Dry Suit Opinions

[Raiderswim]

Wanting to get in more dives during the "colder season", I am looking for a dry suit.  With so much out there, I'm undecided as what type to get.

1.  What is the biggest difference between neoprene and laminate suits ie warmth, durability, comfort etc

2.  Back or front entry?  What are advantages/disadvantages?

3.  What suit(s) have you used?  How would you review that model?

Thanks for your input!

[Swimjim]

I dove a Poseidon Unisuit for two years.  It has a zipper that goes around the neck then down to just below the belt line. It is considered a self donning suit and you could do it, but it was a project.  It had an attached hood.  I personally didn't care for it as it made it a bit harder to check the neck seal.  I eventully cut it off.  The Pro's.  Its a full 7MM neoprene suit and its really warm.  Even it the suit leaks you'll be okay. 
      I just bought a Dive Concepts Z-Flex which is a Trilam with a front zip.  It has latex seals and a telescoping torso so it's  much easier to get on and off.  I find it to be like wearing nothing in the water. Very comfortable to dive in.  I only have a few dives on it, but so far I like it alot.

Jim

[Omicron]

Neoprene suits are naturally warm, whereas a shell suit is not.  However, a neoprene suit loses insulation at depth just as a wetsuit does.  I've heard from people that use them that it's not a big deal.  DUI makes a crushed neoprene that is supposed to be unbelievably durable, but also very expensive.

I prefer trilam/shell suits.

I've dove a few different suits.  A Typhoon and my current Bare ATR suit, as well as a backzip shell suit. 

Front entry is great as you don't need to ask for assistance with your suit when donning it.  I hate the idea of a back zipper...you always have to ask for help with it.

The most important thing with a drysuit is fit.  There are a ton of brands, a ton of styles, and tons of marketing gimmicks.  The most important thing is fit though.  If it's too loose you'll have air bubbles messing with your buoyancy.  Too tight and you won't have any flexibility to get to all your gear.  Once you get the right fit, it's all a cakewalk

[Vtach]

Jason pretty much hit it on the head in comparing trilaminate suits with neoprene.

The warmth/comfort factor with any "shell" suit really depends on what type of insulation is being used under the suit.  I've seen people complain how cold they are in their drysuit and find out they are wearing long underwear and a cotton sweatshirt/pant.  The undergarment is equally as important as the suit when it comes to comfort.  Don't go cheap on thermal protection.

I definitely prefer front entry.  I think the concern in the past had been zipper problems due to flexing between the shoulders and hips.  I have alway used front entry suits and never had zipper problems.

I have used a Typhoon which lasted for quite a few years and now I'm using a Bare Trilam ATR HD (5 years now and no problems).  Both were/are good suits but off the rack sizes, next suit I buy will be a custom.

I would recommend Bare, Diving Concepts or DUI (no particular order,all 3 are good) based on hearing from other divers along with my own experience.  If money is no object, get a custom fit suit.  I would also recommend adding the options of drygloves and a P valve.  You can probably expect 10 years or 1000 dives from a good, well maintained drysuit.

[Omicron]

And the color was Reuben   Hehehe

[scubert]

I seriously cannot agree more with Todd's above statement.
Dry gloves are invaluable once you have a few minor kinks worked out, and the P-valve removes your only last 'rush' to get back onto the boat (or just out of the water).  Worth every penny I paid for both extras.

[Vtach]

And the color was Reuben   Hehehe
[/quote]

You still looked pink!!! ;D

[LKunze]

Larege bellows pockets are a nice option to add to your suit as well, I couldn't go without them on my suit.

[dfreeman]

Todd and Jason hit it right on the head.  I have tried out shell and neoprene and prefer neoprene.  I like Bare and DUI suits.  Dry gloves are a must.  P-valve is great to have and I feel is a must.  Custom fit is better, but depends on your dimensions if it will help.

I prefer boots on the suit and front entry.  Some people prefer rock boots and I can not fault them.  I think that it is a person preference thing and maybe more related to how big your feet are.

Dry suits let you dive year around and see things that you can not do wet.  THe Wolf River is a good example and you can see pictures elsewhere on this site.

Once Dry, never go back.

Doug

[Chris H]

If you decide on a Bare suit, the pocket that came installed on my ATR-HD is about useless for anything but wet notes.  Get a pocket someplace else and install it or have it installed.  The DUI bellows pocket is really nice.

I, like many others, have had a Typhoon and now dive a Bare Trilam ATR-HD.  The Typhoon was a nice suit and lasted roughly 10 years before I upgraded.  The Bare is pretty nice, but if I had unlimited funds, I think I would go with a DUI.  If I were ordering the Bare again I would opt for turbo soles instead of the boots, and like I mentioned above I would skip the stock pocket and get larger ones.  The boots don't give me trouble, but the fact that they are size 13+ becomes a bit of an issue when choosing fins.   

I really like the neoprene neck seal too.  A P-valve was a recent modification that I also recommend, but make sure you hook up the hose every time.