 + a year.)

If you decide you like this underwater stuff, its the single largest investment you'll make in your diving. But it will also outlast everything else you own, except your tanks.

I don't regret it for a moment.

---
Ken


PS: there are ways the saavy diver can save hundreds on a DS. I mean, for all it does, its just a person-shaped bag with a zipper and some seals. Zip and seals are consumables. Used is an excellent way to go. When you eBay the Playstation, look around. Threasures await you.

 

[H2Andy]

hey, has anybody actually added up how many mochas you'd have to skip
to get a drysuit?

i bet that's a lot of mochas

 

[Mo2vation]

Too funny.

Fewer in OCal... Home of the $25 car wash, and the $6.00 coffee.

---
Ken

 

[kalvyn]

hey, has anybody actually added up how many mochas you'd have to skip
to get a drysuit?

i bet that's a lot of mochas

Actually... it's not, really. If you consider a Starbucks mocha costs about $2.75 (?... I'm a Tully's kinda guy myself) and a lot of people get a mocha a day, that's $1,003.75 over the course of a year if you get a mocha every single day. That buys your drysuit right there.

Even if you only get one every work day, that's still $715 that could instead go towards a drysuit purchase.

I'd never eBay the PlayStation, though I have sold musical gear to pay for dive stuff! Folks that have known me forever couldn't believe that, actually. I came >this< close to eBaying my '69 Gold Top Deluxe last year, but I've since come to my senses.

Jimmie

 

[ScubaTwo]

I got a TSL350 Signature Series with the weight harness for 2000. From reading some of the threads it seems a little high but my husband bought it for me so Im happy lol!

 

[scubajunkee]

Like everyone else had said, if you can get away with a wetsuit, go for it. Drysuits are expensive, especially brand new. I dive Monterey, CA waters for 4 years where the average water temp is 48F-55F. I was usually confortable up to about 70ft, but getting to the 3rd dive was tough--I usually opted to get a bowl of hot soup instead. You can get lucky like I did and get a pretty good used drysuit for $200. It had 300 dives on it, good seals and no leaks. Now I dive all the time without worrying about cold SI's. Scour eBay, scubaboard, craigslist.org and any other classifieds boards to get a deal. Used gear is the way to go!

Ericson

 

[ScubaTwo]

Like everyone else had said, if you can get away with a wetsuit, go for it. Drysuits are expensive, especially brand new. I dive Monterey, CA waters for 4 years where the average water temp is 48F-55F. I was usually confortable up to about 70ft, but getting to the 3rd dive was tough--I usually opted to get a bowl of hot soup instead. You can get lucky like I did and get a pretty good used drysuit for $200. It had 300 dives on it, good seals and no leaks. Now I dive all the time without worrying about cold SI's. Scour eBay, scubaboard, craigslist.org and any other classifieds boards to get a deal. Used gear is the way to go!

Ericson

IF you can find the right size. In my case I couldnt and had pretty much given up. So getting a new custom fit worked out well in this case. It was a huge investment but to me personally it was worth it.