Best Overall Drysuit-various dive environments

[Mark Y]

shamre - you really don't need a dry-suit, they are expensive & keep you dry . . .

Just kidding! I dive a DUI TLS 350, front zip, and love it (although I've never dove any other type). My only regret is I didn't get pockets - which I plan to add soon.

Whatever you do end up buying, make sure it is large enough to accommodate warm undergarments.

Have you thought of renting? Maybe you can try several suits out . . .

[beeger]

The only DUI suit I have used is the CF200, but I considered my choices very carefully when picking between the 350, 450, and 200. I would probably not recommend the 450 because it's kind of a mid-point between the 200 and 350. It is not as tough as the 200, but with the fitting problems of a 350. A popular concern cited by many owners is that the material is rough and seems to catch on stuff, but I've only heard that info second hand. In my ideal world I would own a custom fitted 350 and a 200. The 350 definitely seems to travel better than the 200 (much lighter, and it does dry easier), but I think these concerns are often over stated. I'm 6'3" and my front zip CF dries out just fine hanging up over night. If I want to get fancy then I stick a shop vac hose attached to the blower port into the suit the whole thing is dry inside within 15-20 minutes or so. While not as quick as the 350, I'm not willing to give up the increased abrasion resistance of the CF200 for diving the Great Lakes. And I hold my buoyancy and trim in high regard. Remember, in these water temps (and, yes, even with C4 and argon) your suit becomes a serious life support system. It's failure can complicate matters greatly if you are in a overhead situation. Obviously there are trade offs between both suits.

When all is said and done, remember this: fit, fit, fit, fit, fit.

[Freedive WI]

I think I posted on this before, but I've owned a lot of sits over the years.

The first couple were 1/4" neoprene suits with BC oral inflators on the chest. They seem pretty ancient now, but they sure were slick at the time.

I then went to Vikings which worked great, until the Zebra Mussels invaded and started to slice them up to bits.

I bought a TLS 350 as my first DUI drysuit and liked it quite a bit. I was talked into getting a large from DUI and found it to be a bit too big.

I sold the TLS350 and decided to try a CF200- size medium. I am 5'10" and around 170-175. I found this to be a very nice suit that comformed to my body and was very low drag. It takes forever to dry. There were some weeks in the summer time that it would never completely dry out- all week long!

After using it for a few years I decided to try out a CLX-450. I hated this suit. It was too bulky and I wished I had just gone with a TLS-350.

I now just own freediving suits, about 6 of them, but would look into getting a TLS suit down the road someday. The next suit I get I think will be a Diving Concepts. They make a "true" custom suit for the price of a stock DUI and many of my freinds have switched over to them with very good results.

No matter what suit you go with I would suggest a front mounted zipper. For the guys I would also suggest a P-valve. They work great and are a lot cheaper than a relief zipper- plus they are less prone to fail on you. I used mine all thew time, and not just for deep stuff. It really helps to have on in when your in the water all day long running students through their courses.

Also, thigh pockets are great to have. For deco stuff they can hold your tables, extra mask, spool, safety sausage, signal mirror, ect. For recreational stuff they make a great place to store your fold-up snorkel and you underwater camera- if you don't have a strobe attached to it.

Jon

[BLT]

Hi,

Thanks for the great feedback on the 3 different DUI suits. Now I have a better understanding why I probably don't see as many 450's mentioned for our type of diving conditions.

BTW, the original post mentioned Whites too. Any thoughts or recommendations regarding their line of products and our type of diving conditions?

- Brad

[DRE]

Brad,

I believe White's was the very first manufacturer to come out with a TLS material suit, but the suits that I have seen recently didn't look all that great - very baggy and some other suboptimal features. Maybe you can do a custom suit with them, but then I'd rather go with DUI as they have much more dealer presence here in the US. Check out Scuba Dive and Travel as they have DUI TLS's in rental in all sizes to try out.

[shamre]

What about the difference in materials:neoprene\laminate vs rubber vs nylon, etc....? What is the best type of suit for MN diving, wreck diving?

[jasondbaker]

I think the best type of suit material for overall MN diving is some type of tri-lam. It is lightweight, dries quickly, offers good flexibility, and priced reasonably.

If you need to spend 6 hours in the ice doing a vehicle recovery you may want to consider a neoprene drysuit for the extra insulation. Otherwise I almost never see neoprene suits anymore.

If you are doing tons of wreck diving or commercial work a crushed neoprene or cordura suit might make sense.

If you are diving in a contaminated area a rubber suit like a Viking makes sense.

[Omicron]

I'm a fan of Bare drysuits. I've got their ATR HD suit. Extremely sturdy suit - and their built in boots are very nice. It's attached, but it's not cheap thin rubber like other attached boots. They are 7mm vulcanized neoprene, with a really good sole. No real reason to get rock boots with the boots on this suit. Plus, I'm able to get away with wearing regular socks in the suit, even when ice diving because they are so warm.

The Bare suits are also cheaper than DUI - and I really can't find much of a difference in quality.