Agree with Paul. You could get a decent drysuit tailor-made from Hammonds Drysuits – just google Hammonds Drysuits and you’ll find them. Most important to get the right fit so you can move. My first drysuit was a bullet-proof Northern Diver crushed neoprene – lasted 9 years, but I felt I’d been starched every time I tried to move. Could hardly reach the auto dump. Now got a beautiful DUI, but they’ve priced themselves out of the market.

Word of warning on undersuits – because of where the shoulder dump tends to sit nowadays, the undersuit material often gets snagged in the dump and prevents it from working. A tubi-grip over the arm solves this. Definitely need to have proper training and practice in sheltered water.

Hi Peter,

We all have our favourites and as Paul says, they all have advantages and disadvantages and much is up to individual choice and preference. Neoprene tend to crush under pressure, which alters the buoyancy. I have a membrane and swear by it, but then others swear by their neoprene! I also use the Fourth Element undersuits (arctic and medium chill~can’t remember what they call that one!) They are great for keeping warm and they wick the sweat/minor leaks away from your body, thus keeping you warmer. When we dived Scapa flow last year, several of the group converted to Fourth Element undersuits! I also sleep in mine if I’m camping and it’s cold, so they are versatile and I’ve worn the vest under a shirt on a cold night out, but that’s just ME! As Mayday says, watch out for baggy undersuits (sometimes called wooly’s or weasels) as they can clog up your dump valve, but a pair of tights or crepe bandage can sort that issue.

Pockets on the legs of a dry suit are always useful, but bear in mind that velcro tabs are not very effective closures at depth as they crush and don’t maintain an effective seal, coming undone very easily. Zips or studs are better, but not very common on dry suit pockets! They often have an inner pocket behind the main pocket, the inner one being more secure. I wouldn’t store anything too precious in an outer velcro pocket is what I’m saying.

You need to be able to move easily on land in your dry suit, but too baggy and it will create drag and slow you down. It’s often worth trying different ones on in a shop and finding a couple you like, then trying to find a deal on line. You may find the same suit offered on line with a free undersuit etc. If you haven’t already done so, you should take the Dry Suit course so you know how to control your buoyancy. If you’ve already taken that (I’m not sure who you are from the post, sorry!) then bring it along to the Try Dive on the 20th and test it out in a safe environment. I won’t be there this time sadly, but Ian and others will be happy to help you out.

Happy diving!
Martin. Assistant Training Co-ordinator