What dry suit do you use?

[newbasuba]

Ive been reading alot of the posts on this board and all most all of you who dive cold water dive in a dry suit? My plan was to keep diving this winter wet and buy a dry suit next fall. I only have about $800 put away now, so i thought it would be better to wait untill i had more $$ to get a good suit. Id like to know what dry suit you use, what you like and dont like about it and the ball park range it cost. Is it possible to get a good suit for around $1500.
Most of the dive shops i looked at push suits $2000 plus. And last thing if you where to replace your suit would you buy online or at a dive shop?

 

[Warren_L]

There's nothing wrong with diving wet year round, as long as you have a proper fitting wetsuit. I've been diving wet as cold as 34F. It's getting out and dealing with the cold temperatures out of the water while getting out of the gear which I find to be more of the challenge.

As far as the drysuit, I have a Bare XCD2, a compressed 2mm neoprene suit. Was not all that expensive. It was somewhere around $1000 US I believe (I bought mine in Canada). But what kind of suit you buy would depend on personal preference as well as the type of diving you plan on doing. There's lots of good stuff in the Exposure Suits forum on looking for drysuits.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I paid around $2000 for a DUI TLS350. After 150 dives and two repair trips back to DUI I have managed to stay dry on about a dozen dives. One of my buddies bought a Bare Drysuit on eBay for $400 and it has never leaked. YMMV.

 

[NEWreckDiver]

Ive been reading alot of the posts on this board and all most all of you who dive cold water dive in a dry suit? My plan was to keep diving this winter wet and buy a dry suit next fall. I only have about $800 put away now, so i thought it would be better to wait untill i had more $$ to get a good suit. Id like to know what dry suit you use, what you like and dont like about it and the ball park range it cost. Is it possible to get a good suit for around $1500.
Most of the dive shops i looked at push suits $2000 plus. And last thing if you where to replace your suit would you buy online or at a dive shop?

All good and reasonable questions;

I personally dive a DUI CLX450. I personally go with the top dog on the block. I know there are other suits out there that may be good. Buy why not go for the best. I plan on diving this suit for 10 + years and that is about $200 or less per year. I found that I did not fit a standard off the rack suit and had mine custom fitted. There is nothing like having perfectly fitting suit to dive with. With dry suits fit is everything. Too loose and it will trap air. Too tight and it is uncomfortable. I had extra pockets put on the legs. These are indispensable. I had Kevlar kneepads installed and latex seals. Which I have never had any leaks.

I know not everyone can afford this, but if you can wait and save your money, you won’t be disappointed.

I know DUI offers suits that where returned because they did not fit correct or for whatever reason. These are new and with warranties, so it may be something you can check into.

Good luck and welcome to the dry world.

DSAO

 

[Laser]

I paid substantially less for my TLS 350 and haven't had one drop enter my suit.

 

[Uncle Pug]

It is possible to get some good deals on used suits though many folks don't think much of the idea. I would rather dive a used drysuit than go wet in cold water! At least it is something to consider.

I have owned and used vulcanized rubber, bilaminate, trilaminate and crushed neoprene suits. My favorite is the trilaminate suit though they all have strong points and weak points.

Recently I had a neoprene neck seal put on one of my trilaminate suits and it is the first time I've used one. I really like it a lot and will probably go neoprene neck seal on my other suits when they need replacing.

 

[nyresq]

save your money untill you have enough to get exactly what you want. a dry suit should last a long time if properly cared for. I have a DUI CF200 that I bought in 1996. I put about 70 to 100 dives on NE atlantic wrecks every year. I had the seals replaced and two pin holes fixed by DUI halfway through the last summer, thats all I've had to do for the last 8 years. my suit should last another 3 years from the looks of it.
If you buy what you want you'll have no regrets. if you comprimise due to lack of money you want to buy a new suit next year.... save up and buy exacly what you want, and don't be cheap. the cost of a $2000 suit when you break it down over 10 years really doesn't seam like alot. If you look at it that way, it hurts less when you hand over your credit card....

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Try here:
http://www.dui-online.com/newsite/fr.htm

DUI suits at pleasant (or more pleasant than normal) costs. Trick is, you must find one that fits.

You have lots of time. List is updated periodically. Good luck,

Doc

 

[Uncle Pug]

BTW... a used drysuit can become the back up for your next custom fit top of the line suit. Unless you are like me and the top of the line suit ends up being the back up for the used suit you prefer to dive.

 

[jonnythan]

www.dansdiveshop.ca will sell you a Bare Nex-Gen drysuit, underwear, and boots for (I think) $700.

divingworld and coastal-diver on eBay seem to have Nex-Gen packages for sale for well less than $800

divestuff on eBay regularly sells White's Nexus packages for $719.

You have lots of options for a drysuit - a drysuit package even - for under $800.