Santi Drysuit Options - What to choose?

[WhiteSands]

Looking at the chart these are the things I need to choose. Appreciate all feedback & help.

Exhaust valve - did some research, seems sitech is universally preferred over apeks

Inflation valve - sitech too I guess, to match exhaust

Zipper - Plastic TIZIP

Neck seal - silicone. Read that latex degrades in 1-2 years and tears easily. Needs talcum. Silicone seals equally well and doesn't have the shortcomings of latex. Talcum not needed also. Other choices are insulated latex & neoprene.

Wrist seal - HD bottleshaped seems to be preferred. Other choice is cone.

Boots - flexsoles seem to be universally praised. Other options are neoprene boots, socks, socks + rock boots.

Hood - 7/9mm neoprene basic collar ok?

Knee pads - kevlar or melco. No idea what melco is.

P-valve - halcyon or santi

Rings - Sitech or viking. Absolutely no idea here please help me.

Additionally I'm told that to fit silicone seals I need to use the Sitech QCS Oval Ring system for the wrists. I did some reading and found these are the older version of the Antares rings.

I found in reviews that most recommend staying away from the Antares system as it doesn't work well. So not sure if this system shares the same weaknesses.

What ring system for neck and wrist seals should I get? Please help, need to decide by tomorrow. Thanks.

---------- Post added October 26th, 2013 at 10:31 PM ----------

Its for the Elite suit tho I think the Emotion requires the same choices.

 

[TSandM]

To use the silicone seals, you do have to use the SiTech rings. This locks you into using SiTech dry glove systems. You have the choice between the QuickGlove and the Glove Lock system. The Glove Lock requires some additional piece, but is larger and a better option, I hear, for those with larger hands. The QuickGlove system is very simple, but has a definite learning curve on using it. If you don't get the o-ring seated perfectly straight, it will kink, and the glove will immediately leak when you immerse it. I finally solidified a technique for avoiding this, but it's kind of a pain.

If you go with glued seals, I would recommend the conical wrist seals, because you can easily cut them to fit. Bottle seals either fit or they don't.

The silicone neck seals are stretchy and soft, and may not degrade the way latex does, but they are fragile and seem easy to tear. In addition, if you go with the silicone neck seal, you get the neck ring -- which is very nice for doing your own neck seal replacement, but is bulky and affects shoulder mobility. It may make it impossible to reach your valve, which I know a lot of single tank divers don't worry about, but it's an awfully nice safety thing.

Whatever you do, get the pockets. The pockets on the Santi suits are AWESOME!

 

[WhiteSands]

To use the silicone seals, you do have to use the SiTech rings. This locks you into using SiTech dry glove systems. You have the choice between the QuickGlove and the Glove Lock system. The Glove Lock requires some additional piece, but is larger and a better option, I hear, for those with larger hands. The QuickGlove system is very simple, but has a definite learning curve on using it. If you don't get the o-ring seated perfectly straight, it will kink, and the glove will immediately leak when you immerse it. I finally solidified a technique for avoiding this, but it's kind of a pain.

If you go with glued seals, I would recommend the conical wrist seals, because you can easily cut them to fit. Bottle seals either fit or they don't.

The silicone neck seals are stretchy and soft, and may not degrade the way latex does, but they are fragile and seem easy to tear. In addition, if you go with the silicone neck seal, you get the neck ring -- which is very nice for doing your own neck seal replacement, but is bulky and affects shoulder mobility. It may make it impossible to reach your valve, which I know a lot of single tank divers don't worry about, but it's an awfully nice safety thing.

Whatever you do, get the pockets. The pockets on the Santi suits are AWESOME!

Thanks Lynne. I eventually went for the Santi E.motion as my wife was dead set on it for its light weight.

Well, I hope it holds up well and we made the right choice. Just have to be extra careful I guess.

 

[Pullmyfinger]

I have the bottle seals and use the Viking rings with them on my eMotion. I had the Sitech silicone seals on my Whites Fusion, and really liked them, but I did tear a wrist seal; the replacement seal was a little thicker than the original.
You do have to use the Sitech ring system with the silicone seals.

When it comes time to replace my neck seal on my Santi, I will probably have the neck seal replaced with the Sitech neck ring system. It would be nice to be able to replace them myself in the future. I will probably always stay with the bottle wrist seals. The are seem very durable, don't leak, and during the winter, I can use the Viking rings with them. I actually decided to try the Viking rings, base on some older posts of Lynne's where she mentioned how much she loved them.
With that endorsement, I decided to buy them. I prefer them over the Sitech rings; just personal preference.
The Sitech rings were also good.

 

[WhiteSands]

I have the bottle seals and use the Viking rings with them on my eMotion. I had the Sitech silicone seals on my Whites Fusion, and really liked them, but I did tear a wrist seal; the replacement seal was a little thicker than the original.
You do have to use the Sitech ring system with the silicone seals.

When it comes time to replace my neck seal on my Santi, I will probably have the neck seal replaced with the Sitech neck ring system. It would be nice to be able to replace them myself in the future. I will probably always stay with the bottle wrist seals. The are seem very durable, don't leak, and during the winter, I can use the Viking rings with them. I actually decided to try the Viking rings, base on some older posts of Lynne's where she mentioned how much she loved them.
With that endorsement, I decided to buy them. I prefer them over the Sitech rings; just personal preference.
The Sitech rings were also good.

That's good to know. I enquired about the Viking rings as well but the LDS rep told me to go with Sitech due to ease of getting parts, and that he personally dived them and they work fine.

 

[TSandM]

I've dived both. Both work. The Viking rings are fairly close to bombproof, as long as you keep the o-rings kind of moderately clean. The SiTech system is much fussier, requiring that you get the o-ring set perfectly flat on installation. I have to lick the gloves (a behavior I learned from others using the same system) AND install the glove, and then back it out a few turns and push it back in again. Using this procedure, I have not had a leak. But it's fussier than just slapping the ring on and twisting it, as I do with my Vikings.

I also don't know what the rep meant about buying parts. I've had my Viking rings for eight years, and I have never bought anything for them. You might eventually have to replace the o-rings, I suppose, but you could undoubtedly get them from the same supplier from whom you buy the rings in the first place.

 

[johnkendall]

Inflation valve - sitech too I guess, to match exhaust

Get the Apeks inflate. That way, when at some time in the future you decide to invest in the Santi heating systems, they will fit

HTH
John

 

[TSandM]

You can buy SiTech throughports, too . . .

BTW, there is a lot of negative feedback on Apeks exhaust valves, and I'll jump on the bandwagon. But Apeks makes a hazmat dump valve that I got a chance to test dive, and that one has never leaked a single drop.