Time to get a drysuit...

[H2OU]

Hello to the Rocky Mountain Oysters! I am moving to Denver next month from Texas and am anxiously looking forward to enjoying the beauty above water! My career has kept me in Texas for far too long! I grew up in beautiful New Mexico, so getting the heck out of Texas and back to elevation is much anticipated.

From what I can tell from reading this board, a drysuit seems like a necessity for comfortably enjoying the area lakes. I guess that will be my next purchase! Do you have recommendations for quality dive shops in/around Denver that carry various drysuit brands (DUI, etc...)?

I will probably take the remainder of the year off from diving locally (I have trips planned to Cabo San Lucas and Belize in the next couple of months so I won't go without!), but I look forward to diving with you all in the future!

 

[amascuba]

I like Flatirons Scuba in Broomfield, CO, but I'm also biased. Many of the people in the Denver area use A1 Scuba.

Flatirons Scuba
A-1 Scuba - Denver and Colorado's Ultimate Scuba Resource! 1800 W. Oxford Ave. Englewood, Colorado 80110

Welcome to the group. I'm sure you will meet many of the Denver guys. Make it down to the Blue Hole and you'll get to meet the ABQ crowd ... and me ... the blackseep.

 

[amascuba]

Just noticed that you have taken TDI Advanced Nitrox / Decompression Procedures. Flatirons Scuba has a loyal following of technical divers and Rob Calkins is a very competent instructor and diver.

 

[georoc01]

Those are my two shops..A1 and Flatirons..

But with the 10% discount, I'd be looking at the inventory at Scubatoys prior to moving up here. Coupled with the gift certifications, you are looking at quite a bit of savings.

I just did my dry suit class at the Blue Hole with A1. They have a great inventory of new Pinnacle Evolution suits for their classes which seem to be very nice suits.

Flatirons is my BARE dealer. My wetsuits are all BARE, being someone with broad shoulders, their suits fit me best. I haven't tried a dry suit with them yet.

 

[H2OU]

Just noticed that you have taken TDI Advanced Nitrox / Decompression Procedures. Flatirons Scuba has a loyal following of technical divers and Rob Calkins is a very competent instructor and diver.

You may or may not remember, but I PM'd you about your GUE Fundamentals class with Rob earlier this year. I was going to take that class this past July, but had to cancel due to scheduling conflicts. I still plan on taking GUE-F with Rob. This time I will be much closer to their shop!

I also have to dive Blue Hole sometime! I wasn't certified until after I moved from NM, so I never had the opportunity. It is definitely on my list!

 

[amascuba]

Flatirons is my BARE dealer. My wetsuits are all BARE, being someone with broad shoulders, their suits fit me best. I haven't tried a dry suit with them yet.

A custom DUI suit maybe the best route to take for people who don't fit the stock sizes. I'm sure Flatirons can take your measurements and get you a price for that.

 

[amascuba]

You may or may not remember, but I PM'd you about your GUE Fundamentals class with Rob earlier this year. I was going to take that class this past July, but had to cancel due to scheduling conflicts. I still plan on taking GUE-F with Rob. This time I will be much closer to their shop!

I also have to dive Blue Hole sometime! I wasn't certified until after I moved from NM, so I never had the opportunity. It is definitely on my list!

That's right! I think I still have the email archived. You will be fine in a 7mm suit for the Blue Hole, but once you go dry it will be hard to dive wet again. I have a 3mm wetsuit and a drysuit. If it too cold for my 3mm suit I'll put on the drysuit. Much more cumfy. I'd like to make it back up to Denver to take Rob's Helitrox class. I'll shoot you a PM if I head up that way. I too maybe moving up to the Denver area for my job within the next year or so. It depends on what positions are open and if I decide to stay with the company. If I stay with the company and don't go to Denver it will either be Omaha, Nebraska or Wilmington, De and I'm not sure that I would want to live in either of those cities.

 

[RonFrank]

If you want to shop locally, I'd look around at all the shops in Denver to see if you can find a deal.

Flat Irons sells DUI. A1 sell Pinnacle. Personally, I'd likely work with an online shop like DiveTank. They have more Drysuits than most large shops have fins!

The DUI suits are nice, but IMO overpriced. I use a Bare Nexgen suit, and it keeps me dry.

 

[amascuba]

If you want to shop locally, I'd look around at all the shops in Denver to see if you can find a deal.

Flat Irons sells DUI. A1 sell Pinnacle. Personally, I'd likely work with an online shop like DiveTank. They have more Drysuits than most large shops have fins!

The DUI suits are nice, but IMO overpriced. I use a Bare Nexgen suit, and it keeps me dry.

Ron has a good point. My Mobbys suit works just fine. It's just slightly modified and I still haven't put as much money into it as what a DUI suit costs.

 

[H2OU]

Thanks for all of the info. I have not used a drysuit yet, so I really have no idea as to what makes one drysuit better than another. I want to make an informed decision, so I would like to rent/demo a few before purchasing. I have purchased way too much equipment more than once!
Will Flatiron or A-1 allow demo's?