What's the least expensive dry suit?

[gregor1234]

I think what sfbluestar is looking for is not a scuba dry suit at all but the sort of non-valved drysuits used by windsurfers, and wave runner riders for example. These are specifically for surface operations and have no valves for intoducing air while immersed. I know a number of windsurfing nuts who use these to windsurf year-round in the northeast U.S.

I would counsel sfbluestar to pose his query on a windsurfing board but would also warn that some of those types of "drysuits" are not meant for continuous immersion. E.g. in windsurfing or waverunning you only get into the water at the start and end and if you fall. Most of the time you're high and dry. So some of these suits are made of permeable material like blown teflon (gortex) that will exclude liquid water for non-continuous immersion but may be a bit too permissive for continuous use.

 

[Mark Vlahos]

I will be snorkeling at the shores of northern California, Mendecino County to be exact. Water there is very cold, it felt like 50 degrees. I will be hanging around water that is only chest high, but I will certainly submerge down into water completely.

The reason I contemplated dry suit is that, I imagine I can wear more clothes underneath to keep warm. I know wetsuit's performance is being proven by you folks everyday, but the idea of water in my suit is still a bit undesirable.

Plus, will a drysuit make the clean up afterwards easier? Can I take off my drysuit and drive home in dry, comfortable street clothing (although not pressed tuxedo)?

sfbluestar,

I am not trying to be difficult, I am actually trying to save you some money and lots of grief.

Others have suggested thick wetsuits or dry suits made for windsurfing or jet ski use. I am not the least bit familiar with this type of dry suit but for the use you have described a SCUBA dry suit would be a really poor choice. You would spend lots of money and be really unhappy with the end result. A thick wetsuit is really a more appropriate choice for the use you have in mind. I understand that you may not want to get wet, but a towel and a thermos of coffee or tea will really make things fine. Wet suits are lots cheaper than dry suits and keep divers quite warm.

Keeping warm for divers is important, we find ourselves in cold water for an hour or longer. You will be on the surface and have the air and sun to help keep you warm. For me a dive in the Southern California waters that at depth might be in the low 50 degree range for an hour a thick wetsuit is fine. At the surface the water may be 10 or perhaps even 20 degrees warmer. If I were snorkeling here I would consider a 5mm wetsuit. For diving I use an 8mm wetsuit. In Northern California you will be in slightly colder waters, but you will still be at or near the surface. Get a thick wetsuit, thick gloves, and thick booties, somthing in the 7mm or thicker range. If you want get one with a hood, either attached or separate. Buy a comfortable mask, a good snorkel, and nice fins. A brand new thick wetsuit as I have described should be around $400, perhaps a little more, or with careful shopping slightly less. Gloves booties and the other accesories will be extra. Good reputable brands are, Xcel, O'Neil, Henderson, and others. Go into a dive shop in your area and look and compare. Get properly fitted and snorkel happy. When you get in the water it will be cold, but the water in the suit will warm quickly and within a minute or so you will be toasty warm. Get the suit nice and snug so the water inside the suit does not migrate through the suit. With my suit the area above my knees and below my chest stays dry for the first 10 minutes of a dive, this is a good indication that the water does not flow around. The advantage of this is that my body heat does not need to be constantly re-heating the water, this keeps me warmer.

Save your moeny and have fun,

Mark Vlahos

 

[sfbluestar]

No, thank you for your passionate advising. That's exactly what I need to arrive at the right decision.

sfbluestar,

I am not trying to be difficult, I am actually trying to save you some money and lots of grief.

Others have suggested thick wetsuits or dry suits made for windsurfing or jet ski use. I am not the least bit familiar with this type of dry suit but for the use you have described a SCUBA dry suit would be a really poor choice. You would spend lots of money and be really unhappy with the end result. A thick wetsuit is really a more appropriate choice for the use you have in mind. I understand that you may not want to get wet, but a towel and a thermos of coffee or tea will really make things fine. Wet suits are lots cheaper than dry suits and keep divers quite warm.

Keeping warm for divers is important, we find ourselves in cold water for an hour or longer. You will be on the surface and have the air and sun to help keep you warm. For me a dive in the Southern California waters that at depth might be in the low 50 degree range for an hour a thick wetsuit is fine. At the surface the water may be 10 or perhaps even 20 degrees warmer. If I were snorkeling here I would consider a 5mm wetsuit. For diving I use an 8mm wetsuit. In Northern California you will be in slightly colder waters, but you will still be at or near the surface. Get a thick wetsuit, thick gloves, and thick booties, somthing in the 7mm or thicker range. If you want get one with a hood, either attached or separate. Buy a comfortable mask, a good snorkel, and nice fins. A brand new thick wetsuit as I have described should be around $400, perhaps a little more, or with careful shopping slightly less. Gloves booties and the other accesories will be extra. Good reputable brands are, Xcel, O'Neil, Henderson, and others. Go into a dive shop in your area and look and compare. Get properly fitted and snorkel happy. When you get in the water it will be cold, but the water in the suit will warm quickly and within a minute or so you will be toasty warm. Get the suit nice and snug so the water inside the suit does not migrate through the suit. With my suit the area above my knees and below my chest stays dry for the first 10 minutes of a dive, this is a good indication that the water does not flow around. The advantage of this is that my body heat does not need to be constantly re-heating the water, this keeps me warmer.

Save your moeny and have fun,

Mark Vlahos

 

[jonnythan]

I haven't read the whole thread, but the cheapest suit is the right suit. If you get the wrong suit or a suit that doesn't fit well you will be purchasing another sooner rather than later and taking a big loss on the first one.

 

[cummings66]

I dive in water temps that get into the low 50's, i.e. 51 is the coldest I've done so far and a 7mm was nice and comfortable for me. 60 degrees is about the coldest I can do in a 3mm wetsuit, so I'd say go for a 7 and you'll not have problems. I have both so I can choose the one for the conditions at the time and remain comfortable.

As to dry, well wear a pair of swim trunks under it and when you get out of the wetsuit you'll towel off and be dry in no time. I don't even bother bringing any other clothes to wear after diving, I just put the shirt back on after I finish drying off and the swim trunks are dry enough that the seat won't even get wet. Some people wear a pair of shorts over the swim trunks, and some wear speedo's, and some wear nothing. It depends on your modesty and area you snorkel in.

 

[abman]

Neoprene drysuits will be the least expensive brand new. In my opinion they are the best bang for your buck. You can buy a brand new O'Neill neoprene drysuit for $500. Expect about $150 for thermals.

When it comes to drysuits, inexpensive does not have a direct relationship to quality. You can do a search to read about the many opinions expressed and the differences between neoprene, crushed neoprene, and trilam drysuits.

--Matt

this is true, you can get a neoprene suit for around $500.00. i love my whites polar tech suit. i have never needed "undies", i usually dive in a rash gaurd and a pair of shorts. i have installed a "pee valve" in my suit. the BEST thing i've ever done, man what a relief. No pun intended...ken

 

[Gac]

The cheapest drysuit is a large ziplock bag. I recommend the "freezer friendly" types.

How about a nice semi-dry? Easy like a wetsuit, warm (almost) like a drysuit.

 

[D_O_H]

No, thank you for your passionate advising. That's exactly what I need to arrive at the right decision.

I agree with what Mark is advocating above. I use a dry suit when scuba diving up here, but have done plenty of scuba diving in a 7mm "farmer john" wetsuit as well. I snorkel and freedive only in my 7mm wetsuit and have never felt even the slightest bit cold. The drysuit wouldn't really work for snorkeling and it would be pretty impossible to use for abalone diving, if that's what you've got in mind, because it's likely to be a lot more buoyant than a wetsuit.

If you go the wetsuit route, I'd suggest something like this Akona package . It's dirt cheap and I can vouch for the quality of the wetsuit (I own one). If you're planning to do a lot of this or get into scuba diving, you'll probably want to go try some suits on and make sure they fit well (as this is what keeps water from flowing through the suit), but if you're not oddly shaped and don't plan on using the suit much, you can probably get away with buying something cheap online.

Another option would be to rent a wetsuit, which you can typically do for $10 to $15. I just took by brother-in-law abalone diving and he rented a 7mm wetsuit and hood from California Dive Center (near SFO airport) for $10 for a week.

Whether you go wet or dry, you'll want to get a suit (the two-piece farmer john suits are much warmer in my experience), a hood (it makes a huge difference in keeping you warm), gloves ($20-$40 for cheapies) and booties ($20-40).

 

[Knight1989]

Since the comparision of differant dry suits is being made here, and a few people said stray away from the Bare Nexgen, I was curious as to why? I was looking at buying one myself, admitedly price was a huge factor, but am curios exactly why people dont like them. I was leaning towads it because of its cheaper price and the fact that I dont need a more expensive suit since I rarely have the need for one, but more want one "just in case"