Review Seaskin Nova drysuit

[admikar]

Hair dryer, PVC T-piece, two cable conduits and some duct tape. Pull conduits into each boot and turn hair drier on cold low. Two hours and suit is completely dry
Weigh nothing, can be packed small.

 

[Chris H]

Do you mean something like Hotfoot Pro Drysuit Socks - Fourth Element or Arctic Socks - Fourth Element Aren't they even thicker than wool socks?

I'll take a look at the insoles when I get the suit out tomorrow. Thanks for the tip!

Yes. Those are the liners I have. They are thick, but both have two layers that sort of allow your foot to move in the boot a bit. They are different than wearing socks. YMMV, but when I initially tried on my suit with socks on the feet were tight. I then used my regular drysuit booties and all is well.

 

[Bernhelm]

Ok... whew... my order is away!
Thanks everyone for the great tips and info in this thread - I was just dry suit certified yesterday in Monterey, CA using a rental 4th Element trilam suit and I loved it, but want a custom suit that wouldn't break the bank as my first dry suit, and I'm in no rush, so the idea of getting a Seaskin was instantly appealing. I read this whole thread

Options:

• Nova, telescopic torso
• dry zip cover
• no pee valve. I want as few points of failure as possible and I'm down with depends if need be
• Quick neck
• Simple warm neck
• Sitech oval wrist cuffs
• Sitech valve system
• compressed neoprene socks - for better drying and more boot options that I can buy and try on for fit locally. My trainer said the biggest problem he's had with socks is that over time they can wear down from shore dive sand grinding between the sock and the boot, but I'll risk that over getting a boot that I don't like.
• knee pads, elbow pads, crutch and shoulder reinforcement.
• 40mm braces
• name badge - I'm going to try to get a cool logo on there instead of a name, will post pictures if this works!
• bag upgrade
• 1x bellows pocket
• 1x expedition pocket (bigger, and asymmetry is cool-looking, right???
• computer strap patches
• eezycut on the expedition pocket
• 250 undersuit + 150 shorty
• base top and bottom
• hood
• extra neck and wrist seals

Including shipping it all comes to about $1450. Fingers crossed I get an awesome suit. It has been fun learning about the options and putting it together anyway

 

[Brett Hatch]

Ok... whew... my order is away!
Thanks everyone for the great tips and info in this thread - I was just dry suit certified yesterday in Monterey, CA using a rental 4th Element trilam suit and I loved it, but want a custom suit that wouldn't break the bank as my first dry suit, and I'm in no rush, so the idea of getting a Seaskin was instantly appealing. I read this whole thread

Options:

• Nova, telescopic torso
• dry zip cover
• no pee valve. I want as few points of failure as possible and I'm down with depends if need be
• Quick neck
• Simple warm neck
• Sitech oval wrist cuffs
• Sitech valve system
• compressed neoprene socks - for better drying and more boot options that I can buy and try on for fit locally. My trainer said the biggest problem he's had with socks is that over time they can wear down from shore dive sand grinding between the sock and the boot, but I'll risk that over getting a boot that I don't like.
• knee pads, elbow pads, crutch and shoulder reinforcement.
• 40mm braces
• name badge - I'm going to try to get a cool logo on there instead of a name, will post pictures if this works!
• bag upgrade
• 1x bellows pocket
• 1x expedition pocket (bigger, and asymmetry is cool-looking, right???
• computer strap patches
• eezycut on the expedition pocket
• 250 undersuit + 150 shorty
• base top and bottom
• hood
• extra neck and wrist seals

Including shipping it all comes to about $1450. Fingers crossed I get an awesome suit. It has been fun learning about the options and putting it together anyway

Sounds like a great suit, I've been diving a very similar SeaSkin in this area for 2 years, and love it. The only thing I'd say is, you might want to email them to ask about the DIR dump valve. It moves it a few inches over, such that it is a little easier to vent without changing your trim. If, like me, you prefer to dive with it completely open the whole time, it's a little easier that way.

I personally think a P valve is a game changer, and would hate depends, but it's a pretty subjective thing. Some people do it that way with 0 complaints. In any case, it can be added very cheaply later if you decide you want it.

 

[Ulfhedinn]

Sounds like a great suit, I've been diving a very similar SeaSkin in this area for 2 years, and love it. The only thing I'd say is, you might want to email them to ask about the DIR dump valve. It moves it a few inches over, such that it is a little easier to vent without changing your trim. If, like me, you prefer to dive with it completely open the whole time, it's a little easier that way.

I personally think a P valve is a game changer, and would hate depends, but it's a pretty subjective thing. Some people do it that way with 0 complaints. In any case, it can be added very cheaply later if you decide you want it.

I second the DIR valve and the Pea valve. Never had an issue with the p valve but ymmv. Please post pics? What color?

 

[Ulfhedinn]

Ok... whew... my order is away!
Thanks everyone for the great tips and info in this thread - I was just dry suit certified yesterday in Monterey, CA using a rental 4th Element trilam suit and I loved it, but want a custom suit that wouldn't break the bank as my first dry suit, and I'm in no rush, so the idea of getting a Seaskin was instantly appealing. I read this whole thread

Options:

• Nova, telescopic torso
• dry zip cover
• no pee valve. I want as few points of failure as possible and I'm down with depends if need be
• Quick neck
• Simple warm neck
• Sitech oval wrist cuffs
• Sitech valve system
• compressed neoprene socks - for better drying and more boot options that I can buy and try on for fit locally. My trainer said the biggest problem he's had with socks is that over time they can wear down from shore dive sand grinding between the sock and the boot, but I'll risk that over getting a boot that I don't like.
• knee pads, elbow pads, crutch and shoulder reinforcement.
• 40mm braces
• name badge - I'm going to try to get a cool logo on there instead of a name, will post pictures if this works!
• bag upgrade
• 1x bellows pocket
• 1x expedition pocket (bigger, and asymmetry is cool-looking, right???
• computer strap patches
• eezycut on the expedition pocket
• 250 undersuit + 150 shorty
• base top and bottom
• hood
• extra neck and wrist seals

Including shipping it all comes to about $1450. Fingers crossed I get an awesome suit. It has been fun learning about the options and putting it together anyway

Why different size pockets?

 

[Bernhelm]

Sounds like a great suit, I've been diving a very similar SeaSkin in this area for 2 years, and love it. The only thing I'd say is, you might want to email them to ask about the DIR dump valve. It moves it a few inches over, such that it is a little easier to vent without changing your trim. If, like me, you prefer to dive with it completely open the whole time, it's a little easier that way.

I personally think a P valve is a game changer, and would hate depends, but it's a pretty subjective thing. Some people do it that way with 0 complaints. In any case, it can be added very cheaply later if you decide you want it.

Yeah, looking at it more, it does appear that the 4th element Argonaut 2 I trained with had a valve positioned further down the arm, closer to the DIR position according to the images on Seaskin's page, and I had no problem venting and maintaining buoyancy with that suit's valve so I'll request to have that done.
Thanks!

 

[Bernhelm]

Why different size pockets?

2 pockets seems great, Expeditions seem a little huge (the suit I rented for cert had a single Expedition-style pocket), and I wanted to try something different. We'll see how it pans out

colors: Black and royal blue

 

[BlueTrin]

Have it. Still takes a long time, IMHO. Maybe I'm doing something wrong, or maybe it's because I'm 6'3? My current approach is to turn the suit inside out, rolling the pants up to where the boots start, hang the suit on the HangAir, and place a USB fan under it so it blows into the boots. Seems to dry a little faster.

I use this, it’s much faster than the hanger for the legs and boots but I use it flat on the ground, not inverted as per their pics.

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[Addison Snyder]

Once the need to replace my boots arises, I think I'm gonna go with socks. In addition to the above, the boots are also a bit of a pain to dry from the inside...

Yeah, I get a million people (including my dad) trying to get me to build elaborate piped contraptions for drying the inside of my suit. Back when I needed to dry a booted drysuit, I had a small but long PVC pipe hooked up to a corded mattress-inflator. Pain. in. the. ass. Stunk up the place, took ages, had to make sure the legs were open enough for every square inch to get air, etc. No matter how crazy your air-pusher rig is, nothing will beat the raw surface exposure of flipping your suit inside out and letting it sit in indirect sunlight for 30 minutes. And while you're at it, you can actually hand-clean the inside of the socks and inspect for any growing seam issues BEFORE they leak.