Researching for my next drysuit

[Taath]

So I have been doing a lot of research to try and find the right drysuit for me. I am currently diving a Whites Fusion Tech drysuit with SLT. I am falling out of love with the suit. I don't feel like I have great flexibility and it's a chore to don and doff.

A little bit about my diving habits: 99% open water with the occasional cenote or wreck dive on a trip, those dives are usually done wet anyways. Most of my diving is done in a local freshwater lake. Water temps range rather wildly depending on time of year. Coldest gets to low 50s during the winter and it doesn't actually warm up until May or so. Surface temperatures, however, can be rather warm, up in to the 80s or more despite cooler water conditions.

• Seaskin Nova

• Pro
  
  • Made to measure fitting
  • Highly customizable
  • Least expensive due to exchange rate and lack of VAT
• Con:
  
  • International shipping if problems arise
    
  • Company is in the UK, not sure how well customer service would work with me in the USA

• Waterproof D9
  
  • Pro:
    
    • Extremely light weight
      
    • Breathable
      
    • Relatively inexpensive
  • Con:
    
    • Questions regarding durability
      
    • No quick change seals
      
    • No pockets

• Seac Warmdry
  
  • Pro:
    
    • Neoprene – less undergarment required
      
    • Relatively inexpensive
  • Con:
    
    • Boot sizing is way off for me (boots would be way too big)
      
    • Rear zip, not easily donnable by oneself

• Scubapro Everdry 4
  
  • Pro:
    
    • Neoprene – less undergarment required
      
    • Attached sock, so no boot sizing issues
      
    • Relatively inexpensive
  • Con:
    
    • Hard to find
      
    • Rear zip, not easily donnable by oneself

• Deep 6 Techniflex
  
  • Pro:
    
    • Some customization options
      
    • Looks like it’s a USIA suit or very similar for a great price
      
    • It’s Deep 6!
  • Con:
    
    • Not as customizable as the Seaskin
      
    • Most expensive of the bunch
      
    • No quick change seals (that I’m aware of)

 

[toris1968]

If you are going to go Scubapro why not the Evertec LT. Love mine

 

[Marie13]

If you're going to go with the Techniflex, get it straight from USIA and go through DRIS (I'm wearing mine in avatar pic). Get the SiTech replaceable seals and you're good to go. Fully customizable. Cost is now $1750 (it's gone up in the last few months). Getting the SiTech seals done at the factory is an additional $250. Neoprene socks are an extra $50. 2 pockets are included (velcro or zip, your choice). They're made in the USA and they're a long term military supplier if that matters to you.

Custom cut is only $150 over stock sizes.

USIA Techniflex Front Zip Drysuit | USIA Drysuits | Dive Right In Scuba | www.diverightinscuba.com - Dive Right in Scuba

 

[victorzamora]

We just bought a drysuit from the OThree. It was a fully-custom Ri2-100 shipped to the US for ~$1500 and the quality is fantastic. They had absolutely fantastic customer service.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

If you are going to go Scubapro why not the Evertec LT. Love mine

Really? I had one, but I think if I expressed my honest opinion, I might violate PADI's code of conduct.

 

[rivers]

I used to have a seaskin. It was a great suit for the price.

 

[Storker]

I have about 50 dives in a Scubapro Everdry 4, but retired it and bought a trilam suit some three years ago. These days I'm using a Waterproof D7.

Pro Everdry 4: Pretty snug, so little air migration and little drag. Almost as easy to dive as a wetsuit. Neoprene means that only light undergarments are needed (typically one or two layers of Merino wool) down to ~10C/50F water. Integrated socks + rockboots are nice and snug on your feet (compared to integrated boots or softboots), so not much issues with floaty feet.
Con Everdry 4: Backzip, so you can't zip up yourself. It also makes it more awkward to take a leak if you're male. Pretty snug, so difficult to don enough undergarments for real cold water diving (<10C/50F). Small-ish socks can easily lead to cold feet in cold water. Neoprene suit and neoprene seals make it rather difficult to mount dryglove rings.

Bottom line: A nice alternative for easy drysuit diving during the three warmest seasons. Not particularly suitable for winter diving. I prefer a drysuit with enough room for some serious undergarments and nice thick wool socks, a frontzip and two huge thigh pockets.

 

[Sevenrider860]

We just bought a drysuit from the OThree. It was a fully-custom Ri2-100 shipped to the US for ~$1500 and the quality is fantastic. They had absolutely fantastic customer service.

Agree on the O'Three drysuit. I have a Made To Measure in production at the moment. Incredible customer service and the exchange rate between the US dollar and British pound sterling makes it a great bargain at the moment.

 

[Taath]

If you're going to go with the Techniflex, get it straight from USIA and go through DRIS (I'm wearing mine in avatar pic). Get the SiTech replaceable seals and you're good to go. Fully customizable. Cost is now $1750 (it's gone up in the last few months). Getting the SiTech seals done at the factory is an additional $250. Neoprene socks are an extra $50. 2 pockets are included (velcro or zip, your choice). They're made in the USA and they're a long term military supplier if that matters to you.

I have looked at that as an option. Deep6, however, is cheaper at $1400 base price for the Techniflex. Guessing getting the options would be possible since it comes from the same factory. Plus Chris and Landon are awesome to work with.

We just bought a drysuit from the OThree. It was a fully-custom Ri2-100 shipped to the US for ~$1500 and the quality is fantastic. They had absolutely fantastic customer service.

Interesting, I'll take a look at OThree.

Really? I had one, but I think if I expressed my honest opinion, I might violate PADI's code of conduct.

Wow, that bad?

Con Everdry 4: Backzip, so you can't zip up yourself. It also makes it more awkward to take a leak if you're male. Pretty snug, so difficult to don enough undergarments for real cold water diving (<10C/50F). Small-ish socks can easily lead to cold feet in cold water. Neoprene suit and neoprene seals make it rather difficult to mount dryglove rings.

The back zip part is what really has me turned off on that suit. I don't really dive any waters below 50 degrees and I haven't had much luck with dryglove systems anyways, likely to just stick to wet gloves.

 

[JohnN]

If you're going to go with the Techniflex, get it straight from USIA and go through DRIS (I'm wearing mine in avatar pic). Get the SiTech replaceable seals and you're good to go. Fully customizable. Cost is now $1750 (it's gone up in the last few months). Getting the SiTech seals done at the factory is an additional $250. Neoprene socks are an extra $50. 2 pockets are included (velcro or zip, your choice). They're made in the USA and they're a long term military supplier if that matters to you.

Custom cut is only $150 over stock sizes.

USIA Techniflex Front Zip Drysuit | USIA Drysuits | Dive Right In Scuba | www.diverightinscuba.com - Dive Right in Scuba

+1 on the USIA suit. HOG resells the same suit, you should drop Jim Lapenta (jimlap212@comcast.net) a note to see what price he can give you. I'm very happy with mine, custom, factory SiTech neck and wrist seals.