Used drysuit buying - bad idea?

[Starcruiser]

One thing you don't mention is if you have the ability to have a shop look at the used suit and tell you if it's worth fixing... My first drysuit was a DUI, and I had the advantage of having a knowledgeable friend help me get it fit to dive. Not the greatest fit, but for what I paid, I learned a lot about drysuits and drysuit diving, so when I could afford a new one, I had a better all around understanding.

 

[Hoyden]

I have purchased two used drysuits over the years - an old Andy's that I would love to still have, but I sold it when I was finished using it and a crushed neoprene suit from some west coast brand that I can't remeber. Both serveed me well at a price far below what a new suit would have cost. I think that if you are careful and inspect your purchase (or have an expreienced drysuit tech check it out) it is possible to have a good experience buying used.

 

[gottabshttnme]

More times than not it’s a bad idea. If you can wait a few months, look at getting a Seaskin nova or neoprene Drysuit custom fit to you. Very affordable.

Thank you for the quick reply, I apologize for the delay in mine. It's definitely more affordable than a DUI drysuit. However, there are issues I see with purchasing from them. 1) the level of customization is intimidating. Do I need extra room for thick insulated layers? Which neck seals do I want? Which valves? Do I want it moved? How could I possibly know what size rock boots will fit my extra wide feet?). 3) I live thousands of miles away from them in Wisconsin. If I have an issue and need to send it back to them, any savings will quickly diminish.

Edit: It's not over $1800 if you remove the VAT!

 

[gottabshttnme]

I bought a lightly used Northern Diver drysuit. Its neoprene. It's not the best suit by a long shot, but I don't regret it for one second. It was used and pretty inexpensive, so getting it dirty doesn't bother me. It was made in 2016.

I've learned a lot with it. I glued in a p valve and dry glove rings. It's been great to me, doesn't owe me a thing. I have my complaints but it's kept me diving all year long for the past 2 years and 90+ dives.

Seaskin isn't a lot of money though. For all the bells and whistles you can get a trilam suit for + or - $1300usd.

Thank you for your insight! Edit: I ran through it one night on my phone and completely missed that there's VAT added on. It's more affordable than I thought but the options are intimidating.

 

[gottabshttnme]

The answer to your question is: It Depends

It depends on the condition of the suit.
It depends on how knowledgeable you are about drysuits and what to look out for when buying used
It depends on your ability to repair the suit or have it repaired should it arrive in undiveable condition.
It depends if you value after-sales support such as warranty, etc.

From what you posted, I would recommend you trust your instincts on this.

Good luck.

-Z

Thank you for your insight. These are all great points. I was only told the suit condition was excellent. The fact that the manager of the repair dept at DUI says that the crushed neoprene can become porous over time was enough to scare me off. I don't really know what to look for but time is the enemy of all things. I'm sure the materials were suffering from time decay but I'll never know how much. I'd rather not find out the hard way. With DUI's repair back log it would take longer to find out than the return policy would allow.

 

[gottabshttnme]

If you bought a suit that was stated to be "100% ready to go" and your only choice was to trust that was the case and later ate the loss when it wasn’t, that’s unfortunate. But a mistake was made to have used a method where you couldn’t hold the seller accountable.

There are lots of great used suits out there. A 20 year old DUI can easily give 1000’s more dives (With replacement of wear components). But it’s definitely buyer beware. Buy from someone you trust, or somewhere you can get a warranty like eBay. Lastly, get an opinion from someone with more experience before investing in a used suit. Comments above about being comfortable with making minor repairs (replacing seals) is well placed. I would say this goes for any drysuit diver on a tight budget, regardless of whether bought new or used. Seals are wear items, expensive to have someone else replace, especially if it requires mailing.

good luck

Thank you for your insight! I didn't end up eating the loss. After speaking with the repair manager at DUI about the suit possibly being unrepairable, I returned it. The DUI repair back log was so significant that I wouldn't have known until it was too late to return. The eBay warranty only allows for a 30 day return window. I would have had the same issue with this 50/50 suit. I'm sure I could learn how to replace seals but if the suit materials are degraded, there's no hope.

 

[gottabshttnme]

I have purchased two used drysuits over the years - an old Andy's that I would love to still have, but I sold it when I was finished using it and a crushed neoprene suit from some west coast brand that I can't remeber. Both serveed me well at a price far below what a new suit would have cost. I think that if you are careful and inspect your purchase (or have an expreienced drysuit tech check it out) it is possible to have a good experience buying used.

Thank you for the insight! I don't have any experienced drysuit techs in my area. DUI's service dept back log is too long to be used before a return the window closed. Even if I had a local shop to consult, I'd feel too guilty to go to them with a used suit when they sell them new.

 

[gottabshttnme]

One thing you don't mention is if you have the ability to have a shop look at the used suit and tell you if it's worth fixing... My first drysuit was a DUI, and I had the advantage of having a knowledgeable friend help me get it fit to dive. Not the greatest fit, but for what I paid, I learned a lot about drysuits and drysuit diving, so when I could afford a new one, I had a better all around understanding.

Thank you for the insight! Like I said to Hoyden, even if I had a local shop to look at it, I'd be too ashamed to bring them my used purchase unless all they did was repair used suits. I was hoping someone on here could substantiate or deny with some examples whether or not the crushed neoprene issue claimed by DUI is a thing to be concerned with in an old suit.

 

[Southside]

Thank you for your insight! Prices must have increased significantly since you last checked. I went through adding everything to the suit and the price was well over $1800 before shipping. That doesn't even include the insulated suit.

Did you remove the VAT? I think the cart defaults to include VAT which is about 20% and you don't have to pay that if you're in the US.

 

[Marie13]

Thank you for the insight! Like I said to Hoyden, even if I had a local shop to look at it, I'd be too ashamed to bring them my used purchase unless all they did was repair used suits. I was hoping someone on here could substantiate or deny with some examples whether or not the crushed neoprene issue claimed by DUI is a thing to be concerned with in an old suit.

Why would you be ashamed to have a shop look at a used suit? Get over it. It’s no secret people buy used gear all the time.