Review Seaskin Nova drysuit

[admikar]

Alright total newby to drysuits, but thanks to this thread I am going to order my first drysuite and it will be the Nova. I have spent the majority of my time diving in Guam so there was no need for one, however I have been diving in Oahu and my cold tolerance is next to zero when hitting that 90 min run time and I am moving to the PNW next year so I figured its time to go dry.

I am trying to decide if the reinforced crotch is worth it. The majority of all my diving is done with a DPV.

Also, I was looking at getting the SI-Tech Oval cuffs and wondering what glove systems I should look at.

Should I consider the base layer through Seaskin or just wait.

I have read some of the duty tax comments and I am hoping that I don't get stuck with a $500 bill.

I had read some threads that divers use the Chucks vice other rock boots but I was thinking of just getting the EVO 4 rock boots.

Thanks for any feedback. Looks like if I order in the next week the dispatch day would be May 10th.

In my opinion, no to reinforced crotch, unless you're towing 2 guys behind you.
As for gloves, if you go with QCS you have several options: Ultima (easier to set, can be hard to mount), Rolock (more complicated to set, but once set it's easy to use) and Sitech (not recommended).
As for base layer, it's snob in me speaking, but find yourself Merino wool garments.
For boots, I have integrated Tec boots, so whatever works for you.

 

[stuartv]

In my opinion, no to reinforced crotch, unless you're towing 2 guys behind you.
As for gloves, if you go with QCS you have several options: Ultima (easier to set, can be hard to mount), Rolock (more complicated to set, but once set it's easy to use) and Sitech (not recommended).
As for base layer, it's snob in me speaking, but find yourself Merino wool garments.
For boots, I have integrated Tec boots, so whatever works for you.

Seaskin Tech base layer? YES! They are a rare combo: Excellent and inexpensive.

Merino wool for mid-layer? Yes, if it’s warm enough for what you’re doing.

 

[dwrdnet]

For those who have ended up trimming your sitech silicone neck seal, is there a good ratio of rings to neck size, when both the seal on when my suit arrived, I could barely breathe, so trimming is mandatory for me. I think I have it at a point of slightly too tight, and after some time in the water I will know if it needs a little more.

Jsut for reference, my neck size I sent to Seaskin was 46cm or 18.11 inches.

 

[admikar]

Just go one at a time. Once you get to just slightly uncomfortable, stop, do a few dives and then decide if you need to trim more.

 

[lexvil]

Never cut on a silicone seal unless you have its replacement in hand. Latex cut away, you’ll need to replace it when it stretches out but it’s very tough until it fails. Also with latex seals if they ever feel sticky make plans to replace them soon.

 

[Boarderguy]

Silicone neck seals are $30 (was 20 last year) from Seaskin, keep 3-4 on hand... you never know when your buddy might have a bad day and rewards your generosity with US pricing.

 

[Josh_Boon]

Alright, I just ordered my Nova and now I will wait patiently for it to arrive. Based on recommendations from this thread here is what I went with.

Black with red thread
Telescopic
Body zip cover
YKK zip
Si tech Pee Valve
Pee valve hose tidy
Quick neck with silflex seal
Warm neck simple (will dive bibles hood)
Sitech oval cuff rings ( I plan to go with the Rolock 90)
DIR dump position
Increased LP hose. Will dive inflator bottle mounted on my rebreather.
Compressed neo socks
EVO 4 rock boots
Kevlar knee pads
Shoulder reinforcement
no logo
Expedition pockets x2
Seaskin tech base layer top/bottom
replacement Neck seal

In total with shipping to Oahu it was 1,521.98. Still half the price of any other customer fit suit I looked at. In email they said should expect a dispatch date around May 10th. now the wait.

 

[admikar]

Sitech oval cuff rings ( I plan to go with the Rolock 90)

You just made @Boarderguy cry a little

Kevlar knee pads

Send them an email and ask them to remove Kevlar writting from the pads.

 

[rsfinn57]

You just made @Boarderguy cry a little

Send them an email and ask them to remove Kevlar writting from the pads.

has anyone tried the orust neck seals

 

[Moonhowler]

My suit should arrive tomorrow. My orignaal dispatch date was Feb 9, and it shipped on the 13th. My duty charge was 159.56. That is the suit, 2 undergarments and the Kubi glove side.

That duty isn't too bad compared to what others have paid in the past. However, my (probably imperfect) research seems to indicate that there ought not to be any duty at all coming from the U.K. It all depends on the Commodity Code that someone uses for the dive gear. As far as I have been able to determine, there is no specific code for a dry suit and related items. Here's a bit of what I've learned:

Harmonized System (HS) Code: The commodity code is part of the Harmonized System (HS), which is an international standard for classifying goods. Each product category has a unique code. You can find the HS code associated with your scuba gear by searching for keywords related to its features. (I used Bing's CoPilot AI to help get this info).

Sample Codes:

• Here are a few sample HS codes related to scuba gear:
  • 9506.29: Diving suits, including wetsuits and drysuits.
  • 9506.99: Other articles for underwater diving, such as regulators, masks, fins, and buoyancy compensators.

Here's where you can see the percentage duty to be charged (Search 9506.26):

Harmonized Tariff Schedule

hts.usitc.gov

It looks like there should be zero duty. The /1 footnote seems to indicate that there is duty if it is coming from China.