SCUBAPRO EXODRY REVIEW......for what it's worth.
if anyone is considering a new dry suit this may be one to seriously consider. we don't get to see many different styles of suits around these parts so i thought i would share my impressions. pls keep in mind this is a second hand suit and i have only dived it once so far.
scubapro has the exodry, the everdry, and the evertech. don't get them mixed up. haha with these names it is hard to keep them straight. this is about the exodry.
this is a "4mm high density neoprene" suit with built in boots and latex wrist / neck seals.
my thoughts from the bottom up......
nice boots. good fit. flexible for easy finning. boots were redesigned on the new version but i thought these were fine.
right thigh pocket included. definitely comes in handy to keep items tucked away that you "might" need but don't want dangling off your gear.
the 4mm material is quite stretchy so movement in the water is very comfortable. this suit is designed to fit snug. it is not loose and roomy like a typical tri-laminate dry suit. so correct sizing is important. i fit a standard Bare med / lrg. and that leaves me room for plenty of undies. this suit is a standard large. it fits about as good as an "off the rack" suit could, and i had just enough room to wear my merino wool undies.
the seat has an extra protective fabric to help prevent damage when sitting
the sitech inflator valve is a bit different than what we usually see. instead of a front push button design, this has a side push button. i am not sure if this is a positive or a negative. i think i prefer the front button but this works just fine.
standard sitech exhaust on left upper arm. these work great. mine however had a bit of a leak when it was wide open. but that is a minor issue considering it is second hand.
this is a rear entry suit and has the plastic TZip zipper. i love plastic zippers. very comfortable, and easy to open and close. i am aware the TZip has had problems though so i am hoping it holds up. the new version does come with a BDM metal zipper.
there is also an inner and outer neoprene protective layer for the zipper. the inner helps with cold migration and the outer helps protect the zipper. the outer layer stays down nicely as it has velcro to stay in place.
the latex seals are great as usual. perfect seal. easy to don and doff, easy to cut to size, and i can easily attach whatever type of dry gloves i want to use.
the neck also has a neoprene "warm neck collar". now some suits also claim to have a warm neck collar but some of them are useless to be honest. (like my Bare....cough cough) this one however is quite nice. if you have ever seen any of the Waterproof line of suits, it is similar to those. it allows you to use a hood with a small collar (i was using my Waterproof hood) so you can tuck the hoods collar inside the warm neck collar of the suit and then adjust the fit using the attached velcro to keep snug and in place. it works great with the latex neck seal.
suspenders also comes standard on these suits. it doesn't sound like much but they make donning easier and are very handy between dives when you want to take down just the top of the suit. i should mention the new version apparently has blue suspenders (mine are black.....insert sad face here) so they are easier to see and keep out of the way when donning the suit. they also added a plush lining. this may add some extra thermal protection.
both arms have a small wrist strap to allow you to wear your wrist computer relatively loose and it wont slide around your wrist. seems like a handy idea if they stand up to regular use.
a new suit comes with a carry bag, LP hose, a repair kit (which is a great idea), and a hood as well.
overall i was quite impressed with this suit. i was a bit reluctant to buy one as i had never seen one in person and i was unsure on the sizing. but i am glad i did. i was surprisingly comfortable in the cold water (aprox 46 to 48 F). and i am sure that without my extra merino layer i would be more than comfy in the warmer shallower water.
so hopefully this may provide some helpful first hand info to anyone considering a new Scubapro dry suit. this should do well for 75% of the diving i do here. i will however be keeping my Bare tri-laminate suit around so i can add heavier undies for the colder / longer dives.
dive safe
if anyone is considering a new dry suit this may be one to seriously consider. we don't get to see many different styles of suits around these parts so i thought i would share my impressions. pls keep in mind this is a second hand suit and i have only dived it once so far.
scubapro has the exodry, the everdry, and the evertech. don't get them mixed up. haha with these names it is hard to keep them straight. this is about the exodry.
this is a "4mm high density neoprene" suit with built in boots and latex wrist / neck seals.
my thoughts from the bottom up......
nice boots. good fit. flexible for easy finning. boots were redesigned on the new version but i thought these were fine.
right thigh pocket included. definitely comes in handy to keep items tucked away that you "might" need but don't want dangling off your gear.
the 4mm material is quite stretchy so movement in the water is very comfortable. this suit is designed to fit snug. it is not loose and roomy like a typical tri-laminate dry suit. so correct sizing is important. i fit a standard Bare med / lrg. and that leaves me room for plenty of undies. this suit is a standard large. it fits about as good as an "off the rack" suit could, and i had just enough room to wear my merino wool undies.
the seat has an extra protective fabric to help prevent damage when sitting
the sitech inflator valve is a bit different than what we usually see. instead of a front push button design, this has a side push button. i am not sure if this is a positive or a negative. i think i prefer the front button but this works just fine.
standard sitech exhaust on left upper arm. these work great. mine however had a bit of a leak when it was wide open. but that is a minor issue considering it is second hand.
this is a rear entry suit and has the plastic TZip zipper. i love plastic zippers. very comfortable, and easy to open and close. i am aware the TZip has had problems though so i am hoping it holds up. the new version does come with a BDM metal zipper.
there is also an inner and outer neoprene protective layer for the zipper. the inner helps with cold migration and the outer helps protect the zipper. the outer layer stays down nicely as it has velcro to stay in place.
the latex seals are great as usual. perfect seal. easy to don and doff, easy to cut to size, and i can easily attach whatever type of dry gloves i want to use.
the neck also has a neoprene "warm neck collar". now some suits also claim to have a warm neck collar but some of them are useless to be honest. (like my Bare....cough cough) this one however is quite nice. if you have ever seen any of the Waterproof line of suits, it is similar to those. it allows you to use a hood with a small collar (i was using my Waterproof hood) so you can tuck the hoods collar inside the warm neck collar of the suit and then adjust the fit using the attached velcro to keep snug and in place. it works great with the latex neck seal.
suspenders also comes standard on these suits. it doesn't sound like much but they make donning easier and are very handy between dives when you want to take down just the top of the suit. i should mention the new version apparently has blue suspenders (mine are black.....insert sad face here) so they are easier to see and keep out of the way when donning the suit. they also added a plush lining. this may add some extra thermal protection.
both arms have a small wrist strap to allow you to wear your wrist computer relatively loose and it wont slide around your wrist. seems like a handy idea if they stand up to regular use.
a new suit comes with a carry bag, LP hose, a repair kit (which is a great idea), and a hood as well.
overall i was quite impressed with this suit. i was a bit reluctant to buy one as i had never seen one in person and i was unsure on the sizing. but i am glad i did. i was surprisingly comfortable in the cold water (aprox 46 to 48 F). and i am sure that without my extra merino layer i would be more than comfy in the warmer shallower water.
so hopefully this may provide some helpful first hand info to anyone considering a new Scubapro dry suit. this should do well for 75% of the diving i do here. i will however be keeping my Bare tri-laminate suit around so i can add heavier undies for the colder / longer dives.
dive safe
And I'm about to order online.
