Tell me about your drysuit...

[RumBum]

I'll chime in as a diver who wants a new drysuit. I have the DUI 450 (trilam and cordura). Top of the line, expensive, yada, yada. :bored2: It weighs a ton, even dry. It takes a day in full sun to dry after a dive, two days in shade. I feel like the michelin man when I'm in it and hate the limited flexibility. And if you look at a zip seal next to a standard latex seal, the zip seals are a significantly thinner latex. My zip seals only lasted about a hundred dives and now the rings on the suit itself are cracking.
I was recently introduced to the Pinnacle Black Ice. It's a neoprene drysuit with merino lining. This thing is warm! The people I met who were diving it were cave divers in Florida; one chick was diving in 70 degree water for hours with only a exercise style spandex top and pants as undergarments! And it was very flexible. I tried one on and was able to do yoga in a drysuit! Really! The price is not too bad at around $1800. I am lusting after this drysuit...:love2:
(edit: typo)

 

[James R]

I just ordered a Pinnacle Freedom from LP, new, for just $669 w/free shipping - thanks mom, for the early Christmas $$

I really wanted a DUI, but I'm buying a house after the first of the year so the DUI is not in my budget. I'm confident that the Pinnacle will last me at least a couple years.

I have a duffel bag full of polypro undergarments and polypro socks thanks to the US Army which I'm confident will work for me just fine in water down to 50 degrees.

I'm going to install the p-valve myself, wish me luck!

 

[Mack Diver]

I have a duffel bag full of polypro undergarments and polypro socks thanks to the US Army which I'm confident will work for me just fine in water down to 50 degrees.

I'm going to install the p-valve myself, wish me luck!

I use military surplus polypro and it seems to work fine. For the p-valve, I would recommend the OMS version. It is automatic, so there is not bolt to loosen or tighten. Good luck on the DIY part. It takes a brave person to cut a hole in a perfectly good drysuit.

 

[Guba]

Thanks for the great input, all! I certainly have a lot to consider now for sure. Of course, I'm still wrestling with the "budgetry constraints", mostly because it's starting to sound like an investment is a drysuit entails much more than just purchasing the suit itself. So, at the risk of sounding like a complete newb (uh, wait...I AM a newbie at drysuit diving) let me ask a few more pointed questions.
1. I accumulated my existing kit more or less piecemeal, many times around Christmas and my birthday. Are there elements that can be acquired after the initial purchase? For example, does anyone use their existing booties (assuming the boots are not made onto the suit) with their "normal" fins?
2. Several replies mentioned using other undergarments (thanks Mack and James) instead of traditional "diving" duds. Is this pretty commonplace?
3. How many folks alternate between dry and wetsuits? If you do, have you found it necessary to invest in a completely seperate set of regs/gauges, or do you just use your existing set for both?
Thanks for all the info. Sure makes it easier to make up my mind! (maybe)

 

[Mack Diver]

You'll need and addition LPQD hose, like the one you plug onto your BCD. The new suit should come with it. You can remove it from your reg set when diving wet, or just tuck it away when not in use. If you go with soft boots / socks, you will need a larger set of boots than you normally wear. If your foot is small enough, you can get Converse All Stars from Academy for about $20.00. You may or may not need larger fins to accomidate the larger boot.

The p-valve is something that can be added later. Other than that, there is not much additional cost beyond the suit and undergarments.

 

[carrielsal]

You will also need drysuit training.

 

[Lake Travis Scuba]

I just ordered a Pinnacle Freedom from LP, new, for just $669 w/free shipping - thanks mom, for the early Christmas $$

I really wanted a DUI, but I'm buying a house after the first of the year so the DUI is not in my budget. I'm confident that the Pinnacle will last me at least a couple years.

I have a duffel bag full of polypro undergarments and polypro socks thanks to the US Army which I'm confident will work for me just fine in water down to 50 degrees.

I'm going to install the p-valve myself, wish me luck!

Congrats on the early Xmas gift. As for the pee valve, I expect you will test it BEFORE using on the boat....No leaking on the deck, you know what that does....

 

[James R]

Congrats on the early Xmas gift. As for the pee valve, I expect you will test it BEFORE using on the boat....No leaking on the deck, you know what that does....

Looks like it'll be a couple weeks, now. The one I ordered is no longer available, so they gave me the next model up (freedom 2) for the same price and have ordered it for me already.

Don't worry, Robert. I plan to fully test it

 

[Ryanh1985]

Thanks for the great input, all! I certainly have a lot to consider now for sure. Of course, I'm still wrestling with the "budgetry constraints", mostly because it's starting to sound like an investment is a drysuit entails much more than just purchasing the suit itself. So, at the risk of sounding like a complete newb (uh, wait...I AM a newbie at drysuit diving) let me ask a few more pointed questions.
1. I accumulated my existing kit more or less piecemeal, many times around Christmas and my birthday. Are there elements that can be acquired after the initial purchase? For example, does anyone use their existing booties (assuming the boots are not made onto the suit) with their "normal" fins?
2. Several replies mentioned using other undergarments (thanks Mack and James) instead of traditional "diving" duds. Is this pretty commonplace?
3. How many folks alternate between dry and wetsuits? If you do, have you found it necessary to invest in a completely seperate set of regs/gauges, or do you just use your existing set for both?
Thanks for all the info. Sure makes it easier to make up my mind! (maybe)

2. I just use some winter wear under my suit, I have yet to get cold even in the depths of Broken Bow, although I am rather warm natured.

3. I have different fins and boots for my dry suit and wet suit, but besides that it only takes a sec. to attach the extra lp hose for the dry suit.

 

[underwaterfrank]

Still diving old style here, using a Northern Diver Thor rubber suit.
Have 2 of them, a standard one (1000gsm) and a heavy duity 1600gsm
Pro's:
- very flexible and stretchy rubber suit, comes in black or red
- cheap (if you know where to buy from, less than $900)
- dries instantly
- because the suit material is dense and heavy, don't need more weight than diving a 7mm wetsuit
- easy to repair, but never had a leak to practice my repairs
- great boots on their new suits (neoprene coated with tough vulcanized rubber)
- can get them rear entry or front entry
- more choice in sizing than Viking ever will offer
Con's:
- a bit heavy if you have to take it somewhere when traveling by plane
- some people think you're a vintage diver
- not an insulating material, so need a good undersuit (no different from what you need if you were wearing many other brands of drysuits)
May not be everyone's preference, but great value and works well for me.