Review Seaskin Nova drysuit

[gregbenson314]

Is getting the suit exactly the way you want worth the £100 to you? Santi makes a great suit. Myself and everyone I personally know with one area happy with it. Seeing how you're in the UK is it feasible to go get measured by them and discuss it in person? Personally, I'd spend the extra to get something the way I want since it is a negligible difference.

Thanks for the reply.


To clarify, me saying about the £100 difference is to essentially say that the suits would be the same price, so price differential isn't a factor. Now I re-do my sums, the Santi would be a touch more expensive once I get a pee valve retro-fitted.

I've phoned seaskin and unfortunately they don't let you visit the factory to get measured .


I've read the majority of this thread and overall people seem to be happy with the quality of the seaskin, but was more wondering if an elite+ would be another step up in material/craftsmanship quality, albeit a year old. I've read some comparisons that say the seaskin isn't the best when it comes to the small factors, e.g. loose threads on the finishing of the cuffs.

 

[Boarderguy]

I've read the majority of this thread and overall people seem to be happy with the quality of the seaskin, but was more wondering if an elite+ would be another step up in material/craftsmanship quality, albeit a year old. I've read some comparisons that say the seaskin isn't the best when it comes to the small factors, e.g. loose threads on the finishing of the cuffs.

Seaskin is a mid quality suit for an entry level price. They do the job of keeping you dry and fitting well for 1/3 the cost of an equivalent suit from the big brands. If the Santi name and quality are what you desire then you have your answer. The difference really comes down to if you want your specific colors, QCS rings, and a left hand zip or not.

 

[stuartv]

I love my Seaskins.... but.... a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

I'd take the Santi and run.

Ordering a MTM suit has risks. Measurements could be off. They could make something wrong. And then, of course, it will take 3 months or something to get it.

Santi makes good quality suits. If you have one in hand that fits you, is in nearly-new condition, and has some kind of guarantee of any duration at all, really, and will cost the same as a Seaskin, get the Santi.

And then make sure you tell anyone and everyone that it cost you the same as a Seaskin.

 

[SoCalDiver07]

I am getting ready to order a sealskin for my wife, she normally wears 400g wool underwear (top and bottom) and Fourth Element Arctic top and bottom. Do I order the extra allowance optionor is that not thick enough to warrant it? Sorry if this is a silly question but I always struggle with the undergarment thicknesses and now I am reading 400gsm which I have no clue how thick that is.

 

[lexvil]

I am getting ready to order a sealskin for my wife, she normally wears 400g wool underwear (top and bottom) and Fourth Element Arctic top and bottom. Do I order the extra allowance optionor is that not thick enough to warrant it? Sorry if this is a silly question but I always struggle with the undergarment thicknesses and now I am reading 400gsm which I have no clue how thick that is.

Follow the instructions. 400 weight wool is not very fluffy, neither is 4E, if using thinsulate type you need extra room for it to fluff.

 

[SoCalDiver07]

Follow the instructions. 400 weight wool is not very fluffy, neither is 4E, if using thinsulate type you need extra room for it to fluff.

I had nothing to compare what shes wearing to so wasnt sure. But this did help. Thanks.

 

[nuage]

Hi, for those that just arrived to the party, I've read the 350 pages and managed to not get fired at work.
I took some notes and linked the specific posts into a document so maybe it can help newcomers:
link to google sheet if you want to add comments or view it in separate window

It's not perfect, could use more comments next to each link. But I think it can help answer specific questions.
Thanks to everyone that spend time answering questions in this thread.
Maybe one subject that can be added are the taxes, but since I'm in EU I didn't pay much attention to it.

Will probably order mine next week.

Next week happened to be a couple weeks later. Ordered it third of july, proposed dispatch date 30/08.
Thanks again for all the insights!

 

[WillieJustice]

I have a Seaskin coming. An off-the-rack Apollo large fit me perfectly, but I went with Seaskin anyway. For an $800 lower price, I can wait a few months and see what happens. It's supposed to ship around September 28. I'm assuming it will take about a week to get to Seattle from England. In the mean time, I'm still renting drysuits. It's going to be a real blessing to be able to just go dive instead of having to think about it weeks in advance.

 

[piranhaman00]

Hello,

What do people think about the size of this? I have the 250 gsm undersuit on but dive in cold water and may use more layers in future.

Seems a little baggy in areas but not too bad, any thoughts?

 

[Wants2divemore]

Looks good. I think the extra room in the thighs will be helpful if you have thicker undergarments on.

Did you only get a thigh pocket on the right or is the left one just not visible?