What drysuit?

[Hcklo]

Hello everyone,

I am currently living in Switzerland and I have never dived in cold water as I don't have a dry suit. I would love to start a dry suit course to be able to keep diving through the year in SM system (razor).

I just don't know what to buy. I don't have the budget to buy a Santi 2k5€, but in general terms I try to avoid to buy gear that I can't scale up during long time with it (improve during years my curb of learning. I prefer to pay more and not to have to pay 2x after 1 year)

I also saw some dry suits 2nd hand for around 1k. It's just that I don't know how smart it is to go for 2nd hand.

My general Budget would be 1500€/1700€ all options included.

What would you recommend as brands and models that are good to start ?

Would you recommend me to make my dry suit course having my own dry suit or rent one for the course ?

About my self I am dm, 500+ dives, most of experience in big current sea dives. I love to take pictures UW and I am not doing any cave diving for now but this could happen one day.

Thanks for your help and support

 

[Cheizz]

When diving sidemount, silicone replaceable neck seals may get in the way of your harness. These rings the seal is attached to are quite rigid and are ± 25 cm in diameter. Imagine that resting on your shoulders, would that interfere with your Razor harness? If so, then go for latex or neoprene neck seals.

Other choices are: trilaminate vs neoprene drysuits. Trilaminate is thinner and needs more thermal insulation (i.e. undergarments). Yet another choice: wrist seal material (replaceable silicone, fixed latex or neoprene). And another choice: boots with rigid soles or just neoprene socks?

Drysuits need to fit well. Made to measure ensures that, but they are more expensive, normally, and you'll have to wait for them being made. This takes 6-12 weeks mostly.

The quickest and possibly cheapest option is a neoprene drysuit like Aqualung Blizzard with neoprene neck and wrist seals and neoprene socks (so, not the 'Pro', which has replaceable silicone wrist seals, bumping up the price). You could get that suit for as little as € 712 (Aqualung Blizzard 4 mm Dry Suit Black | Diveinn)

I just went through the same process of getting my first drysuit. Here's what I ended up with: My drysuit arrived today

 

[UofMI_Divegeek]

If possible, try to rent several different manufacturers suits to see which one fits your needs and comfort the best. Dry suit courses, depending on the quality of the instructor, most likely will be of benefit.

If it helps, the slides (206 slides, ~18 meg) from my dry suit course are at

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~lpt/pwrpnt/DrySuit.pdf

Remember the purpose of the dry suit is to keep the insulation dry, so understanding various underwear types and the process of thermal loss will assist your decisions.

It is likely that if you dive under different water temperatures and work load, that several different underwear sets will be of value.

Like most things in life, time spent spent researching (gaining information), will pay long term rewards.

 

[Wibble]

Seaskin are cheaper.

But cheaper too are second hand drysuits which can be had for a fraction of the full price. One that looks in good condition rather than one at the end of its life with loads of repairs.

It must fit.

So, if you're a "standard" size, keep an eye out or even put up a wanted ad.

What Santi size would fit you?

I also saw some dry suits 2nd hand for around 1k. It's just that I don't know how smart it is to go for 2nd hand.

My general Budget would be 1500€/1700€ all options included.

What would you recommend as brands and models that are good to start ?

About my self I am dm, 500+ dives, most of experience in big current sea dives. I love to take pictures UW and I am not doing any cave diving for now but this could happen one day.

The top of the range, e.g. Santi, are a large investment, easily €3k+ Then you need to add the undersuit(s) and heating (if necessary). This too can be €1k+. Heating too will easily add up to a lot, especially with a big battery.

Options are a pee valve (€200), dry gloves (€200), quick neck seal (€100), I'd always go for a fly zip (€100). Definitely socks with rock boots (some will disagree). Also front opening or rear opening.

So it's possible to spend €5k on a drysuit and extras!

The good news is you're quite experienced so know that you're a scuba addict.

Second hand suits are hard to come by but frequently are priced in the €100's not €1000's. You need to ask around in the scuba clubs and so on. Maybe even Facebook if you have access (not everyone does).


Finally, there's different types of drysuits; neoprene and membrane. Neoprene tend to be warmer, more resilient to abrasion and cheaper. Membrane are much nicer in the water as they're far more responsive for dumping, etc., but they tend to be more expensive.

It largely depends upon the type of diving you see yourself doing in the future. Northern European wrecks in which case the OThree drysuits can be great, along with heating. If diving in warmer locations, then membrane, etc.

 

[lexvil]

Used can get some bells and whistles cheaper but for about the cost of a “good” semi dry wetsuit you can buy a made to measure basic, no frills Seaskin ultra.

 

[Degenerate]

A custom Seaskin suit will be extremely hard to beat at that price point.

 

[berndo]

Membrane are much nicer in the water as they're far more responsive for dumping, etc.

They're far more responsive to dumping? What?

 

[Cheizz]

They're far more responsive to dumping? What?

Air, I presume.

 

[berndo]

Air, I presume.

Yes, of course, but it makes no sense. Wibble's got some weird theories. I've had at least 4 crush neos and dumping air from those is no different than dumping from a trilam suit.

 

[Hcklo]

Wow guys so many answers and so quick..
Thank you for your support even if I think this kind of message happen often times...

I am 1m76, and in terms of weight between 80 to 86kg depending on my sport condition (currently 86kg but after doing successive dives for a month or 2 I tend to drop to 82kg). Feet size 44-45 EU, flat feet (so large but no long).

I had a look of the seaskin page and indeed, they seems to fit to my budget; I have no experience in the matter of drysuit but indeed I think that having a pee valve is a requested option : I don't feel restraining myself from peeing. Also having the capacity to change the wrist seal material seems important as I saw in many friends issues in those points (leakage, Wich leads to reparations but once the leak is done I heard that it is very hard to solve it).

I am quite lost as it is a very customisable piece of équipement. And also a bit concern about not being able to use silicone seals with harness. For the backmount I have an Xdeep zen, would this setup also not be compatible with silicone neck seals ?

Thank you for the slides, I will have a deep look before making next new questions )