Review Seaskin Nova drysuit

[WillieJustice]

I just got notice that my drysuit is on its way. Scheduled delivery on the 11th. That is more than two weeks before it was even scheduled to ship. It is getting here almost as fast as the Apollo that would have come from Utah. I won't hold my breath, but i will allow a bit of excitement to creep in. They are much faster than they said they would be.

The bad thing is that they are not shipping spare seals or a hood. Those are backorder. I have a hood, so no problem there. Spare seals are probably available locally once I figure out what they really are.

The only thing left is rock boots. Those are going to be a local purchase once the suit arrives and I can try them on to be sure they fit.

The big bolt of diving gear expense is now over. It should be a smaller drip, drip, drip of little expenses that never end. Just like any other habit.

 

[davecampbell]

^^^^^^ ahahahhahahhahahha....I thought I was done too....until the idea of missing part of our dive season, and backup drysuits came up.

 

[WillieJustice]

^^^^^^ ahahahhahahhahahha....I thought I was done too....until the idea of missing part of our dive season, and backup drysuits came up.

Backup drysuits? There is a story here...

I suppose a neoprene drysuit might make a backup one day. I hope at least a year from now.

 

[Badger7]

The only thing left is rock boots. Those are going to be a local purchase once the suit arrives and I can try them on to be sure they fit.

Assuming you can find something with a decent exchange policy, if you want to try traditional rock boots, chuck taylors, altama maritimes or something similar, I bet you'd be pretty close if you started with something one size up from your normal shoe size and in a wide width, assuming you don't already wear wide shoes. My neoprene booties were exactly one size up from my normal shoe size on one of those shoe size templates, and a bit wider. I had to ditch the insoles from my "rock boots" to fit well top to bottom as well. I'm currently using Altama Maritime mids. Some people prefer more traditional wetsuit booties as well, or kayaking shoes.

 

[WillieJustice]

Assuming you can find something with a decent exchange policy, if you want to try traditional rock boots, chuck taylors, altama maritimes or something similar, I bet you'd be pretty close if you started with something one size up from your normal shoe size and in a wide width, assuming you don't already wear wide shoes. My neoprene booties were exactly one size up from my normal shoe size on one of those shoe size templates, and a bit wider. I had to ditch the insoles from my "rock boots" to fit well top to bottom as well. I'm currently using Altama Maritime mids. Some people prefer more traditional wetsuit booties as well, or kayaking shoes.

The tradeoff is time if they don't fit. I am amazed at how expensive Chucks are these days, too. I think traditional rockboots are a bit more durable than Chucks, too. I used to wear Chucks, and they didn't last very long. That was before they got expensive. I'll look into kayaking shoes. I don't know anything about those. Same with Altama Maritime boots. Those look like a good option. I suspect that rockboots may be a sacrificial item.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

The tradeoff is time if they don't fit. I am amazed at how expensive Chucks are these days, too. I think traditional rockboots are a bit more durable than Chucks, too. I used to wear Chucks, and they didn't last very long. That was before they got expensive. I'll look into kayaking shoes. I don't know anything about those. Same with Altama Maritime boots. Those look like a good option. I suspect that rockboots may be a sacrificial item.

I have the Altama Maritime and really like them. I had to take the soles out to feel better on my feet with the booties from the suit. I am wearing a size bigger Altima than I would normally wear. Thicker socks can feel pretty snug, but once on feel fine.

 

[davecampbell]

altamas here. two sizes up from normal, and in the wide version. Insoles stay in. For reference, I wear a 9w with 2mm socks for diving wet, and an 11w for use with neoprene socks on my Novas. As far as back up suits.... my wife and I dive locally....quite a bit. We're only 4 hours from Tobermory so we spend the weekend diving at least once a month, from May to September. If either of us had a major suit failure, and the repair lead time was long (as it tends to be during our dive season) we would miss out on our planned diving. Needless to say, we now have 4 Seaskin Novas... and piece of mind.

 

[Wants2divemore]

I wear a 3mm AquaLung neoprene boot in 1 size up from my normal 7mm I wear when diving wet. I tried the Altimas and generic Chuck Taylor style shoes and prefer the way the AL scuba boots feel. Plus, I can still fit them into my DeepSix Eddy fins so I didn't have to buy another set of fins.

 

[DiveDay]

Got my suit in the mail, overall mixed success.

My number one conclusion is be very careful with the "Allowance for extra thick undersuits" option. I regret selecting it as it made the upper body and arms huge. Attached picture is with me wearing a 400g Thinsulate undersuit. It may be a more useful option if you're a really big person, but I have a slight build despite being tall.

...

It will be a few months before I dive it, I'm sure it'll work but I'm a bit disappointed in making the sizing mistake, oh well, live and learn.

It's been a few months now and I wanted to follow-up on my review.

The Seaskin is the only suit I've used since May and I haven't been gentle with it at all. Zero problems, no leaks, works great. I've used it for boat diving, shore diving with rocky entries, and in my AN/DP class.

The soft socks were definitely the right choice, Kubi system is a dream. Other divers constantly fiddle with glove leaks and weird attachment systems, the Kubis are rock solid and super easy to put on.

The only modification I did was to add extra plastic triglides to hold the suspenders in place.

I still think it's a baggy fit but I've learned to live with it. Overall a success and I would definitely buy another Seaskin in the future.

Oh, and I've had nothing but compliments (almost all sincere) about the all yellow colour. No one else has a suit like it around here so it stands out.

 

[WillieJustice]

The Seaskin arrived a couple days ago. I got a chance to try it on last night. The undergarment is really different from DUI. I'm not sure about it just yet. It certainly seems warm, but maybe a little thicker than I expected. The suit itself is mostly snug but not tight. The zip sure is stiff for now. I assume it will loosen a little in time. It will go on its first dive a week from Sunday unless I can get out for a tank during the week somewhere.