Dry suit diving - Dry suit options featuring DUI Drysuits
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2022
- The right scuba equipment can be a GAME CHANGER for your dive trips. Check out these tips on suit configurations for dry suit diving.
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DIVE DRY ROAD TRIP EP02: Drysuit struggles
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Dry suit diving has changed my attitude on cold dive days. There is so much beauty hidden in cold water diving and having the right suit is key.
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What did you choose for your dry suit? Any funny dry suit stories?
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Just seeing this video, and that's such a great story about how DUI took such great care of you!
To answer your ending question: Drysuit diver and instructor here. 😄 Teaching drysuit courses and workshops are practically the number one thing I do all winter here. For my personal suit, I absolutely need the follow minimum customizations:
1: The suit must have the inflator valve as high up as possible, right up against the neck seal, and slightly off to the right side of centerline. This is because I dive a chest-mounted rebreather, and placing the inflation valve up high and off-set like this allows me to access it without being forced to reach my hand into the side between the rebreather and the suit and attempt to "find" it. It also allows me to connect the LP hose easily. If the inflation valve was any lower, or in the normal position (centered on the chest), it is a massive pain to reach, and if wearing dry gloves, you risk damaging the gloves too.
2: The exhaust valve must be rotated slightly rearward of the centerline on the sleeve, and placed lower on the upper arm, to a position just above the elbow. This makes it easier to reach while wearing a chest-mounted rebreather, and also makes it effortless to dump gas without even the slightest need to change my body posture, position, or trim in the water. Simply raise the elbow, and gas comes out. You don't ever want the valve below the elbow, as gas pressure will push through the wrist seal, causing it to leak, and too high up on the arm, and now you're forced to change trim and angles to vent gas. Also too high up and gas can accidentally leak out when you don't want it to. And finally, a slightly rearward position not only allows venting without any change in body position or trim, it also prevents the valve from getting caught on your harness when donning or doffing your harness. So nearer to the elbow in the upper position, and slightly rearward is the most ideal position.
3: SiTech cuffs. I prefer the SiTech quick cuff P/U ring attached to the suit, or the QCS ring attached to the suit, or the SiTech Rubber Cuff Ring (commonly called the Viking cuff rings) attached to the suit. Either are fine. These allow for quick changing of any latex or silicone wrist seal from any brand/maker (allowing massive savings in costs of seals), and the ability to maintain the use of wrist seals while additionally allowing you to use very simple pull-over dry gloves (less than $10 a set for most good quality gloves). The wrist seals are mandatory as a primary and secondary (when using dry gloves) seal, and the cuff rings allow for any pull-over glove to be used, making dry gloves simple, easy, and very cheap to have and use.
4: P-Valve. On short dives, this isn't a big deal, but on dives longer than a few hours, or in especially cold water, it's a must for obvious reasons. I prefer balanced valves as you don't need to pre-load them prior to the dive when used.
5: Trilaminate socks, or Neoprene socks (absolutely NO MORE than 3mm thick). Trilaminate socks are by far the absolute best option. You can wear practically any boot or neoprene dive shoe or boot, meaning you don't need to go up in size ridiculously large, and can keep using your preferred fins. Trilaminate socks also do not "crush" your feet with increased water pressure during a dive, causing them to go numb or be in pain. This effect is most common with neoprene socks, and is one of the reasons why people avoid neoprene socks and just get boots if a manufacturer refuses to make or offer trilaminate socks (most manufacturers don't). If trilaminate socks are not available, then neoprene socks are the next best option (for durability and protection, as you eluded to in the video), however, can NOT be any thicker than 3mm at the most. Many manufacturers these days have resorted to simply sourcing their neoprene socks from a handful of chinese manufacturers as they're cheap, and as a result, they all have the same 5mm thick neoprene socks on their suits. A 5mm neoprene sock not only means you'll need to increase your shoe/boot size a minimum of 4 sizes (which is absurd), they will also crush your feet during the dive, causing pain and numbness. If you must use neoprene socks, 2mm is best, 3mm is the max thickness you should ever allow. If that is not an option from the company who makes your suit, just get boots. You can always have an independent drysuit servicing tech (like myself) change the boots for a good pair of socks later.
Other preferences include: Attached latex neck seal (never in my life ever tore one), brass zipper, large bellows pockets (rotated slightly rearward at the top specifically for sidemount diving (also just amazing for ANY diving configuration), neoprene neck dam, form-fitted suit measurement, "Y" pattern cut (arms NOT attached traditionally, but instead, the body and arms shaped like a "Y"), nice long telescoping torso (for ease of donning and doffing suit), internal suspenders, and heavy duty knee, elbow, butt, crotch, and shoulder protection (kevlar is a great choice if offered).
Thanks for all this information! Really appreciate it🙏
Funny story time: Ice diving in Ontario Canada with a dodgy zipper that I’ve been putting off replacing because of not wanting to be out of the water for an extended period. Halfway into my dive the zipper separates and opens up on me- about 8 inches of it. Ice water fills up my suit. By the time I’m climbing out at the shore I’ve got 20 lbs of water flooding my legs ballooning out my suit, shivering and mad at myself for pushing it and being bullheaded. Moral of the story: have 2 drysuits 😂 🥶
Omgggggg!!!!! That sounds awful (and dangerous 😬). I love that solution though. Those are goals 😆😂
Viking HD has been the best for me. Works perfect under the ice here in UT
I've heard of that system and know people who love it. Thanks for sharing!
Great video. I bought a Waterproof D7X drysuit year and half ago. Now since classes are slowing down I can finally get back to diving with it. Love it so far. Funny story. I did not realize my pee valve quick disconnect came disconnected when I put my suit on. So the nice warm feeling that I was not expecting inside my suit was a surprise. Lesson learned!
Nooooooo hahahahaha that's horrible 😂
I totally get the idea of wanting a blue Drysuit. My drysuit is gray / black but all of my recreational gear is blue. Last month I actually bought my closed circuit rebreather based on it shipping in a blue crate. Well one of the reasons lol.
hahahaha it's all about the color matching. Hopefully the CCR is a solid piece of equipment though 😆
I find it so funny that dive shops and certification agencies sell these drysuit certification from $270-560 cost. BUT most want you to buy drysuit first. Then get the information you need to make a informed decision. Thank you for this video.
It's always good to ask around to people who are about your size and doing the same type of diving you want to be doing. Dive shops are limited to the brands they sell so it's a good practice to reach out to all kinds of sources for opinions. Glad it was helpful
When I got my DUI drysuit FLX extreme, a few years ago I felt it was the best scuba purchase I had ever made. Fast forward to 8 months ago when I started rebreather diving. I added a pee valve. Now that is the best dive gear addition that I have ever made 😊
hahaha good to know! I'm still a bit intimidated about that whole situation. We'll see what I end up doing...
I love my DUI FlexExtreme! It’s always fun getting into the suit especially getting my head w all my hair through. So many funny stories!
And you look damn good in that skull suit!
This was awesome and really helpful for me so thank you. I spoke to Jack a couple weeks back and I’m looking to transition to dry since my cave dives are hitting the 3hr mark. Loved the tour.
Yeah!!! It's a game changer. Stoked for you 🤙
Glad your enjoying the dry diving!
Just got my second drysuit this past week (upgraded to an otter, phenomenal quality and fit). Went with big pockets, p valve, Kevlar overlay, sock and rock boot.
I had a dui tls350 custom that I put about 1200 dives on that was just no longer waterproof. Great for the first few years, then I’d be damp after the dive. After attempting to get it serviced multiple places, it hasn’t been dry in a while so very happy to be back fully dry.
1200 dives is pretty good though! Glad to hear you got it sorted🤙
Great info! Thank you!
Thanks for watching and commenting. I really appreciate it!
Funny story for me: I went diving in my drysuit a few weeks ago and after using a drysuit for 3-4 months this year, I never forgot to zip my suit all the way....except for that one time. I only noticed after being in the water for 20 seconds that I was colder than usual and my legs felt heavier than usual. I returned to the shore and got out of the water to realize my legs were completely flooded and I had to take the suit off and turn it upside down to drain the water. Needless to say, I was done diving for the day. Good thing it was at the end of the summer so the water wasn't too cold - at 17 Celsius :) I've never forgotten to triple check my zipper being closed all the way since that incident :P
As for customization, I bought an add-on pouch which I glued to my hip myself. It's been holding on very well so far and I plan on installing a pocket on the other leg next summer :)
I agree with you that after having been diving dry for 5 months, I'll never go back to wetsuits again. The ease of simply taking the suit off and putting my jeans on right away is so nice! Not having to dry off and peel the wetsuit off is so much nicer :D
I know this will happen to me one day 😂😂😂 the triple checking is real, but it'll totally happen. Thanks for sharing!
I dive a custom Fourth Element Stealth 2.0 and I absolutely love it!!!
Nice! Love to hear it :)
my instructor had a "Bare Expedition HDC" for my specialty, it felt like a warm jacket. So i did go for a Bare. It is a thin one but a warm mid-layer under-suit does it all! :-)
Amazing! Glad it's working out for you
its my first video watching about dry suits you raise some good points, here in the uk especially winter it will be cold.
Good luck!!! Drysuit diving is quite the journey and so worth it 🤙
Had a dry suit with plastic zip for 6 years- no problems at all. Easier to use than the metal ones, lighter, flexible, no wax needed.
Glad to hear it! I just don't see them very often so thank you for sharing 🤙
Originally a WA diver, so dry all the way. I also bought a used suit, a USIA. Since then I've added pockets, silicon seals, seal rings, and a p-valve. I had to replace the zipper once but i also went with a YKK metal one. I've heard horror stories about the older plastic ones. They new ones are supposed to be really good, but I'm a tried and true kind of diver. Great video, thanks.
Thanks for sharing. Yeah there's just something about plastic...
I’ve been using Bare Dry suits for a number of years. Quite satisfied with them. They’ve got all sorts of different construction and material based on your needs. Worth looking into when shopping around for one.
Thanks for sharing!
DUI themselves don't recommend (and warranty) plastic zippers because they have reliability issues. I had one, it failed in 6 months (I dive a lot ...) but clearly never going back :)
Now metal zippers require more care, more delicate, and you need to burn the "hair" of the zipper with a lighter every so often...
For the boots, integrated boots also give you more control :) Which is nice (more mobility)
I'm so happy for you :) So many cool outlooks on your channel! I'm following eagerly ! Let me know when you drop by in Florida or Mexico
Great point about control with the integrated boot!
Hi Sarah! I'm really enjoying your content! Thank you for sharing so much information!
I started diving dry suits last year and for the first time in 21 years, I didn't have the cramps on my legs due to the water temperature (even at 13C).
I chose the stock trilaminate Scubapro Evertech Dry Breathable as an awesome and more affordable option to the expensive Bare and Fourth Element ones.
It has latex removable neck and wrist seals and integrated boots and is really comfortable. The legs of the suit are a little bit long, as I am Asian and have short legs but it doesn't affect my dive at all. For 2,200 bucks (Canadian dollars), I consider that this is the best deal I could get for the benefits and quality. Along with the suit, I also purchased the K2 Extreme undergarment but didn't have the chance to wear it yet. Waiting for the cold season to go for some really cold water divings.
Whenever you're in Ontario, come have some dives in the 1000 Islands region. There's lots of shipwrecks in this region (Kingston, Brockville, Prescott, Morrisburg).
Cheers!
Awesome! I will definitely explore Canada more when I have the resources to do it. So much great diving waiting there.
Hi Sarah! I just got certified in my new Santi tri-lam custom drysuit. I have had only 5 dives in it so far, and seem to be getting the hang of things. We had some warm weather last weekend, so I decided to go ahead and dive wet again - and whoosh, did I regret it almost immediately as the cold water penetrated the neoprene. Diving dry is SO MUCH better. I am taking a minute getting used to feeling like a I am wearing space travel garb - definitely not form-fitting like a wetsuit, and yes the dang pockets are huge! 😂 they will fit lots of stuff though. Hope to dive with you if you get to the Great Lakes one day!
Amazing! And totally - wetsuits are now only for the tropics 😆
If dry suit...only one choice...Santi...👉🇵🇱🏆🤩 nothing else, especially for Ladies...fancy selection of colours and perfect cut...
Thanks for sharing!
Never Jump into the water with a dry suit! But having said that Diving dry is like Diving with pajamas with footsies!
It's honestly the best.
@@AzulUnlimited couldn’t agree more! The only thing to make it more comfy is coffee and a fireplace! If we could only change physics lol
Thanks
Thank YOU for watching 🤙
Thank you for a great video, you’ve gained a sub! I am a dry suit diver myself, I am on my second trilaminate suit, but have yet to try a custom one. I too am contemplating the pee-valve vs diaper route and have a hard time making up my mind.
Thanks so much and welcome to Azul Unlimited! I think for the male anatomy, you'll do fine with the pee-valve (unless you don't want to get one installed in your suit). If I need to go that route for longer dives (like in caves) I will probably go diaper just because pee-valves are a pain in the ass for women.
Hello shara i use a DUI YUKON love it
Yeah buddy! Glad to hear it 🤙
My wife and I are currently looking for drysuits right now. It was awesome to see you diving in Puget Sound where we live. We have dived Octopus Hole a number of times. If you make your way back to Puget Sound and are looking for some places to go, we can steer you in the right direction. I have 3 videos of my favorite places I dive here. You can just click on my name to see those. Keep up the great videos.
Amazing! Thanks for that. I'll definitely be back 🤙
Hi Sarah. I had a 5mm neoprene drysuit as my first suit. I went to the manufacturer (OThree in southern UK) and they adapted an off-the-peg suit at no extra cost. So it was relatively cheap and fitted well. If you have the option of visiting, as you did, I'd highly recommend it so you can talk through options and make sure you're getting a suit that will work with your undergarments and give you freedom of movement without excess air space. My second suit, from the same source, was a crushed neoprene 1.8mm custom and it's fabulous. Somehow it's warmer, less bulky and more flexible than the old one and a lot less floaty. Both suits have neoprene seals and I have never had a leak through them in 200 dives, but I see the attraction of yours and being able to change them out if you do get a tear. Front-entry suits are great!
I can't speak highly enough of dry gloves. I have Kubis on my custom suit and they are brilliant. If it's going to be cold, say
Yeah I use my pouch for all that big stuff so the big pockets bug me 😂 personal preference for sure 😆 thank you for sharing your experience with neoprene suits. I don't see a lot of people diving them on the west coast so that's helpful 🙏
@@AzulUnlimited My current one actually behaves much like a tri-lam. The main difference is that it can be quite close fitting because it stretches enough to get the diagonal zip over your head, while a tri-lam usually needs a bit of concertina-ing at the waist. Dive safe, and warm!🙂
A drysuit is next on the list
You absolutely will not regret it 👏
Italian Rofos dry suit for me !😉
Great! Haven't seen them in action but I'm sure they're great 🤙
If and when you decide to go down pee valve road, contact Laura James in Seattle. She is the rep for a product specifically designed for women called the she-p
Nice! Thanks for the recommendation
Large pockets are a must, and I want bigger pockets than even the large if that was an option. But I will say that depending on how you dive, pockets are a wear item. My suit has about a year and a half on it, and I am already getting the corners of the pockets ripped up trying to squeeze through restrictions. I think I might have another 2 years before I have to replace the pockets.
Also while I like my pee valve, I don't like how large the OMS version is. I'm snagging it on things occasionally and it has a lot of exterior wear. I would want to see if I can get one of the new Dive Rite low profile valves.
Next suit I probably will get a similar suit with a few modifications. Shorter arms, while the length is perfect for gloveless cave diving, they are too long to put on dry glove rings. A couple of modifications that relate to my disability to control the airspace in the leg. And a custom nylon color path. Here in cave county red and blue are the common suit colors for KUR and WKPP. So those two colors are are out. The OD green I purchased was rare when I got it and now more and more divers are buying them. So I want something custom.
Thanks for watching and leaving such a thoughtful comment! Yeah, I'm mostly for the small pockets because I have my sidemount pouch for anything really large. Maybe you should go with the leopard print! :)
I’ve had about a dozen dry suits over the years all custom fit brooks out of North Vancouver all neoprene except for 1 Lycra that was not durable enough for Commercial diving all with relief zippers that occasionally we’d jump in the water with it accidentally left open, very cold the Pacific Northwest
ooof I can only imagine that moment of getting in the water and realizing the zipper is open 🫠
@@AzulUnlimited it’s amazing how fast one can get out of the water when that happens:)
Nice, my local dive shop is trying to convince me to buy a dui drysuit and buy from them.
They're great suits!
I've done hundreds of dives in Puget Sound; the first five were in a wet suit.
Brave soul! It's such a lovely place to explore.
IMOP about weeing lol if you need to go, Surface, or just go. Yea it maybe gross, but as a 30 year DM and 20 year military guy, what is truly most important? The Dive or gross'ness? In most cases the dive is not worth it, but if you're actively involved in a dive that means something for you (or in a cave, or decompression situation)....... Washing machines are a thing:)
hahaha after a year and a half of living in a van, not much grosses me out.
@@AzulUnlimited 20 years in the NAVY I’m right there with you!
A few more advantages of Neoprene would be their durability. A big reason why commercial divers use Neoprene is because it's bulletproof. They are fair less prone to holes then a bag suit. Here on vancouver island the shore diving can really put a lot of wear and tear on a suite. Not that I think bag suits are a bad option just more food for thought.
That's a great point! Thank you 🙏
@@AzulUnlimited no worries you have a good channel. Very informative and feels like adventure at the same time. I'm currently working on building mine up as well.
@@unchartedodyssey Amazing. I just subscribed. Good luck with it!
@@AzulUnlimited likewise!
Dry suit diving is the only way to dive in the Pacific. I'm in California too and I get nightmares thinking about waddling to Point Lobos in my 7mm. Plus, I have redundancy should my wing fail although I do have a redundant bladder with my Razor sidemount.
Dude. I will never dive my 7mm in California again😂
How much would a complete set of seals cost to have as spares? Have you ripped one yet? I remember trimming my neck seal on my kayaking top and it made it prone to ripping if you don't trim it just perfectly. Anyone else had this issue? I always have to trim my neck holes, lol.... My neck must be larger than most.
I haven't ripped a set yet. The silicone zip seals with DUI are 150 for the neck and 110 for the wrists. I have one set of backups and yes, you do need to make sure you cut it properly so you don't have edges that could rip.
You should try the White's / Aqualung drysuits!!!
Thanks for the recommendation!
@@AzulUnlimited I started with a DUI dry suit (not customized cut :( ) and the experience with the interior air presence was not the best; so, I decide to get a Whites fusion One and so far after 5 years, I love the comfort and flexibility' of the suit! and it's just an entry level model.
Just have fun and be comfortable!
Not a dry diver yet, but I feel like at the price of all the different wetsuits if I need more than 3mm full and a 2mm top I’ll get the dry. Since I plan on working towards cave I’ll need it for that eventually too. When it comes to the drysuit diver specialty any advice for your viewers? Cheers!
Check out episode 1 of my DIVE DRY ROAD TRIP: th-cam.com/video/WKVIziXYxsQ/w-d-xo.html
Nice one!! so if i understand corrrect they provide the drysuit for free?? or you have to pay for it ?? actually i like more the red you have than the blue you looking for..
Oh I definitely had to pay for it but they have special prices to help dive professionals get into their suits.
@@AzulUnlimited well every little help counts.. But if they provided for free they don't loose much, they gain respect and future customers.. Anyways i like your suit
What model suit is that that you kept?
It’s the FLX extreme. It wasn’t made for me so it’s not a perfect fit, but I’m very happy with it.
Love my DUI drysuit, been dry for 15 years. Question...are those swords behind you? 😬
Hahaha yes, yes they are. I have awesome friends 😆
Do you wear drysuit and drysuit boots and undergarment and dive gloves and dive boots and dive hood and scuba tank and bcd and regulator to breath from and breath underwater with scuba regulator
Lol
🥰👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Appreciate you checking out my videos and commenting! Have a wonderful weekend 🤙
I only have experience of my buddy and I. Two people, hardly a wealth of knowledge. But I went with Fourth Element and my dive buddy went with DUI. I don't know specifics for my buddy, but I would have to say 9 out of 10 dives in DUI have been wet dives. He's not happy. He has sent the suit back, had seals replaced and still wet. I on the other hand, with Fourth Element, have had probably 10 out of 100 dives wet.... and for me, that is probably technique as opposed to quality of dry suit. Drysuits do require training and specific techniques to stay dry, but based on our experience, DUI would not be a recommendation. In my short experience, if you need something to really keep you warm, European manufacturers are where you really need to focus. They know how to keep you warm and dry. DUI is just not what they used to be. And talking to LDS's in and around Texas, they seem to send a lot of DUI's back to DUI. Fourth Element has just been a winner for me and I'll be sticking with them.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I haven't had any of those issues (and neither have my friends who dive dui). That's super frustrating though. I hope he finds a solution.
I bought me a 7 mil wet suit until my DUI comes in..month five..
Ooof yeah, wait times are unreal right now.
You are lucky with the pockets. Small pockets suck. You simply cannot fit a few items in, especially underwater with dry gloves. Also, pull down the telescopic torso and fasten the crotch strap before you close the zip. It should be easier and will place less strain on the zip.
I should've mentioned that I primarily dive with sidemount and use my pouch to carry everything I need. Thank you for the tip on the torso/crotch strap!
@@AzulUnlimited I would still keep them as when using your pouch, the pockets can be left empty and will reduce down to nothing when the pockets are like yours.
those seals (latex or silicon) need to be folder invard, same as neoprene neck seal if you dont want water ingress. All modern pee valves have one way valves and never had an accident even tubing got disconnected. Diapers are disgusting and an environmental hazard. Surce: got both them on mine (silicon, removable and p-valve).
Thanks for this. I use my seals the way I was taught by my instructor and haven't had any issues 🤷🏻♀️ as for the p valve, I should've clarified that the main gripes are from women on set up and use complications.
@@AzulUnlimited Some of my male friends have had problems with their P valve fittings, but I think they may have perhaps not been honest with themselves about the correct size of sheath. Either that or it's down to the low temperatures...
Oh lord 😂😂😂😂😂 I can only imagine. That's hilarious
Dui is Lost! Santi Diving is und je best!
I've had a good experience with DUI 🤷♀️