traumadiver
Contributor
Okay, so there is no question here just excitement. I have been on the drysuit market for a while, trying to find something that will keep me dry and is cheap. I tried ebay, and dreamed while visiting numerous drysuit manufacuturers websites.
Today I go to my LDS to buy a signal tube and a finger spool. LDS's are so dangerous to my Credit Card. I ended up buying a cave reel instead of the spool spending more money but I digress. There in the corner of the shop, an international orange drysuit. It looked a bit dingy but was it for sale? Did it even work? What was the cost? Would I fit my skinny body in it?
I questioned the owner about it. He told me it was a drysuit that used to be owned by the USCG but was brought in to sell. He helped me try on the suit and it fit. The neckseal would need to be replaced, the wrist seals were fine for me. It was a
DUI CF-200X. I shuddered as I aksed the price of this drysuit calling my name like a dog at the pound. He told me $300. Awesome! We took it out back, filled it with air and put soapy water all over it to find leaks. Sure there were some minor leaks to the suit but I am going to patch those up this weekend...welcome to aqua seal! The zipper didnt leak either...good to go.
I found that the back of the suit was labled USS Preserver. A quick google showed me that this USCG ship was a diving ship. It was decommisioned in the mid 90's. It was a a part of the recovery operations when the Shuttle Challenger exploded. It actually recovered the crew compartment with the remains of the 7 astronauts. Did my drysuit have anything to do with that operation? Probably not, but at least I know something about the suit that I own.
Its not a new suit but its mine. I got a great deal on it and now it is time to take a drysuit class and lengthen my dive season!
Thank you to all for answering my questions as I looked for a drysuit! SBers are the best!
Today I go to my LDS to buy a signal tube and a finger spool. LDS's are so dangerous to my Credit Card. I ended up buying a cave reel instead of the spool spending more money but I digress. There in the corner of the shop, an international orange drysuit. It looked a bit dingy but was it for sale? Did it even work? What was the cost? Would I fit my skinny body in it?
I questioned the owner about it. He told me it was a drysuit that used to be owned by the USCG but was brought in to sell. He helped me try on the suit and it fit. The neckseal would need to be replaced, the wrist seals were fine for me. It was a
DUI CF-200X. I shuddered as I aksed the price of this drysuit calling my name like a dog at the pound. He told me $300. Awesome! We took it out back, filled it with air and put soapy water all over it to find leaks. Sure there were some minor leaks to the suit but I am going to patch those up this weekend...welcome to aqua seal! The zipper didnt leak either...good to go.
I found that the back of the suit was labled USS Preserver. A quick google showed me that this USCG ship was a diving ship. It was decommisioned in the mid 90's. It was a a part of the recovery operations when the Shuttle Challenger exploded. It actually recovered the crew compartment with the remains of the 7 astronauts. Did my drysuit have anything to do with that operation? Probably not, but at least I know something about the suit that I own.
Its not a new suit but its mine. I got a great deal on it and now it is time to take a drysuit class and lengthen my dive season!
Thank you to all for answering my questions as I looked for a drysuit! SBers are the best!
