Review Seaskin Nova drysuit

[lexvil]

I will give this a try, should be this weekend.

 

[vioch]

Guys, this should be done in any range of used undersuits without any talc added:
- Reach one arm at a time behind your head and touch the spot on your spine between your shoulder blades (while standing on one knee). Or, if you have the option, put your rig on and touch your tank valve. If the suit restricts your ability to do this the arms are too short or the cut around the shoulders is not adequate to allow proper, comfortable use while diving.

 

[stuartv]

The issue is not having the suit not fit right. The issue is when water squeezes the suit onto you and won't slide over your undergarments at all, to let you lift your shoulder and fully extend your arm.

 

[marcin.a]

In my opinion it's all compromises: Either you have a snug fit with light undies or good maneuverability with thick ones. Best to have two suits, or three . Similar like with your normal clothing. Of course squeeze adds to the problem. As does type of the suit. My old suit is the greatest with one specific undies. Feels a bit empty with lighter and too tight with thicker.

Buying suit without ability to try it on is nerve wrecking. Vioch, Leeds is almost next door to St. Petersburg. Maybe order the suit online but fly there to collect? For me it's more money for the trip than for the suit.
Stuart, thanks for the info on the collar.

 

[stuartv]

If I were going to make one trip there, it would probably be to have them measure me, rather than to collect the finished suit. At least that ensures that if it doesn't fit right, the problem is their responsibility to fix. They cannot blame it on you submitting incorrect measurements.

A buddy ordered a made-to-measure Santi. It arrived too small. They tried to make him pay to have it fixed by claiming that he submitted wrong measurements. He finally went to his local dealer and had them re-measure him while being recorded on video. They sent the video to Santi to prove that his measurements were correct before they would finally fix his suit without making him pay.

In my time, I have ordered made-to-measure motorcycle racing leathers (multiples), motorcycle street riding suits, dress shirts, and now a drysuit. It is always a bit of a risk. I always go in assuming I will have to return it for adjustment at least once during the process. If I don't, then that is just a bonus win.

It's kind of like gambling. If you can't afford to lose, then you shouldn't play. I don't mean that to sound harsh. I just mean, if returning for adjustment would be THAT big of a problem, then ordering custom may just not be a good idea, no matter how great it would be if you are lucky and it all works out well on the first try.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

A buddy ordered a made-to-measure Santi. It arrived too small. They tried to make him pay to have it fixed by claiming that he submitted wrong measurements. He finally went to his local dealer and had them re-measure him while being recorded on video. They sent the video to Santi to prove that his measurements were correct before they would finally fix his suit without making him pay.

This is not the only incident of Santi when it comes to inaccurate measurements. There are other stories of brand new leaky suits being blamed on customers etc. Santi had this rep of being really, really bad when it came to customer service. Then they opened an office in Florida (Extreme Exposure?) after which they were in a position to address customer service issues locally without sending suits to Europe. If I was ever buying a Santi then I would have them measure me directly in their Florida office.

For what they charge, there are other options. A shop that deals with both Santi and DUI tells me that DUI has a superior customer service, faster turn around times not just for making the suit but also for modifications and repairs. When Ursuit is ordered through Deep 6 then we can get a similar quality suit for almost half the price of a Santi.

Lastly, from what I have seen of your SeaSkin, it is a pretty well made suit at least from a visual examination stand point. I can not comment on how good they are in fitting or durability but workmanship and material seemed to be similar to these high end suits.

 

[vioch]

I'm going to order Seaskin neither for its outstanding quality (if any), nor for MTM - my previous DUI and Ursuit were fine in standard L size with both - thick and thin undersuits. I'm going to order Nova because of its price, so flying to Leeds or shipping the suit forth and back will just discard this advantage

 

[afmiller]

So what is the method people are using to order a seaskin and avoiding massive custom / duties? What do you need to tell them to get the paperwork properly done. What is the average amount people are paying for in customs? I know the US Gov has a cap of $800 before duty is owed

 

[lexvil]

So what is the method people are using to order a seaskin and avoiding massive custom / duties? What do you need to tell them to get the paperwork properly done. What is the average amount people are paying for in customs? I know the US Gov has a cap of $800 before duty is owed

Ask them to mark it as a sports diving made from all man made materials, and make absolutely sure that they don’t ship FedEx or ups ask for regular post.

 

[afmiller]

Ask them to mark it as a sports diving made from all man made materials, and make absolutely sure that they don’t ship FedEx or ups ask for regular post.

Ok, thanks