Suitless in Alaska

[Snowbear]

Opinions pro and con on a neck ring that let the diver swap seals would be quite welcome.

I think there's a thread here somewhere about those... yeah... here ya go:
http://www.scubaboard.com/t48081.html
http://www.scubaboard.com/t41396.html

As for replacing the neck seal and hood when mine blows - if I go with the latex it can actually be done locally. If I'm feeling brave when the time comes I may even try it myself :icosm13:

 

[LUBOLD8431]

I think its time for you to get another suit. A Backup, if you will. I love having a backup drysuit. Its nice. No down time.

 

[Snowbear]

Yeah - Someday I'll stumble on a good deal and get a backup suit. Right now I'm saving my sheckles for a trip to the PNW and maybe a class... A couple more overtime shifts should do it

 

[Groundhog246]

Thanks for the links. They address the DUI zipseal, which is not the one I saw, but I'll have to go have a look at it now. Not an immediate consideration anyway. I think it'd be cheaper to have a suit you could change seals on fairly quickly, than to purchase and travel with 2 suits. For those that dive close to home, it may not be an issue, but my diving is almost all at least 2 hours away (each way). I have a couple of trips this year 4 to 6 hours away and a driving trip to the East coast that'll be about 22 hours of driving. It'd bite to get there, blow a seal the first day and no diving for the rest of the trip. And the trip's not likely to be repeated for at least another couple of years. I suppose if I could learn how to install a new seal with glue and carried a spare I could reduce it to only a day or so of not diving, but a faster method makes sense to me.

 

[divewench]

My custom fitted diving concepts suit was done a bit on the small side. I bought mine in Nov 2002. I had to send it back because the ankles were so tight that after 35 dives of pulling and tugging (and cursing) to get my feet through them the seams in both heels started leaking. I sent it back for repairs which took a little over a month (not too bad). I had asked that they alter the ankles to make them wider, but I am pretty sure all they did was fix the leaks. I figure they will be leaking again in another 30 or 40 dives, but I am shoving jars into them to stretch them out between dives. The arms are also very snug fitting. I considered having them altered to fit better but they fixed the ankles and shipped it back without contacting me regarding the cost of the arms. Anyway the point of all this is that I was amazed at how different the measurements taken for the potential adjustment to the arms were versus the first set of measurements taken when I ordered the suit. Rather than just two measurments the dive shop made 4 or 5 with my arms in various positions. It was very apparent that the more recent approach would result in a far better fit. I think DC must be learning how to measure for a personal fit as they go and making adjustments as customers come back with problems. One of the down sides of going with a new company. Other than not being able to reach my valve and thinking I will only get a year more or use before it leaks again, I am reasonable happy with it now....but I wish I hadn't learned about the potential for delaminating boots.....my warrenty is over.

 

[IndigoBlue]

I'll post this in Basic Scuba just for Uncle Pug's benefit. It can be moved when he's allowed back in the exposure forum - when his probation is over:54:

Well, I sent my drysuit off for yet another round of alterations. Maybe this time Diving Concepts will send it back for someone my size? They will also deal with the delaminating boots (a warranty issue). Since it will be about 4 weeks until the suit returns to me, I'm going to hold off on getting the new hood installed. By the time it gets here the water temps will be getting warmer and I'll be packing to head south to the balmy PNW anyway. Hopefully the neck seal will hold up through the summer. When it blows (or seems about to), I'll make the descision the whether to go with the neoprene or latex. Maybe by then someone will have answered my question here

Meanwhile - I was talking to the guy I was hired on with. He's from Michigan, was an avid diver in the great lakes. He then got married, moved to AK for a new job and has only dived for FD training dives since getting here. He bought a new drysuit just before moving. He said it only has about 1/2 dozen dives on it. We talked about diving in AK and he seemed interested in taking it up again later in the Spring. Meanwhile, he said I could borrow his suit 'til mine comes home. WooHoo!! In exchange, I'm installing dry glove rings on it. This guy is about 8" taller and 60# heavier than me. The sad part is - other than the length and boots, his suit fits me better than my custom one :frown2:

I have never heard of D/C making a mistake like this before, but I suppose it can happen to anyone with any suit maker.

Good luck, I hope the problem resolves itself for you.

D/C are great drysuits. Probably among the best, in my own opinion.

 

[Snowbear]

I have never heard of D/C making a mistake like this before...

Actually, every person here that I've talked to who has bought a custom DC suit has had fit problems.
I agree that it's a good suit otherwise. Well, except maybe for the faulty exhaust valve. And the delaminating boots that leak. And the neck seal that blew in 60 dives.

 

[IndigoBlue]

Actually, every person here that I've talked to who has bought a custom DC suit has had fit problems.
I agree that it's a good suit otherwise. Well, except maybe for the faulty exhaust valve. And the delaminating boots that leak. And the neck seal that blew in 60 dives.

You have definitely changed my opinion of D/C then. Maybe they truly are a good suit that is problematic. That would probably put them into the Zeagle category as well, which is also a good suit that is known to be problematic.

D/C seems to be the 2nd most popular shell drysuit that I have seen cold water divers wear, with DUI in first place, although I do not like the DUI design, with the fold in the middle.

 

[Groundhog246]

I think you'll find what's popular locally will depend a lot on what your local shops carry. Around here there are a lot of Bare suits, quite a few USIA (who I think make a great suit although I don't own one and I hear good things about how fast they can replace a seal, etc) some White's a few DUI and then an assortment of others. But Bare is certainly the big seller (probably because they've about the lowest prices going).

 

[Don Burke]

Okay, I'll admit it.

When I saw the title of this thread and who started it, I thought it was about an entirely different subject.

Shame on me.