Review Seaskin Nova drysuit

[Sebs]

My 250 fits well enough. There is a lot of space in the butt but you don't really notice that underwater. My bigger issue is that the 250 is good down to about 12 degrees celsius but any colder than that and I feel uncomfortable about 30 minutes into the dive. I'm now looking at buying a thicker undersuit, either a BZ400x or a Tecline 490. Problem is that I want to try it on first before buying so I need to see if someone stocks them and then go try them on with the drysuit.

I have the extra allowance but it feels pretty snug even with the 250.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

My 250 fits well enough. There is a lot of space in the butt but you don't really notice that underwater. My bigger issue is that the 250 is good down to about 12 degrees celsius but any colder than that and I feel uncomfortable about 30 minutes into the dive. I'm now looking at buying a thicker undersuit, either a BZ400x or a Tecline 490. Problem is that I want to try it on first before buying so I need to see if someone stocks them and then go try them on with the drysuit.

I have the extra allowance but it feels pretty snug even with the 250.

How many dives do you have in it?

I thought mine was tight, and it sort of is while getting it on, but after diving it all last year and getting used to it I think it's fine. I got the extra room. I also find that inflating the suit at the surface and stretching out to make sure nowhere is bunched up helps a lot.

I have worn a 4th Element Halo 3D with 4E Arctics over top. Both together are stupid thick. It was very hard to do valve drills, but it would be just as hard without the suit on. I only did that once, I just loose to much dexterity to keep that up.

I also find I get cold below 50F. For me I find that if I start doing things like hand squeezes and valve drills throughout the dive I stay warmer. I dove yesterday and it was ~ 42, I was good for an hour and then started to get cold, but not uncomfortably cold (this was with a nice thicker wicking layer and then the Halo 3D).

 

[Sebs]

How many dives do you have in it?

I thought mine was tight, and it sort of is while getting it on, but after diving it all last year and getting used to it I think it's fine. I got the extra room. I also find that inflating the suit at the surface and stretching out to make sure nowhere is bunched up helps a lot.

I have worn a 4th Element Halo 3D with 4E Arctics over top. Both together are stupid thick. It was very hard to do valve drills, but it would be just as hard without the suit on. I only did that once, I just loose to much dexterity to keep that up.

I also find I get cold below 50F. For me I find that if I start doing things like hand squeezes and valve drills throughout the dive I stay warmer. I dove yesterday and it was ~ 42, I was good for an hour and then started to get cold, but not uncomfortably cold (this was with a nice thicker wicking layer and then the Halo 3D).

Only about 10 dives on it which is not a lot at all but hoping to dive more regularly now. Are you saying the suit stretched out a bit over time or you just got used to it? I suppose I'll see in the coming weeks if a thicker undersuit will be a problem or not.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Only about 10 dives on it which is not a lot at all but hoping to dive more regularly now. Are you saying the suit stretched out a bit over time or you just got used to it? I suppose I'll see in the coming weeks if a thicker undersuit will be a problem or not.

I think mostly just experience getting in and out. It's not a stretchy material, but I think it was a little stiff in the beginning and has definitely lost that.

You figure no matter what, as long as you move slow and don't force anything, you'll only get better and getting on / off. I've always said get ~ 20 dives on it to really break it in and see what if feels like.

I don't think a thicker undersuit would be an issue, it'll just take a little longer to get it all on.

 

[Litefoot]

I looked at the 4E Layering Calculator which looks pretty cool. I know warmth is subjective, but do you think that it's accurate? I know it doesn't take into account the how tight or loose the DS fits, so your comments above are helpful. I did not request extra space.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

I looked at the 4E Layering Calculator which looks pretty cool. I know warmth is subjective, but do you think that it's accurate? I know it doesn't take into account the how tight or loose the DS fits, so your comments above are helpful. I did not request extra space.

I find that their chart is so subjective, enough that it really doesn't mean anything. To me it comes off as more of a sales pitch then actual information. With that being said I do really like their stuff. I bought the Arctics (2 piece) new and the Halo 3D used. I mostly dive the Halo but that's because I'm mostly doing really cold (sub 50F usually sub 45F) dives.

You can use thinsulate (like what Seaskin sells), or dense material (like what 4E sells, or like thick wool) or you can use heated undergarments. Or you can mix and match. Where you think you'll end up might be different then where you actually do (I never dreamed of owning a drysuit or a Halo 3D for that matter). I started with whatever undergarments I had for cold weather in my closet (which worked fine), then the thinsulate (I find it's too lofty for me), then moved onto the 4E stuff (which again, I'm a big fan) and seems to give me the most dexterity. What I have now is basically a whole wardrobe with a bunch of different pieces I can mix and match depending on the dive and what I'm doing.

Not sure if that helps... I just think everyone's "path" to undergarments is way more personal (you think the options for the drysuit was hard!). I know some downright polar bears that would die of heat exhaustion wearing what I wear (looking at you @stuartv!). Meanwhile, I'd get frostbite trying to wear what they do!

 

[Litefoot]

So let me see if I have this right. The J2 and Xerotherm are the two base layers, with the Xerotherm being the warmer of the two. The Arctic and Halo are both heavy undergarments with the Halo being a thinner higher performing fabric. Right? Are they (Halo and Arctic) considered to have the same thermal properties, though? It seems a bit more difficult to compare the FE offerings when they don't have the Thinsulate numbers like 150, 200, 400, etc.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

So let me see if I have this right. The J2 and Xerotherm are the two base layers, with the Xerotherm being the warmer of the two. The Arctic and Halo are both heavy undergarments with the Halo being a thinner higher performing fabric. Right? Are they (Halo and Arctic) considered to have the same thermal properties, though? It seems a bit more difficult to compare the FE offerings when they don't have the Thinsulate numbers like 150, 200, 400, etc.

The Halo AR might be thinner, I'm not sure. The Arctic is slightly thinner than the Halo 3D. As to the rest, I have no experience. Personally I wear some cheap (heavy duty) base layer from Amazon and the Halo 3D on 95% of my dives.

The only person I know that had owned both (maybe all 3 AR, 3D and Arctic) is @Tracy.

Merino wool also works amazing as a base, but it's pretty pricey. If I was planning to spend money on a base it would be the thickest set of Merino I could buy. It's not scratchy, very comfortable and ridiculously warm.

 

[ChrisMBC]

The Halo AR might be thinner, I'm not sure. The Arctic is slightly thinner than the Halo 3D. As to the rest, I have no experience. Personally I wear some cheap (heavy duty) base layer from Amazon and the Halo 3D on 95% of my dives.

The only person I know that had owned both (maybe all 3 AR, 3D and Arctic) is @Tracy.

Merino wool also works amazing as a base, but it's pretty pricey. If I was planning to spend money on a base it would be the thickest set of Merino I could buy. It's not scratchy, very comfortable and ridiculously warm.

The Halo AR is definitely warmer and thicker than the Arctic. Totally subjectively, I think the Halo AR is about the same bulk as a Santi Bz200, with the insulation of a BZ400 (at least a somewhat well-used BZ400). The Arctic is basically just a very thick fleece.

 

[Tracy]

The Halo AR might be thinner, I'm not sure. The Arctic is slightly thinner than the Halo 3D. As to the rest, I have no experience. Personally I wear some cheap (heavy duty) base layer from Amazon and the Halo 3D on 95% of my dives.

The only person I know that had owned both (maybe all 3 AR, 3D and Arctic) is @Tracy.

Merino wool also works amazing as a base, but it's pretty pricey. If I was planning to spend money on a base it would be the thickest set of Merino I could buy. It's not scratchy, very comfortable and ridiculously warm.

I have owned and dove all of the above. The arctic isn't really a heavy undergarment. It is what I use in 70 degree water. The halo AR is a bit thicker than the arctic, but not nearly as thick as the halo 3d.
Temperature wise, I found the AR and the 3D to be comparable warmth wise. The AR advantage is the lack of bulk.