SiTech Ovals and Quick Neck?

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eatdivebike

Registered
Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
Messages
24
Reaction score
8
Location
Singapore
# of dives
500 - 999
I'm purchasing my first drysuit - a 4th element due to local shop support and friends. There's an option for SiTech Ovals and Quick Neck. I'm 6ft , 175lbs and do not have broad shoulders so not too sure if the Quick Neck thing is a good idea.

I have also read/received mix reviews on the neoprene alternative.

Would be glad to know your thoughts and hear your advice/experience. Thanks!
 
I liked the oval rings until I tried to use dry gloves with them. Short version was they sucked for that. I understand they've made improvements since then. I'm using the round rings with pull over gloves.

I've only tried suits with the first gen of neck seal and personally found the suit portion very stiff, again they've made huge improvements here and the people I know with the newer quick change neck really like it. I'll consider adding it to my suit when I'm ready for a new neck seal.
 
Hate them both. The wrist rings get in the way and I've actually ended training dives with bruising because they've gotten in the way doing valve drills, shutdowns, etc. They get in the way of a canister light head.

The neck ring is not any better. It presses against your clavicle and is annoying regardless oft he type of BCD you're using. It's very stiff, just like the wrist rings. It's not easy to swap neck seals. I find it more annoying than just re-gluing a new latex seal (of which I've never torn either wrist or neck. Just use KY or talc and some care when putting them on)

Personally, I'd rather take a can of glue and some spare latex seals and just deal with missing the "12 hours" of cure time. I've done dives after 8 hours and the seals were fine. To me it's worth more than dealing with the annoyance of the SiTech seals.

I might be interested in the Santi seals if they ever release them as a standalone system. And if I needed dry gloves I'd go with the Kubi system that works with existing seals.
 
I've had all the above. The original quick neck was too rigid. Didn't like it except the quick change part.
I can't do latex. My skin oils just eat that stuff. Don't care if they are cleaned right after every use, I can rot off a set of latex seals in 3 months. The newest suit I got the new version of the neck seal. It is just fine. I have done a quick field swap of a wrist seal and practiced the neck seal. I keep a full set of seals and dry gloves (with the neck seal tool) in a separate seal-a-dive kit. But so far I have not had to do a field neck seal change. I have had buddies who blew a neck seal and ended there day, so far very lucky and it was after the dive. I don't live right next to the water, it is a modest investment in time and money to get to the water. I want every chance to dive I can when I am there. To scratch a whole day because of a seal isn't a little inconvience, it is generally a waste of a good trip. So I might miss a dive, but I will be in the water in a couple hours for the next one. Not the next day, if the glue job works out right. I would keep the neck tite system. I didn't like the original, but I like the current version.

Now the oval wrist seals. Pass on those. There are a lot of better options out there. I looked at all of them at DEMA the other year before picking KUBIs. The oval system only pinholed a seal once and always worked otherwise. But they felt so fragile. I always put massive amounts of care into protecting them. More than should be needed for a dive suit. They were still bulky. The Kubi are sized, you find what size hole you can get your had through and that is as big as you order. 4 different sizes, everyone else is one size fits all. The KUBI in correct size and round are smaller than the oval system. They are metal, with big soft O-rings that just work. The ovals have these hair thin O-rings that you have no trust in. There is no "clocking" of the KUBI. If you run gloves, they just pop on all lined up. The oval system means you have to clock the gloves onto the rings or else they are twisted. I am now happy with the wrist seals and glove system I have. All silicone. don't have the latex rot issues. I have holed one glove with the KUBI so far. Had a spare on the boat with me, if it wasn't the last dive I could have swapped it out and gone out again. If you do the KUBI dry gloves (and I would recommend them) order up a size. My normal glove size is large, and the large glove option fits my hand perfect without the liner. For insulation you want a liner, so I had to order another set of gloves in the largest size. ZORO has the replacement gloves (G17K) for $1.80 a pair, so affordable gloves unlike getting a new set of DUI ZIP seal gloves.
 
I might be interested in the Santi seals if they ever release them as a standalone system. And if I needed dry gloves I'd go with the Kubi system that works with existing seals.

Have you looked at the Santi Magic Rings?

 
Have you looked at the Santi Magic Rings?


I mean the Smart Seals. But as far as I know they're only available on Santi suits.
 
I have the round wrist rings and after using both Quick Glove and Glovelock dryglove systems I now use pullover gloves. Friends that have the oval rings with Antares Drygloves do not like them. I also have the original neckseal system and find no issues with it although most of my dives are coldwater with heavy underwear. As for changing out seals it can be done in a few minutes very easily for both the neck and the wrists. With the silicone seals I do not get the neck rash in salt water that I used to get with latex.
 
I too am in the process of ordering a new suit. Take a look at the SiTech Slaggo system. That's what I am going with after having QCS ovals on my last suit.

They are supposed to have a dryglove system coming out for the Slaggo soon too.
 
Just watched the video on the SiTech Slaggo System. I can just picture someone trying to change a seal between dives on the boat and seeing those clips flying into the water as they attempt to pry them off. In my opinion it is the dumbest seal system I have seen.
 
This is what I want. Unfortunately I was told they're only available on Santi suits.

 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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