Whites Drysuit

[Arkman]

I'm new to drysuit diving and will get my certification sunday as long as everything goes according to plan.

There is a guy in town that wants to sell a Whites Nexus Drysuit, Really nice and thick undergarment (not sure of the brand), 2 sets of Si Tech SI-5 Quick Dry Gloves, Rock boots, Storage bag, and a few other misc. things for $750.

I've looked at it and it appears to be in good shape but I'm just not sure if this is a good deal or not. I know you guys probably can't tell me a whole lot since you don't know much about it but I'd just like to know if I'm getting completely screwed if I buy this or if it sounds like a fair deal.

 

[Arkman]

Anyone?

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[FireInMyBones]

See if you can dive it in a pool or in your class before you buy. $750 may not be too bad of a deal, but you need to make sure it will work well for you.
Does it feel good on land with the undergarment on? Can you bend and move with ease? Try few Yoga moves in it to see if it has a good fit without being too baggy. How is the zipper? Good shape?

 

[Arkman]

See if you can dive it in a pool or in your class before you buy. $750 may not be too bad of a deal, but you need to make sure it will work well for you.
Does it feel good on land with the undergarment on? Can you bend and move with ease? Try few Yoga moves in it to see if it has a good fit without being too baggy. How is the zipper? Good shape?

I haven't tried it on yet but he wants to take me on a couple dives with it before I buy. I'm thinking about trying it on this week then deciding if we should go out on a dive. As long as that doesn't seem too high of a price I'll take a look.

Thanks for the input.

 

[IDS3]

Sounds like the guy is really trying to be helpful, take advantage of his offer to do a couple dives with it. Depending on actual condition, $750.00 is roughly half of what he paid for it..

 

[SubMariner]

Sounds like the guy is really trying to be helpful, take advantage of his offer to do a couple dives with it. Depending on actual condition, $750.00 is roughly half of what he paid for it..

Unless those dives are in shallow, "confined water"-like conditions with an experienced drysuit Instructor I'd be very wary about doing open water dives without any prior instruction. I can't tell you how many people I've seen FUBAR because they "took a suit out for a test drive" without a clue as to what they were doing.

A drysuit is NOT a passive piece of equipment like a pair of fins. It takes time & tutoring/instruction to learn how to dive safely & effectively in a drysuit.

 

[NC Wreck Diver]

Unless those dives are in shallow, "confined water"-like conditions with an experienced drysuit Instructor I'd be very wary about doing open water dives without any prior instruction. I can't tell you how many people I've seen FUBAR because they "took a suit out for a test drive" without a clue as to what they were doing.

A drysuit is NOT a passive piece of equipment like a pair of fins. It takes time & tutoring/instruction to learn how to dive safely & effectively in a drysuit.

I agree with SubMariner. You are new to diving, and I would assume that getting your skills down is working out OK for you. A drysuit is a piece of gear that needs to be respected. It's a large air mass to work with. Be careful. Do your test drives with a buddy or two, not involved with the purchase of the suit. Or get an instructor to go with you, even if you need to pay them.

To answer your question, if the seals are good and not dry rotted, if the zipper feels good (take some drysuit zipper wax and run it over the entire zipper), and the suit fits you well, the deal is not bad. The price is not bargain basement, nor is it overpriced for a well cared for suit.

Do you have all your other gear? You could get a lot of really needed equipment with that amount of money. A good amount of divers go to drysuits after more diving experience than you have. But...if you feel you are there, and you buy the suit, go to your LDS and take a drysuit course before you dive openwater with it. Good luck.

Safe diving to you.

 

[Arkman]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I do have all the other gear. I just got done taking my dry suit course and it went well. We did three dives even though I only needed one. I got a good feel for the rental suit but certainly need more time practicing. My instructor invited me to dive with him on a separate occasion so I might take him up on that offer and try out the used suit to see if I like it and what his thoughts are. My LDS and that instructor dive/sell DUI and they recommend them but had nothing bad to say about the whites.

I'll have to see if I can get out and dive it or at least check it out. Hopefully it works out.

Thanks again!