Best Overall Drysuit-various dive environments

[shamre]

What is the Best Overall Drysuit-for various dive environments? Dui,Whites,etc.....

All you drysuit divers out there weigh in on what you like and do not like about various models. ;D

[LKunze]

All depends on your needs. The best drysuit for you may not be the best for someone else. The most important thing is fit and mobility. You don't want a drysuit that is super tight and restricts your movement and at the same time you don't want a suit that looks like a huge trash bag.
I went with a DUI TLS 350 and am very happy with the suit. I like the quick drying lightweight material of the suit, the internal suspenders, telescoping torso, front zipper, and I like the Rock Boots. I added some big velcro bellows pockets, kevlar knee pads and a p-valve to mine as well.
I've done dives with several other divers that have had suits from Diving Concepts, Andy's, DiveRite etc. that looked very nice as well.

[beeger]

There are so many choices out there. But by far the most important is fit. Fit not only means how it will fit your body type, but how it will fit your body type with your required insulation. If you are looking for a drysuit, start by considering how much you want to pay. This is going to either limit or expand your choices considerably. This is one piece of gear you will not want to skimp on. You want to get the best fit possible. The best way to do that is to give yourself as many choices as possible by trying not to limit yourself on budget any more than you have to. If you can give us a price range maybe we can help you narrow down some choices.

I currently dive a DUI CF200, custom cut. I really like the suit. It fits like a glove and is very durable for local diving. Because the material stretches a bit it allows for a fairly snug fit. This is still possible with suits that don't stretch (like trilaminates) but it's a bit more complicated to get a great fit.

[LKunze]

Good point. If you think you might want to have some nice thick warm undergarments make sure you get a suit big enough to fit them underneath without being too tight and restricting movement. I've heard of a couple people that went and got their so called custom "cave cut" fit like a glove drysuits. They fit fine for say a polarfleece 200 or 300 undergarment but when they decided they wanted some thick 400G Thinsulate undies they found out the hard way that they shouldn't have gotten their suit so snug fitting. They ended up unloading the undergarments at a loss.
I dove last year in a 300G polar fleece garment with an additional 100G layer under that. I could have gotten by with a size smaller drysuit with that setup but now I have the DUI 400G thinsulate and it is way thicker than the polar fleece layering was. I'm real glad I went with the bigger size drysuit so that I can use the warmer undergarments for the cold stuff. When summer rolls around I can go back to my lighter undergarments for shallower dives.

[DiveCaptDean]

I agree...fit is by far the biggest concern. It is easy to narrow down by price as well. Dont skimp....get it once and take care of it. I am a DUI TLS 350 user. I love it. I like its light weight, quick drying and telescopic torso. I use to soft boots rather than the rock boots. I am not opposed to trying them at some point...Another thing to think about..not as important, but sometimes embarrassing.....make sure you can dress yourself. Front zip suits are great!! SO, if you dont have a P valve and you come up and have to B-line to the woods to take a squirt, you dont have to ask someone to unzip you....NOW!!!!

Deano

[BLT]

Hi,

I am watching this thread closely too. For those that have already mentioned the TLS350 and CF200 suits from DUI, what are your thoughts on the CLX450 when compared to the other DUI [dry] suits and w/r to this thread topic (various dive environments). Any info is greatly appreciated.

[beeger]

Awwww .... come one. Everybody has to own or at least dive with a back zip suit at some point in their life if for no other reason than to learn the "Back Zip Boogie" as they try to zip or unzip their own suit while flailing around and grunting.

;D

[tcjtn0]

Now thats funny! Especially from a "front" zipper like myself! But I think we all do the "dry suit chicken strut" at one time or another!

Jean ;D

[LKunze]

The CLX450 is similar to the TLS350 but it has cordura panels on it which makes it somewhat heavier than the TLS suits. The CLX I guess you could say is tougher but comes with a little more weight and a heftier price tag. Also since the Cordura is stiffer it may give you a bit less mobility than a TLS350. I've heard this mentioned on other forums from a couple people that have owned or tried on both suits. I believe Freedive WI and DRE have owned both suits and could give you a more detailed comparison. When looking at the two suits for the type of diving I am doing I didn't find the cordura to be worth the extra cost. If I had felt I needed the cordura I would have probably opted for the Diving Concepts Z-Flex suit over the CLX-450. It's virtually identical to the CLX450 but costs less.

[DRE]

I've used both the CF200, CLX450 and TLS350 and I prefer the TLS hands down. The CF, while being bullet proof, is heavy as a tank, doesn't dry during the dive season and it has a tendency to develop pinhole leaks. The 450 is less flexible than the 350 and while being a bit tougher than the 350, it has a tendency to catch on stuff; for example, I noticed that my suit would get chafed from the harness webbing just because the material was rougher than the 350. The 350 is smooth like a baby's bottom, so it won't catch easily on stuff (like wrecks), but if it does it'll probably rip more easily than a CF. The point with the tls is that your technique has to be good: if you swim in a vertical position banging into stuff, kneel down whenever you can instead of being neutral, wiggle through stuff instead of finesse through openings, the tls might not be the suit for you.
One thing on sizing, always go for the smallest possible size; with DUI that means get one size smaller than the chart tells you. The slicker the suit, the less chance you catch it, regardless of which suit you decide to go with. To give you an example: I'm 6'00" 190# and I dive a stock size medium - no look where I should be according to the chart BTW, this suit fits me much better than my first DUI, which was a custom cut CF200...