When all is said and done, how much will a good drysuit cost?

[Bubbletrubble]

$1000-$3000.

• If you intend to wear rockboots, don't forget to allow for the purchase of new fins with generous foot pockets and spring straps (Turtles/Jets/F1s for $150?).
• P-valves, pockets, and suspenders are nice to have, but I've gotten by without any of them for years. I'm a recreational diver who does shore dives mostly -- generally 1 night dive at a time, so I can hit the restroom before and after a dive. I had to pee off the side of panga in Mexico once. My buddies thought it would be funny to rock the boat at an inopportune time. I'll spare you the details.
• Specialty drysuit undergarments are nice (pockets, water-resistant shell, might not clog up the exhaust valve, don't bunch up in weird places, etc.) but can be quite expensive ($150-$400). Depending on your cold tolerance, you can get by with the right kind of insulating underwear from a camping store. If it's made of the proper material, then it might still keep you warm when the drysuit floods (which is what specialty drysuit undergarments are designed to do). I've been very happy with my Bare T100 undergarment made of Thinsulate.
• If you go the specialty undergarment route, I'd recommend wearing a wicking layer (polypro) underneath the undergarment. This layer can and should be laundered often. Most of your sweat gets collected in the wicking layer, so washing of the specialty undergarment can be minimized. This is a good idea because certain types of materials in the specialty gear lose insulating capacity with each additional wash. FYI, Thinsulate is one of those materials.

Take care of your seals and zipper. Especially the zipper. It can cost $300+ to replace that sucker. Seals are much cheaper to fix. I end up changing out my latex neck seal once every 1.5 years. For whatever reason (lack of exposure to sunscreen?), my wrist seals last much longer.

Whether you buy new or used, custom or off-the-rack, make sure you get a drysuit that fits.

Hope this helps...

 

[Hostage]

I just ordered a USIA Drysuit from a LDS for about $1200. That includes taxes, drysuit cert, hardsole boots, and p-valve. I looked into drysuits and the USIA seemed to be the best for the money and the reviews were good. Also all suits are custom. They mainly deal with Military, but do some retail.

 

[claymore]

I dropped $2400 last week and I'm not done yet.
TLS350 with quick up seals
300 gram jumpsuit
Dry glove system and accessories.

 

[Mitchell Teeters]

I have one thing to say, Black Friday sales!

 

[Zesty]

I am a DUI owner - if you have the time, try to get to one of their "DOG Days" - they will have a multitude of suits / under garments available for you to try on and to dive in. I was on the fence regarding a CF200 and a TLS350 and ended up going with a FLX50/50 after diving it and discussing my needs with the DUI team that was there. GET A SUIT THAT FITS!! I have never had anything that didnt have suspenders, but I think I would be miserable if I didnt have them. Also, think about the whole "life cost" of the suit - you can buy cheaper to begin with, but will you have it in 10-20 years? What is the reputation of the company service? I have two buddies that have been diving for over 15 years and both own DUI's and would not go anywhere else - they get good service from DUI and have really put the suits through their paces!!

Hope this helps!

 

[Teller]

I paid about 2000 for my DUI and I think it was money well spent. Trust me when it comes to drysuits you want quality. Nothing worse then a drysuit that leaks.

 

[Saxatilis]

As you can tell from all the posts there is an enormous price range for drysuits. Personally, I recommend that you take a look at SANTI suits. They are so far the only company I know of that offers heated undergarments! Talk to WayneAtDiveseekers for more info if your intrested.

 

[ddmattos]

I'm sure you did a search for Fusion, DUI, and Santi on the board for opinions.

I've dove all three (Fusion Bullet, Flx-Extreme, Santi E-Lite.) and choose the Santi E-lite.
I wanted the best and a suit that would last a very very and yes very long time.
My choices were expensive. But there is nothing more important than being comfortable in the water and during surface intervals.

The following are a 10+ in the research I did before buying.

Santi E-Lite $3270.00.
Balanced P-Valve $184.00
Fourth Element Undergarments $168 Drybase, $255 Zerotherm, $335 Arctic. These three sets work as a system and allows me to dive water temps from 80+F to low 40'sF. I haven't tried colder yet. Link: Fourth Element click on undergarment layer system on lower right of webpage. They need very little loft to work.

Hopefully you can get a few dives in each suit. DUI and Santi do make less expensive models. But I can 100% recommend a Santi E-Lite based on my research and final purchase.
I couldn't be happier.

Wayne @ The Scuba Connection was a huge help in my equipment choices/changes and training.

 

[Peter_C]

I dropped $2400 last week and I'm not done yet.
TLS350 with quick up seals
300 gram jumpsuit
Dry glove system and accessories.

Brrrrr...or so my body says. Your water can't possibly any warmer than here in California. I swear by 400g Thinsulate with around a 100g of polartec underneath.

Now one of those Santi heated vests sounds cozy.

 

[asha]

My GF just got the Edge one and I like it so much I may get one when it's time to replace my 5 mil wetsuit

Replace a 5mm? Can you tell me more about this suit? I have been considering a 30/30 for travel and warm-water diving. Might the Edge fit that bill as well?