What was it like buying your first dry suit?
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Doomnova
Contributor
First drysuit was a custom cut seatux they miss measured my neck and wanted to charge me half the suits price to replace the neck. Learned avoid neoprene seals like the black plague. now the good part.
Got my White fusion tech with slt's and dry gloves along with a thermal fusion undersuit. Lets just say I was like a kid on Christmas eve to try the thing out. Honestly it takes a bit of time ot get on but I cna wear the suit all and and not notice it and replacing torn seal like what happened on the weekend is easy it too me longer to find one than to put it in.
Got my White fusion tech with slt's and dry gloves along with a thermal fusion undersuit. Lets just say I was like a kid on Christmas eve to try the thing out. Honestly it takes a bit of time ot get on but I cna wear the suit all and and not notice it and replacing torn seal like what happened on the weekend is easy it too me longer to find one than to put it in.
USFpsychDiver
Contributor
Mine was an eBay purchased used DUI TLS350, stock size, with zip seals. Came out of a northeast shop's rental fleet when they went out of business. Used it for about a year now with no problems other than tearing a wrist seal which was an easy fix with the zip seals. I paid a little under $700 for it and am pleased. Took a couple of weeks watching eBay to find the right suit in the right size at a price I was willing to pay.
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I went to DUI demo days. I had (Carol?) measure me for a CLX-450, and I told her I was gaining about 10 lbs per year, make it roomy. I bought every bell and whistle they had, and I paid full retail for it through my dive shop, over $3500 ten years ago. I had replaceable wrist and neck seals (zip seals) installed. I still wear the same drysuit today. It has never leaked a drop of water except when I break a wrist seal on purpose.
I know I'm a dive shop owners dream, but that drysuit has never given me a moments grief in ten years. I check the seals carefully before I put it on and keep a spare set on hand. It has 5 or 600 dives on it, and still looks new enough (I don't penetrate wrecks) that if I were to sell it, I would ask top dollar for a used drysuit. I keep hearing horror stories about used suits or off the rack suits etc. etc. One place I try not to skimp is on drysuits and regulators. everything else is cheap enough that if it fails, no biggie, it won't ruin a trip.
I am not a stock size, and I've put on about 30 lbs in 10 years.
I know I'm a dive shop owners dream, but that drysuit has never given me a moments grief in ten years. I check the seals carefully before I put it on and keep a spare set on hand. It has 5 or 600 dives on it, and still looks new enough (I don't penetrate wrecks) that if I were to sell it, I would ask top dollar for a used drysuit. I keep hearing horror stories about used suits or off the rack suits etc. etc. One place I try not to skimp is on drysuits and regulators. everything else is cheap enough that if it fails, no biggie, it won't ruin a trip.
I am not a stock size, and I've put on about 30 lbs in 10 years.
undrwater
Contributor
If you're trying to figure out where to save some money in terms of features, perhaps the following might be helpful:
I believe suits with socks rather than booties are also cheaper. You don't need the rock boots (shops will likely try to sell these), standard neoprene booties will work quite well with DS socks.
If you are a handy DIY type, you can save money by doing some of the skipped things above by yourself. A good dry suit experience really hinges on a good fit. It's not super critical, but makes the learning experience much easier and reduces the amount of weight you will need to sink it.
- If you don't foresee ever diving solo or needing to don by yourself - back zip is cheaper (look into the White's Fusion One)
- If you don't foresee ever needing a pee valve (looonnng dives) - skip the pee valve
- If you dive infrequently - skip replaceable seals (though be sure to take VERY good care of existing seals)
- If you don't foresee the need for pockets - skip pockets
I believe suits with socks rather than booties are also cheaper. You don't need the rock boots (shops will likely try to sell these), standard neoprene booties will work quite well with DS socks.
If you are a handy DIY type, you can save money by doing some of the skipped things above by yourself. A good dry suit experience really hinges on a good fit. It's not super critical, but makes the learning experience much easier and reduces the amount of weight you will need to sink it.
I started out with a used Bare CD4 compressedneoprene suit. It fits me like a custom suit but I do not like that it is aback entry, has attached boots, is very heavy and takes forever to dry. Everyoneat my LDS dives the same suit and when I was starting out I did not know anybetter or know about Scubaboard.
My next suit will be a Whites Fusion Sport with slt, dry gloves and thermalfusion undersuit. I may add a tech skin later. I can buy it with a sport skinand add a tech skin for $50.00 more than buying the suit with the tech skin.
I get cold easy and will be taking my newsuit to Mexico this fall, I could not take my old suit, too heavy. No morebeing cold on the boat!
Whites also makes the Fusion One which isonly $1000 but is a back entry which I do not want.
My next suit will be a Whites Fusion Sport with slt, dry gloves and thermalfusion undersuit. I may add a tech skin later. I can buy it with a sport skinand add a tech skin for $50.00 more than buying the suit with the tech skin.
I get cold easy and will be taking my newsuit to Mexico this fall, I could not take my old suit, too heavy. No morebeing cold on the boat!
Whites also makes the Fusion One which isonly $1000 but is a back entry which I do not want.
sealark
Contributor
My first drysuit is my avatar back in 1966 free from Navy DV school. Loved it at the time. Now seriously my first purchased dry suit was a disaster for me. The neck seal would choke me to death [almost] it was completly dry and did keep me warm in 50 degree water for 4 hours of changing zincs on an aircraft carrier. That was the first and last time I used one and never will again. It was a vicking dry suit. I know they have improved in the last 30 years. I'll stick to my 7 mm farmer john with hooded vest.
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3D diver
Contributor
When I bought my first drysuit Viking was the best available (as far as I knew) & it was a matter of playing one shop's price against another til I got the best price I could. My only regret was getting their recommended undergarments---I was colder than I needed to be for 10-20 years!!!
When I bought it's replacement a couple of years ago I was overwhelmed by all the new brands, materials, and features so punted and got another Viking. It was the same price as the other suits I was looking at and so, so, familiar. I splurged for the thickest undergarment I could find, got a relief zipper, & am happy.
When I bought it's replacement a couple of years ago I was overwhelmed by all the new brands, materials, and features so punted and got another Viking. It was the same price as the other suits I was looking at and so, so, familiar. I splurged for the thickest undergarment I could find, got a relief zipper, & am happy.
I bought my first dry suit knowing absolutely nothing at all, except that dry suits were frighteningly expensive. It was a Mobby's laminate suit that had been hanging in the shop for a couple of years because it was too small for everybody else. I paid $800 for it, I think, which seemed painful, but the suit fit and although it had an annoying and elusive leak in the crotch seam which resulted in intermittent damp dives for a couple of years, despite trips to the repair place (on warranty), overall, I can't complain about the suit at all.
My second suit was a Diving Concepts suit. I would say much about that deal except that I will never own anything made by that company. For what I lost in that process, I could have bought another suit (one that fit and worked) from another company.
For the last five years, I've been diving Fusions. I own two of them now. They get around one of the biggest issues with other dry suits, which is proper fit, and they also get around one of the biggest annoyances in dry suits, which is the waiting period when you are getting seals replaced, if you don't do your own dry suit work.
I think you can do very well with inexpensive dry suits, if you accept that they may not be as durable, and you may not get the same degree of fit. Better an inexpensive dry suit that you will replace in a few years, but that gets you into the water diving regularly, than a wetsuit that is uncomfortable enough that you don't dive very often.
My second suit was a Diving Concepts suit. I would say much about that deal except that I will never own anything made by that company. For what I lost in that process, I could have bought another suit (one that fit and worked) from another company.
For the last five years, I've been diving Fusions. I own two of them now. They get around one of the biggest issues with other dry suits, which is proper fit, and they also get around one of the biggest annoyances in dry suits, which is the waiting period when you are getting seals replaced, if you don't do your own dry suit work.
I think you can do very well with inexpensive dry suits, if you accept that they may not be as durable, and you may not get the same degree of fit. Better an inexpensive dry suit that you will replace in a few years, but that gets you into the water diving regularly, than a wetsuit that is uncomfortable enough that you don't dive very often.
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