Review Seaskin Nova drysuit

[Guille G]

Seaskin recommends the elasticated back panel for anyone whose hips are much wider than their waist. They have the difference in cm in the website description.

The suit needs to be wide enough to pass over your hips so if your waist is much thinner you’ll have extra fabric in the mid section. The elastic pulls it back.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Well... somewhat bad news for me over the weekend. Looks like I have a very small leak (more of a seep) in my right arm. Went oyster diving over the weekend, was under for 2hrs 4min min in 38F and when I came up the outside of my right bicep was wet. Looks like it's coming from the patch area that has my name on it.

When I say small I mean I couldn't feel it and was maybe the size of a baseball or smaller after 2 hours of diving. It was just wet, not at all soaked. I kept feeling it to see if it was really wet, but it was more wet then from the normal humidity that gets in the suit. I think I have somewhere around 67 hours on the suit underwater. I really don't think it'll be a big deal to fix. I'm not sure if I should try to heat / remove the tape that's under the patch or just put new tape / glue over it?

It's not something I plan to mess with until it gets warmer and I can air test the suit out back. It's really not that bad. And there's always a chance there was another cause for the wet spot and maybe I really don't have a leak, but I'm 90% sure I do. I'll get a few more dives before I do anything.

So great news about this "leak", did a dive on Sat. 2hrs 42min 48F. Was dry as can be. Slight moisture in the suit, but to be expected from a little sweat / humidity. No leaks. Not sure what happened last dive, maybe some water trickled in from the neck, not sure. But I'll take it!

 

[MaxAir]

US Duty/taxes question:

My order is supposed to arrive tomorrow, a mere 3 months after ordering. Today I received a UPS email notice that the order has a $178.64USD duties & taxes charge owing. Essentially 11.8% on my total order of $1523USD excluding shipping cost.

The order included both the Nova suit (943GBP) incl add-ons, plus 253GBP for under garment layers, extra seals, etc.

Does the 11.8% charge sound legit, or is there some means to dispute and with whom?

 

[Boarderguy]

US Duty/taxes question:

My order is supposed to arrive tomorrow, a mere 3 months after ordering. Today I received a UPS email notice that the order has a $178.64USD duties & taxes charge owing. Essentially 11.8% on my total order of $1523USD excluding shipping cost.

The order included both the Nova suit (943GBP) incl add-ons, plus 253GBP for under garment layers, extra seals, etc.

Does the 11.8% charge sound legit, or is there some means to dispute and with whom?

4% for your suit, 27% (I think) for the undergarments. Everything else is a low %

 

[Badger7]

Depending on the shipper used, there is probably a broker fee in there as well to push the paperwork

Does the 11.8% charge sound legit, or is there some means to dispute and with whom?

Unless you were charged some astronomically incorrect figure, it is not worth your time to dispute anything with Customs and Border Protection. This is an agency that won't even let you write them about items delayed in customs until 90 business days later. The carrier brokers your import duty, and we are just thankful that the stuff actually arrives on our doorstep instead of being stuck in a customs warehouse. Any duty between $100-300 is pretty much par for the course when importing items more than $1000 that could be interpreted under any number of HTS codes, especially garments.

 

[MaxAir]

4% for your suit, 27% (I think) for the undergarments. Everything else is a low %

Using your estimated fee rates, the total should come to 106GBP or $134USD, so another $44US lost somewhere. $178 isn't the end of the world, just like to know where/why my money is being vaporized. Thanks for the responses.

 

[MaxAir]

Depending on the shipper used, there is probably a broker fee in there as well to push the paperwork



Unless you were charged some astronomically incorrect figure, it is not worth your time to dispute anything with Customs and Border Protection. This is an agency that won't even let you write them about items delayed in customs until 90 business days later. The carrier brokers your import duty, and we are just thankful that the stuff actually arrives on our doorstep instead of being stuck in a customs warehouse. Any duty between $100-300 is pretty much par for the course when importing items more than $1000 that could be interpreted under any number of HTS codes, especially garments.

I was hoping since it is UPS collecting, that it might be UPS I would interact with for a dispute. However, as you noted, I'll probably just eat the extra $44US they seem to have assessed and move on.

Just for clarity, my Nova cost alone, as built, is close to $1200US + shipping + duty/taxes. I had also ordered a Rolock 90 kit, but after waiting 3 months since I ordered, when Seaskin finally shipped they notified me the Rolock is out of stock and mfr is apparently out too (I quickly ordered from elsewhere in stock).

 

[Boarderguy]

Using your estimated fee rates, the total should come to 106GBP or $134USD, so another $44US lost somewhere. $178 isn't the end of the world, just like to know where/why my money is being vaporized. Thanks for the responses.

UPS will give you a breakdown I believe. I don't remember... maybe I can find it

 

[Boarderguy]

I was hoping since it is UPS collecting, that it might be UPS I would interact with for a dispute. However, as you noted, I'll probably just eat the extra $44US they seem to have assessed and move on.

 

[jstreetley]

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I love how the 250gsm undersuit is totally different to the 150gsm. Men's swimwear for the 250gsm vs "Men's Or Boys' Suit-type Jackets And Blazers, Knitted Or Crochetted: Of Synthetic Fibers, Less Than 23 Percent By Weight Of Wool Or Fine Animal Hair' for the 150gsm.