Review of Deep 6 Drysuit

[Kamaros]

Just received mine last night, right in time for my Hawaii liveaboard trip where I won't need it

I ordered mine with a pee valve and quick change silicone seals. The suit fits comfortably over my Halo3D, but I'll echo king_of_battle in saying the the zipper was a little tough to operate since it extends pretty far over the shoulder.

Some subtle details I thought were nice:

• The seams are all covered in some kind of slippery fabric, so there's no need to apply talc to the inside of the suit seams like you have to with some suits
• The crotch strap is designed with a clever velcro mechanism that lets you wrap it on itself
• The supplied hose lets you attach it to the inflator valve just by pressing it on, without having to pull back on any sort of locking ring. The valve itself also comes with an attached cap, so you won't misplace it
• There are little loops on the feet to let you hang the suit without a dedicated drysuit hanger

I'm looking forward to taking it out for a spin once I get back from Kona.

 

[BoltSnap]

my Hawaii liveaboard trip where I won't need it

If you are going to Hawaii this time of the year, you'll need it or, at least, a 7mm semi-dry suit. It is very cold there this time of the year especially when diving from a liveaboard. I did it few years ago on the Kona Aggressor with a 5mm suit and I was freezing after a couple of days of 4 dives a day.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

If you are going to Hawaii this time of the year, you'll need it or, at least, a 7mm semi-dry suit. It is very cold there this time of the year especially when diving from a liveaboard. I did it few years ago on the Kona Aggressor with a 5mm suit and I was freezing after a couple of days of 4 dives a day.

Agreed. I get cold with a 5 mil after a couple dives. Though I am a wimp when it comes to temperature. I'd definitely take it. You'll be glad you did.

 

[pauldw]

My Deep 6 Makara dryuit came today. As you can see, it is not merely dive gear. It is expedition dive gear! Most people don't have that. This is the equivalent, I believe, of having a guitar amp that goes up to 11. It also came with a freebie Ursuit knit cap. And with a hood, which I hadn't ordered (but not with a neck tool, which I thought I had ordered).

When I put the drysuit on, I initially noticed there would be plenty of room in the boots for warm socks. Then I noticed the rest of it fit more snugly. It will be important not to gain anymore weight! In fact, the underarms were surprisingly snug. About this time, my attention diverted from thinking about how bizarre it was that I'd actually ordered a P valve as if that's something humans could do to themselves, to the realization that this being a Finnish-made product, it is essentially a wearable sauna. So I got out of it. But then I figured I should see if my thermal layer even fits under it. So I put on my thermal layer, and started squeezing into the dry suit. Before long I decided to open the door to the snow and stand by the cooler air. Then I finished getting it on. Those armpits are mighty snug, so I checked my arterial circulation down my arms, and it seemed to be intact. Then I stood out in the snow to begin taking it off, which was harder with the thermal layer on, which was a shame because at this point I was in a race against heatstroke. I thought about laying down in the snow for awhile to cool off, but instead got my daughter and had her tug on a sleeve. Now she's shore support forever. I got everything off, took a shower, and marveled at what it must be like to have such a wonderful product! Now, I just need a drysuit diver course so I can die in this contraption properly trained.

 

[pauldw]

Wow, that tool I mentioned, when I asked about it they just mailed it immediately!

 

[RainPilot]

Wow, that tool I mentioned, when I asked about it they just mailed it immediately!

Whatever other teething troubles Deep 6 may have had / be having , they are not shy about customer service and fixing things.

 

[Doctor Rig]

To Deep 6 Makara Drysuit owners:

Thanks for your suit review & comments. Would you please share what undergarments you wear with your Makara and the amount of lead you use at your suggested temperature range and any associated comments deemed appropriate (especially if relative to other Drysuits).

Thanks!


@Schwob @matt80 @king_of_battle @karmaros @pauldw @CAPTAIN SINBAD

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

I wear 4th Element Arctic Expedition undergarment and I have used it down to 40 degrees and I was fine. Not sure how that setup would do at 35 degrees.

I also have a custom made 200 gram u set garment for warmer waters.

Hope this helps?

 

[Kamaros]

My cold tolerance has degraded quite a lot since I left Toronto. I've been comfortable using a Fourth Element Halo3D and some light Smartwool undergarments in Monterey (low to mid 50s). At 5'10 and 180 lbs, I used 16 lbs of additional weight during my last dive, where I was also using a steel HP100 and a full outfit of Deep 6 gear (steel backplate, 30 lb wing, eddy flippers, and signature regs). Honestly, I haven't done enough dives with the suit to have really optimized my weighting yet, and might still be able to drop a few pounds.

It's been mentioned a few times in this thread, but I wanted to emphasize that it's very well fitted, which is a great thing when you're in the water, but which is somewhat inconvenient when you're on land trying to take the suit off. The zipper extends pretty far behind the shoulder, which makes it hard to open all the way without help. You also definitely need to open it fully to get out - the "telescopic torso" on mine extends about 3 microns, so it's a bit of a struggle and a dance to get my head through the neck hole. I'm planning on applying some KY Jelly the next time I go diving in hopes that it'll make it easier to slip the seals off post-dive. If you dive solo, consider asking for a slightly larger suit to make your life easier.

 

[Schwob]

@Doctor Rig :
I won't be of much help to you as the undergarnments I still use are a hodge podge combination of skiing stuff from as early as the 90s and long underwear. Smartwool & Polywhatnot (fleece) & thick wool socks. I am not progressed enough yet with those trials to have decided on a combo I really like... nor am I frustrated enough yet to spend the "big bucks" on a custom suit... although I admit it seems quite appealing.

To Deep 6 Makara Drysuit owners:

Thanks for your suit review & comments. Would you please share what undergarments you wear with your Makara and the amount of lead you use at your suggested temperature range and any associated comments deemed appropriate (especially if relative to other Drysuits).

Thanks!


@Schwob @matt80 @king_of_battle @karmaros @pauldw @CAPTAIN SINBAD