What Not To Buy

[micahdavis]

good morning all!

i know i'm new here and should be reading more first but i have looked through most of the list about dry suits (as i am looking to buy one in the very near future) and i see lots of ravs about good experiences with this or that model or brand....
what i don't see are the more detailed warnings from people about bad experiences and why!!

i'm not looking or trying to bad mouth anyone as i really don't want to get into manufacturer politics and bad advertising but since i am getting ready to spend over a thousand dollars of my hard earned money (maybe more as i don't want an "entry level" suit) i just want to be very well informed....

the other issue i have is my limited experience and limited availability of models and brands locally here in Indianapolis....i would hate it if i bought brand X "cause that's what us Indiana folk dive" just to find out i could have bought brand Y which isn't available locally and had a much better suit!

arrrggggg i say!
Micah Davis

 

[tbone1004]

You don't see crap suits, because if they made crap suits they wouldn't be around anymore...
You need to look through your options of shell or neoprene, front and back zipper. Once you picked those your options get narrowed down considerably. Quality and price issues aren't a whole big deal if you are buying from the big manufacturers... They're all comparably priced and have comparable quality. A lot of it is what fits. If you get a custom made suit, it'll fit. I prefer shell suits and self donning, but some people find self donning suits uncomfortable because of the zipper. If you're doing Great Lakes or other cold water diving you may want a neoprene suit. I prefer shell because they dry quicker and I don't do a whole lot of ice diving, but my suit has room enough for thick undies if I need em.

A lot of it is what feels comfortable to you and what you can get your hands on

 

[TSandM]

My big piece of advice is: Don't buy a custom cut suit. For everyone I know who has done that and been pleased with it, I know three people for whom it turned out to be a nightmare getting the suit right. And it doesn't matter which manufacturer -- I know of horror stories from at least three. Poor customer service and tons of time and sometimes additional expense to make it right.

My custom dry suit took over six months and ended up costing me $3800, by the time they made me a second suit, since the issue with the first one wasn't fixable . . . and charged me for it.