Trilam vs. crushed neoprene drysuit

[WillieJustice]

Are we talking about crushed neoprene or compressed neoprene?

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@rx7diver has crushed.

I don't know the difference. Thanks. Now maybe I do.

 

[evandroairton]

Having owned a Cressi (compressed neo) a DUI CNSE (20 years old) and an O'three Ri 2100, and also two trilams, an older aqulung trilight and a local brand, al i can say is trilam are lighter, and more common.
BUT a hipercompressed like the CNSE and the O'three will last decades, and are my favorites by far, specifically for wrecks and harsh environments
The Ri 2100 is on the heavier side, but is by far the best suit i've ever owned (custom made) in every aspect till now
The cressi is quite comfy but not so though

 

[WillieJustice]

I'm trying to figure it all out fairly quickly since the LDS has a sale and Apollo neoprene and Apollo membrane suits will be more or less within shot of Seaskin neoprene or membrane suit. Seaskin is less expensive, but you wait a while to get one. They also have DUI suits on sale, and those are what I have been using so far, since those are what they rent. They are indestructible, otherwise they wouldn't be rental suits. Some must be getting pretty old, based on how faded they are. So, I'm pretty sure membrane suits will last. I understand that neoprene suits can also last a long time. DUI suits are above my pay grade, even on sale. I haven't seen much of anything used floating around that will fit me worth beans and that doesn't need to be rebuilt from pretty much ground zero.

I'll probably go one way or another in a week or so, but in the mean time, agonizing over it is a pretty effective way to procrastinate and think about diving instead of doing what I should be doing all day.

 

[WillieJustice]

And to follow up, I probably should have been asking about compressed neoprene, since that's what the suits I'll be looking at are, not crushed neoprene.

 

[rx7diver]

... I'll probably go one way or another in a week or so, but in the mean time, agonizing over it is a pretty effective way to procrastinate and think about diving instead of doing what I should be doing all day.

I took the easy way out: I asked the opinions of very experienced people who were doing the type of diving (extended range, Great Lakes shipwreck diving) I was hoping to do, and then I opened my wallet! Never looked back. No buyer's remorse. (Well, I did have pockets added and a protective zipper installed when I had my original DS zipper replaced after owning my suit for about six years.)

ETA: If I were to make the purchase right now, I would order silicone wrist seals (to go with dry gloves) instead of the neoprene fold-under wrist seals I have on my suit. I've been watching a lot of videos about diving Iceland's Silfra fissure, and water temps there are barely above freezing--much too cold for me for cold-water gloves or three-finger mitts!

rx7diver

 

[happy-diver]

What's the difference between Neoprene, Compressed neoprene and Crushed neoprene

My Neoprene drysuits are made from Neoprene

Same as Wetsuit neoprene

Seaskin, but you wait a while to get one.

And how does this even enter into the equation, tailor made, are you getting married in it, tomorrow

 

[happy-diver]

Me no understand this

They are supposed to be tapered spiral stitched smootheskin 6-7inches long and lay flat against your skin

Man

neoprene fold-under wrist seals

Too much pressure for too little sealing, so change them

Folding schmolding

 

[rx7diver]

Too much pressure for too little sealing, so change them

Mine worked fine. Since my suit is custom, my neoprene wrist seals sealed fine without being too tight. And my wrists remained toasty beneath the seals and cold-water, gauntlet gloves on extended range deco dives down to the low 40 degree F range. Maybe 4" of smooth neoprene against my skin.

But, except for my very first time trying a drysuit (DUI TLS350 trilam, which had latex wrist seals), briefly, in a quarry, I've never worn a suit other than mine.

If I ever switch to dry gloves, I will need to change my wrist seals, though.

rx7diver

 

[Still Kicking]

Having owned a Cressi (compressed neo) a DUI CNSE (20 years old) and an O'three Ri 2100, and also two trilams, an older aqulung trilight and a local brand, al i can say is trilam are lighter, and more common.
BUT a hipercompressed like the CNSE and the O'three will last decades, and are my favorites by far, specifically for wrecks and harsh environments

I have had custom TLS (trilaminate) and a stock CNSE.

At best, the TLS was a "damp suit" with lots of condensation and I was constantly chasing pinhole leaks. It never fit properly (even though DUI measured me) but that's another story. On the plus side, it was light, quick drying and relatively easy to don and doff.

The CNSE was a back zip so it always required a buddy to zip up -- but I only used it on a boat with other people around so it was not a huge problem. On the plus side, it was tough, dry, warm even with just a basic undergarment and minimal air, and fit like a glove with just enough stetch to be comfortable. In general, it dived a lot like a really warm wetsuit.

It was heavier than trilaminate and took a while to dry of course, but so what .... did I mention I was warm and dry underwater? And it was relatively easy to DIY install a new back zipper (the most expensive repair on a drysuit).

In my experience, drysuits in general are inordinately expensive and require fussy maintenance and troubleshooting. There's lots to go wrong and usually it goes wrong when you are far from shore and/or just about to dive. Things have gotten better with more reliable zippers, replaceable seals etc. but there are still many headaches in store.

These days, I prefer the reliability of a good wetsuit with a hooded vest in waters down to low 50s, but when I need a drysuit (Monterey and north), I grab my CNSE. It's not perfect by far but it's about as good as I have come across in 30 years experience. Too bad DUI doesn't make it anymore. I have been looking for an similar design to recommend. I guess CF200 is the next best option but it's way more money.

 

[Underwater Tourist]

You should mention what type of dives you do (like do you travel to dive, duration, water temps etc) and everyone will be able to highlight some pros and cons that will be relevant to you

For example, if you only dive locally and don’t fly to dive, then the fact that neo suits take longer to dry and thus are not preferred when you have to fly home the day after your last dive (as they will add extra weight) doesn’t matter