Buying Drysuit on Ebay

Hi Folks,

I've been thinking about getting a drysuit for diving the Gulf in winter and CA any time of the year. Temps will be low 50's minimum.

It seems like there are a lot of drysuits on Ebay and surely some good deals to be had. I just found out I'm getting a good tax refund so...

What should I look out for? I am a pretty average sized guy so I don't usually have problems with fitting garments.

What are good prices for trilam suits, crushed neoprene, etc. Which would be better for me and my conditions. I'll be mostly boat diving with it, so not too many rough shore entries.

Any feedback from folks who have used them appreciated.

Cheers

James

Here's one I am looking at:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...3671035043&rd=1

How much? It looks like it will fit my body - but of course, it's hard to say if the seals will need to be redone. I have skinny wrists. Should I just factor an overhaul into the purchase of ANY drysuit??

Cheers

James

James, as one who's owned 3 suits in the past.. :-) You said you have skinny wrist, then chances are either a dryglove system or a tuck seal would be better than a straight latex seal for you, though in 50 degree water, dry gloves could be overkill, a tuck type seal (where you fold the neoprene back into itself) may work, especially since latex seals are usually trimmed to fit the user. The neck seal on the suit is latex as well, so if the guy happens to have a thicker neck than you, you might be in trouble...latex drysuit seals have rings on them as guides for the owner to cut the seal down to best fit the user's neck. Trilam suits are great for packing as they're very compact, but you'll need to invest in more underwear to make up for the thinner material. I personally dive in a 7mm neoprene suit and even in BC winters, get by with a 100 weight polar fleece jacket, dri-fit shirt and trackpants.

My 2 cents...

Stu

p.s. Seals are about $100 to 150 to get redone....

Changing wrist seals for your girly wrists should not be that bad. A couple of seals and time for someone to install.

Don't forget to factor in some thermal underwear for underneath a trilam. They usually can run $200plus CDN.

The other thing I would do is check out the manufacturer website for a sizing chart and rely on that more than what someone has posted.

Bare makes good suits are reasonable prices. Canadian company.

And I agree with what Stu is saying. I have found that Neoprene wrist seals can leak at time when you are manipulating your wrists a lot on a dive.

Thanks for the feedback guys! I also found a set of DUI 200g insulation that according to the DUI chart should fit me:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...3671279665&rd=1

When I dove w/ Eric, he had the blue dry-gloves and he loved them. I think I would be interested in something like that, but probably wouldn't need them right away.

Cheers

James

James,

In the 1980s and 1990s I used several brand dry suits, especially for trips up north for fantastic British Columbia diving. Year round water temps of 45-47F !!! Canucks seem to favor the neoprene suits, even the thick 7mm ones accepting the loss of buoyancy at depth but requiring less underwear bulk. Problem I always saw was leaking neoprene wrist seals and even leaking neoprene neck seals, especially for photographers flexing their hands.....

I've had 3 Viking vulcanized rubber suits over the years and they were simply the driest...Easy to patch, too, but heavier to travel with. The latex hood on a Viking PRO or even older Sport models is an acquired art..Years past my head would stay totally dry making me the most comfortable diver on B.C. trips. In recent years I can't seem to keep the head totally dry (shrinking facial deatures with age? When I buy another suit I'll simply go with a detached hood with face and neck area smooth skin to mate with the neck seal.

Second choice would be Andy's brand tri-lam suits. Great qualty for the money, same Sitech low profile exhaust valve and available in different materials and zipper placement. Standard type BC inflator, too so you will be able to find a spare hose anywhere. Their cordura material is really soft! The DS3 model is also a self donning front zip up high across your chest. I firmly recommend a zipper up high to keep more grit, etc. out of the most expensive thing to replace on a dry suit, the zipper.... You do need good underwear for any tri-lam and vulcanized suit to stay warm. Even the lowest priced Andy's DS1 back zipper which curves around your shoulders is a great suit.

Finally, I'm not a fan of neoprene due to seams eventually leaking, longer drying time and being more difficult to patch in the field. A vulcanized or even tri-lam can be patched with duct tape and you still can keep diving!

Happy shopping!

David Haas

I've got a Gates trilam, most of the guys I dive with have either Mobby's shell suits (2 pieces, inner dry suit, outer cordura shell that allows you to replace just the outside as needed) or Viking vulcanized rubber suits. Bare does indeed make nice suits, although I haven't met anyone who's had one a long time.

One feature that I like about trilam suits is that I can adjust from wearing shorts and a tshirt to something as heavy as a polartec suit and long underwear to adjust to different water temps. One of the more "unique" divers I know who does a significant amount of deep diving with a rebreather wears a rubber suit with a wetsuit underneath it in lieu of polartec. He claims that it keeps him insulated even when the suit leaks (which is bound to happen occassionally).

I did two 40 minute dives last weekend in 41F water and was comfortable. I recently got a set of the SITECH dry gloves (the blue ones), and although I had a problem with one leaking due to user error on my first dive with them, I highly recommend them.

One other note, I tried a built-in dry hood as David described and found that it leaked too much for my liking, maybe due to my beard. I have since removed the hood and switched back to a wet hood with no bib and have been quite happy with that. One of the guys I dive with uses both a wet hood and a dry hood. The dry hood theoretically keeps out the water, while the wet hood provides insulation even when wet.

I am not sure what it is with the neoprene suits and BC but they do like them. I actually have a brand new one I have never worn. For travel they just are not convenient due to drying time as David mentions and weight. And, like I said and David neoprene wrist seals for photography probably not as good.

As for the Bare suit I have had mine for about 8 years. Really no problems.

As for the dry gloves look up Skanna (spelling) Canadian one again that i was put onto by a friend. Same snapping gloves system like Eric's but for a lot less money. No difference. I would recommend you get removable liners in case of water as the non-removable ones take forever to dry. You can pick them up at your local marine store for about $12 bucks.

Here's the "base model" Andy's suit in my size, but w/ a melted neck seal:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...3672099079&rd=1

Cheers

James

james,

i have some friends that dive south aussie and they use the 4mm crushed neoprene suit made by Appollo and rave about them.The dump valve in the ankle is something they enjoy.They might be worth a look.

Steve

James;

I dive year round here in fungus-corners aka Puget Sound in a drysuit.

I've got several hundred dives on a Mobby's tri-lam and like it except for all the stupid velcro ties and stuff. What happens on older suits is that the fabric just gets brittle and starts leaking big time.

For your use a tri-lam is fine, neoprene is over-kill. I would either go with all latex or latex wrist and neoprene neck seals.

This is an item you may want to buy from your LDS for fit and service, IMHO.

Buying used drysuits is sort of like buying on the installment plan. I've seen several folks try it unsuccessfully, as you usually need new seals, then boots, then you're fixing leaks, then new boots, and finally a new zipper - which is where you say it's not worth it and spend the money you should of spent the first time around.

The Andy's suits are good, but I just bought a new one from Northern Divers that seems very tough called a Cortex. In fact supposed to be in today or tomorrow.

Bare is so-so, cut can be a little weird and quality up and down.

Jack

I live in Sweden, and have been using drysuits for 15 years...

1) Get a suit that is a dry shell only - no insulation - and let that shell be in a material that dries quickly. That's very practical when travelling/packing the gear.

2) Keep your hands and head wet. It's warm enough for you, and much more practical.

3) Latex seals easily fits all size necks and wrists, and/but you need to replace them now and then (not a big deal).

4) Replacing a zipper is expensive. Make sure the suit you buy has a zipper in good condition.

5) Make sure the boots fit your feet!

/Anders

This is an item you may want to buy from your LDS for fit and service, IMHO.

Yup. Mine should have fit perfectly off the rack, but it didn't. Pay the extra $100 and get a custom fit. Plus, mine has already been back for free seal replacement.

I wouldn't buy a used drysuit I couldn't try on.

I don't like the placement of the valve that high up on the shoulder on the one you are looking at.

Which one? I linked to 2 suits in this post, a Mares and an Andy's.

Cheers

James

I've owned 3 dry suits. One O Neal 7 mm neoprene. A good suit but mine was a little to small so I sold it. One body bag, er trilam. I did not like this suit. Too much drag, too much weight needed, too much insulation need, too easy to get holes in it. I will have to admit the newer style trilams with the stretch material seem like a major improvement. They are lighter and dry quickly. I now use a crushed neoprene. Diving Concepts. Clearly the best suit I've ever used.

I like latex seals. Much dryer than neoprene and they don't get worse as they get older. They both last about the same with good care.

I recently got dry gloves. For any temperature below 60 degrees I consider them a must for UW photographers. Of course I have Carpal Tunnel syndrome which makes quite a difference.

I have seen three people on dive trips who bought dry suits on E-bay. They all leaked like sieves and were unusable. Add the cost of new seals into the cost of the suit and also having the test leak proofed. Which does cost. If you get a neoprene drysuit remember that the air bubbles will be crushed out of it after a number of dives. As I found out this is true of the polypropylene type underwear. That type will also degrade if it is put in a dryer. Something hard to avoid if you have a leak.

Look at DUI's new zip seals. Seems like a good idea to me.

The Bare drysuits do look like a good blend of reasonable cost and good quality.

1) Get a suit that is a dry shell only - no insulation - and let that shell be in a material that dries quickly. That's very practical when travelling/packing the gear.

I would give the same recommendation for a different reason. You can dive with less weight in a dry suit that does not compress because the volume of the suit is smaller at the begining of the dive. I dropped 4 lbs of lead when I went from a wetsuit to a crushed neoprene drysuit. Most people who switch to neoprene drysuits using end up using more weight.

I meant the Mares.

I live in Scotland and dive all year round and have owned 3 suits and dived in a few others over 16 years. My current suit, which I have been diving in for 2 years is a Poseidon Jetsuit TNG Technica ( http://www.poseidon.se/ )neoprene with neoprene cuffs and neck seals that fold in. It is a great suit, the best I've dived and photograph in.

Points to consider.

Never have a suit with an auto dump on the lower arm, always an adjustable shoulder dump to 'fix' your bouyancy on walls.

Dry gloves are very bulky in shallow water, you shouldn't nead gloves at that temp anyway, it's much easier to manipulate controls with bare hands.

Neoprene cuffs and neack seal keep your wrists and neck warmer.

Leaks happen, but a neoprene suit will keep you 'warmer' while you get out the water.

Only buy a second hand suit after you have test dived it for fit, leaks, comfort etc.

Good luck - selecting the suit that's right/best for you as a bit like "which is the best camera/strobe/dive site/......"

Regards,

Jim A

Hey Jame,

When you get around to getting some insulation you might want to consider SoftWear. I have heard a lot of good things about this underwear.

I used a 400g jumpsuit for winter and didn't like it. It was way too bulky and restricting. I then switched to 200 (double layer) fleece Actionwear by DUI for my winter diving and 100 (single layer) for summer. I love this setup.

Thanks Bob.

Well, I didn't get the Mares suit - I was outbid by $10. Someone bought it for $260. If it's really in "like new" condition, that's not bad at all.

Cheers

James