Which Dry Suit: Bare XCD2 vs. DR 905?

[Rainer]

Hoping to get input to help in my decision about which dry suit I should purchase (will be my first dry suit). I dive here in MA/NE (for those not in the know, it gets cold!), and will also be diving in SoCal. Looking for something that will last me awhile, travels reasonably well, and won't break the bank (poor grad student!). Looks like the DR can be had for $1300-$1400 online. The Bare suit is being sold used at my LDS (has about 20 dives on it; it's in fine shape). I've tried it on, as well as a 905, and both fit very well. The Bare is being sold for $600. Would be another $200 for undergarments for either suit.

So first, any opinions / experiences with either suit? Second, given all of the above, which would you choose and WHY?

Thanks!!!

 

[PerroneFord]

The 905 has a VERY strong following here in Cave Country. It is one of two suits I am considering for my first drysuit purchase. My other option is the USIA. Both are tough, both have a reputation for not leaking, and both have good customer service. My shop is a dealer for both, so that makes it even harder.

For me, Dive Rite is an hour down the road. That won't factor for you. But you should look at local support. I don't know how long Bare has been maknig drysuits. The only person I know who's used one, sent it back. But that was for a fit issue and not a quality issue.

My advice, is if you are going to buy a suit, look at the track record of the company, talk to people who really use their suits, and you'll likely find that only a few names keep popping up.

What are you thinking of using for an undergarment? I am going with a Weezle for a lot of reasons. Look into them if you haven't already.

 

[crlavoie]

The 905 has a VERY strong following here in Cave Country. It is one of two suits I am considering for my first drysuit purchase. My other option is the USIA. Both are tough, both have a reputation for not leaking, and both have good customer service. My shop is a dealer for both, so that makes it even harder.

For me, Dive Rite is an hour down the road. That won't factor for you. But you should look at local support. I don't know how long Bare has been maknig drysuits. The only person I know who's used one, sent it back. But that was for a fit issue and not a quality issue.

My advice, is if you are going to buy a suit, look at the track record of the company, talk to people who really use their suits, and you'll likely find that only a few names keep popping up.

What are you thinking of using for an undergarment? I am going with a Weezle for a lot of reasons. Look into them if you haven't already.

Bare is very popular around here (much more so than Dive Rite) and there's plenty of local support. I can think of at least 3 shops within 10 miles of Boston that sell / service Bare. That's not to say DR's not a quality suit. I just don't see many of them.

I own an XCD2 Tech and it's bullet proof which is critical if you're going to be lobstering or doing a lot of shore diving. Keep in mind that the 2 suits you are considering are VERY different animals. The XCD2 is hyper compressed neoprene so it's going to be heavier, more bouyant and take longer to dry. On the other hand, I have not worn anything more than a lightweight polartech top for an under garment since May.... Chances are, you will NOT get away with that in a Trilam. At least not for very long. Everything else about the suit is great.

***If I had it to do over, I would buy the XCD2 Pro. The only thing the Tech offers is that it's a self donning front entry which is of little value to me since I never dive alone. Beyond that, the Pro actually offers a trimmer fit if sized correctly. The ATR feature is BS in my opinion. All 3 of my buddies have them and in hindsight, I would have preferred that.

Bare also makes a trilam suit that is worth looking at if you're going that route. I would check out PG dive in Newton. They've always got plenty of stuff to try on and they do a great job of explaining all of the features. They also sell DUI and maybe one other so they won't be pushing you in any one direction

 

[Rainer]

Thanks for the responses so far. Perrone, as crlavoie noted, Bare is very big up here. I see as many Bare suits as DUI. Not that says much, other than worrying about service wouldn't be an issue. As for undergarment, I was leaning toward the Tilos 200g (would be included free with the 905, though it obviously isn't enough...), with the Bare I was considering something from Pinnacle. Need to do more research on this front, though, so appreciate any suggestions.

crlavoie, I realize they're very different suits. I was leaning toward the 905, a much stronger bilam than what DUI offers, when I came across the used Bare (the Pro version, not Tech) *at* PG! My greatest concerns over the Bare are the following: it'll take more weight to get down, it won't dry as quickly and is heavier (issue for traveling), has one zippered thigh pocker (other pocket is velcro, which I much prefer), doesn't come with suspenders (could always add them), and it's used (though it seems fine). All that said, it's MUCH cheaper than a new 905. Both are rear entry, and as I dive with a buddy, that isn't an issue.

Really on the fence, so any other opinions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[crlavoie]

crlavoie, I realize they're very different suits. I was leaning toward the 905, a much stronger bilam than what DUI offers, when I came across the used Bare (the Pro version, not Tech) *at* PG! My greatest concerns over the Bare are the following: it'll take more weight to get down, it won't dry as quickly and is heavier (issue for traveling), has one zippered thigh pocker (other pocket is velcro, which I much prefer), doesn't come with suspenders (could always add them), and it's used (though it seems fine). All that said, it's MUCH cheaper than a new 905. Both are rear entry, and as I dive with a buddy, that isn't an issue.

Really on the fence, so any other opinions would be greatly appreciated.

The weighting issue might not be that big of a deal depending on your rig and your undergarment. The XCD2 Tech will require less insulation and therefore less ballast. I have a CT200 but I only wear it in the coldest months (March / April). All of my buddies have the T100 and they use it year round by adjusting base layers. I currently use a 6 lb SS backplate with 8 lbs of ditchable weight in Zeagle zip touch pockets (this system is great BTW...) and 6 lbs on cam bands. Trims out perfectly - lots of other factors affect this but it's safe to say that the total weighting is very manageable.

The XCD2 definitely will not dry out as quickly as the 905 but you would be surprised how small it rolls up, thought it is heavier. I have a zippered pocket and I prefer it over the velcro for security but they are cheap and easy to replace yourself.

Whatever you do DO NOT buy the Bare suspenders. First, they are $55. Second, they suck. I made much better suspenders for $3 with webbing and triglides from REI. No kidding... $3.

For $600 you can't go wrong ... AS LONG AS IT FITS.

 

[Rainer]

Really appreciate you taking the time for these answers. I'm heading back to PG in a day or two to pick up some new gear, so will give it another look.

 

[cummings66]

For what it's worth give Bob3 here a hollar as well for a quote on a Viking. They're tough suits and for what you say you're going to do with it I'd bet it's just fine.

They have a wide range of suits from the heavy Vulcanized rubber which I have and the extreme which I will soon have. I've never had problems with them leaking and they seem like they'll last forever. Of course they won't.

Give Bob3 a yell before you buy. Search here for a posting from him and PM him.

 

[Rainer]

crlavoie, how did you make the suspenders?

 

[crlavoie]

crlavoie, how did you make the suspenders?

All of the new Bare suits come with tabs pre-installed to make adding their suspenders easier. That said, I went to REI and bought 8' of 2" nylon webbing (the stuff that looks like the seat belt in your car) for $.30 / foot and a package for 4 plastice tri-glides for $1.00.

I use 1 tri-glide in the back to keep everything neat. Then, thread 1 tri-glide onto each side of the webbing, then through the pre-installed tabs and reverse thread through the tri-glides to hold it in place. It sounds like PITA but it literally took less than 5 minutes and they adjust on the fly.

I bought the Bare suspenders and immediately returned them, once I found that they do not support the weight of the suit.