romanchirva
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What brands, models and material would you advise? Any thoughts appreciated!:blinking:
The most durable drysuit
- Thread starter romanchirva
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Choose the type that suits you and most importantly fits you.
I have a Waterproof neoprene suit which I love but others prefer membrane.
Try a few on and see how you feel. Remember that you will need more clothing with a membrane and this means more weight!
If you want the best the look at DUI - very expensive. Otherwise just shop around. If you go for neoprene then some places will do make to measure so you are ensured of a good fit.
I have a Waterproof neoprene suit which I love but others prefer membrane.
Try a few on and see how you feel. Remember that you will need more clothing with a membrane and this means more weight!
If you want the best the look at DUI - very expensive. Otherwise just shop around. If you go for neoprene then some places will do make to measure so you are ensured of a good fit.
I am not a real DUI fan I have owned both Diamond and Andy's dry suits that were much higher quality and muchmore durable than DUI.
Through size, company might and marketing DUI has established itself as more or less the gold standard in dry suits, but if you stop looking at the patch on the shoulder and really compare suits, they are nothing special. Not bad by any means but not exceptional either. So a nice suit, but not the "best" - and you can spend a lot of money on one with a custom fit and various options, but on the other hand a stock size suit with minimal options is not ging to require you to sell your first born child either.
In terms of durability, a vulcanized rubber suit is the way to go. Very durable, very fast drying and very easy to repair, but also very heavy and only available with an across the shoudler zipper as the material is not real flexible so a foldable torso is not an option.
Crushed neoprene suits have a good reputation for toughness although they are heavy, slow drying and more difficult to repair if you end up with a leak. You can at least get them in self entry models.
Trilam suits are a compromise. Light weight, fast drying and easy to repair. Durability depends on the seals, the heaviness of the zipper, weight of the fabric and the use of kneepads and reinforcing panels in high wear areas.
I recently switched to a whites Fusion and it has so far lived through nearly 100 wreck and cave dives wit no leaks and no visible damage. It is also lightweight, and slow drying - although the bladder wil dry very quickly for the purpose of leak repair, so it is very fast and easy to patch. The outer skin however takes all the abuse which greatly reduces the potential for damage or leaks and the fact that snagging the cover on something does not stress the bladder and that the bladder itself is larger than the outer skin and not subject to wear from tension or stress also reduces the potential for seam leaks. In short it is a lot tougher than it loos and I think as more whites owners develop more time in the suits they will prove to be extremely durable suits.
And the Fusion swims better than any drysuit I have ever owned or used including trilams, neoprene, crushed neoprene and vulcanized rubber suits.
Through size, company might and marketing DUI has established itself as more or less the gold standard in dry suits, but if you stop looking at the patch on the shoulder and really compare suits, they are nothing special. Not bad by any means but not exceptional either. So a nice suit, but not the "best" - and you can spend a lot of money on one with a custom fit and various options, but on the other hand a stock size suit with minimal options is not ging to require you to sell your first born child either.
In terms of durability, a vulcanized rubber suit is the way to go. Very durable, very fast drying and very easy to repair, but also very heavy and only available with an across the shoudler zipper as the material is not real flexible so a foldable torso is not an option.
Crushed neoprene suits have a good reputation for toughness although they are heavy, slow drying and more difficult to repair if you end up with a leak. You can at least get them in self entry models.
Trilam suits are a compromise. Light weight, fast drying and easy to repair. Durability depends on the seals, the heaviness of the zipper, weight of the fabric and the use of kneepads and reinforcing panels in high wear areas.
I recently switched to a whites Fusion and it has so far lived through nearly 100 wreck and cave dives wit no leaks and no visible damage. It is also lightweight, and slow drying - although the bladder wil dry very quickly for the purpose of leak repair, so it is very fast and easy to patch. The outer skin however takes all the abuse which greatly reduces the potential for damage or leaks and the fact that snagging the cover on something does not stress the bladder and that the bladder itself is larger than the outer skin and not subject to wear from tension or stress also reduces the potential for seam leaks. In short it is a lot tougher than it loos and I think as more whites owners develop more time in the suits they will prove to be extremely durable suits.
And the Fusion swims better than any drysuit I have ever owned or used including trilams, neoprene, crushed neoprene and vulcanized rubber suits.
Durable? Are you looking to do dives where you can tear the suit easily?
I have a DUI CLX 450 trilam with top and bottom Cordura and kevlar pads. It seemed like a good choice for wreck diving when I bought it but now I find it very heavy. All the protection is great but the mobility is sacrificed. When I borrowed a lighter suit I found my ability to avoid sharp objects was worth more than the protection the heaver suit provided,
Viking has some pretty hard suits as well but unless you are looking to crawl around and suffer punctures on a daily basis I would advise choosing something lighter.
I have a DUI CLX 450 trilam with top and bottom Cordura and kevlar pads. It seemed like a good choice for wreck diving when I bought it but now I find it very heavy. All the protection is great but the mobility is sacrificed. When I borrowed a lighter suit I found my ability to avoid sharp objects was worth more than the protection the heaver suit provided,
Viking has some pretty hard suits as well but unless you are looking to crawl around and suffer punctures on a daily basis I would advise choosing something lighter.
I'm having good experiences with my new drysuit, which is the Bare HD Pro Trilam. It's far and away the most comfortable and best swimming drysuit I've personally ever owned (only the 3rd one tough).
I have a bit of an allergy for people saying negative things about gear they don't own but I'm going to break my own rule here and side with DA on his comments about DUI suits. Although the material is lighter and more supple than any other trilam on the market, it's simply not very tough and you have to be very careful with them. Everyone I know who has one says
a) fits like a glove
b) leaks like a sieve.
R..
ligersandtions
Contributor
If you want durable, crushed neoprene may be the way to go. Trilam is nice and light, but it's not as durable as crushed neoprene. I dive a crushed neo drysuit because I do lots of rocky (plus surf) entry/exit shore dives. A friend of mine who does the same dives destroyed his trilam suit and now dives a crushed neo....when I was considering drysuits, he explained to me the pros and cons of each type and why he dives what he dives.
FWIW, I dive a DUI CF200 drysuit. I got it on ebay for $750 shipped....if you look in the used market, you can find extremely good deals. That same suit could cost more than triple new, but for a used drysuit in very good condition, it was a killer price.
Disclaimer: I have never dived in a trilam drysuit....all I know about it is what I've been told (that they're not as durable as a crushed neo). I don't know how much of a beating it will take before you can't repair it any further, but I don't personally care to find out.
FWIW, I dive a DUI CF200 drysuit. I got it on ebay for $750 shipped....if you look in the used market, you can find extremely good deals. That same suit could cost more than triple new, but for a used drysuit in very good condition, it was a killer price.
Disclaimer: I have never dived in a trilam drysuit....all I know about it is what I've been told (that they're not as durable as a crushed neo). I don't know how much of a beating it will take before you can't repair it any further, but I don't personally care to find out.
I've used a Poseidon rubber suit, DUI TLS 350 trilam, USIA bi-lam, two different Diving Concepts crushed neoprene and have finally settled on the Diving Concepts Duraflex. It's a heavy cordura suit, but I dive the rocky entry/exit of Marineland most of the time, and crushed neoprene can still get cut there. My DUI suit ripped just looking at the entry. 
The Duraflex is heavy and difficult to don/doff, but it keeps me warm and dry, and that's all it's supposed to do, as well as hold up to the abuse of rocks and wrecks.
The Duraflex is heavy and difficult to don/doff, but it keeps me warm and dry, and that's all it's supposed to do, as well as hold up to the abuse of rocks and wrecks.
ligersandtions
Contributor
I've used a Poseidon rubber suit, DUI TLS 350 trilam, USIA bi-lam, two different Diving Concepts crushed neoprene and have finally settled on the Diving Concepts Duraflex. It's a heavy cordura suit, but I dive the rocky entry/exit of Marineland most of the time, and crushed neoprene can still get cut there. My DUI suit ripped just looking at the entry.
The Duraflex is heavy and difficult to don/doff, but it keeps me warm and dry, and that's all it's supposed to do, as well as hold up to the abuse of rocks and wrecks.
Trilams beware - Marineland will annihilate you!
I once ripped a hole in the butt while sitting on a rock at the point, putting on my fins. Since I had already hiked my gear there and my suit was wet I decided to dive. I was cold, but not as cold as I expected. The hardest part was walking out with water up to my waist inside the suit. I will never buy another trilam suit as long as I hope to make beach dives.
NudeDiver
Contributor
I have a Bare XCD Tech crushed neoprene suit (paid $850 new). It seems to be very durable. It's heavy, and slow to dry, but no complaints about durability.
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