OK, How about Dry Suits?

[ScubaDo]

You'll also want to look into pee valves, unless you're good at crossing your legs. ;D

[Dewit2it]

My old suit had the relief zip which I was glad to have.  I could see where a pee valve could come in handy for tec dives. ;D

[Chris H]

One other thing that should be noted.  As far as I know, I have never seen an Atlan suit.  They are probably very nice, but if you purchase a suit and later decide you want to sell it, a popular name brand suit will bring a much better price.
I am astonished how much people spend on beat up old DUI suits.    If that isn't a concern to you, the Altan suit is probably very nice.    Bill has obviously seen them, and I think Jeff from Drysuits Plus has posted here on occasion.  Perhaps he could share a bit more?  Like I said, nothing against the quality of the suit, just another thing to consider.

[LKunze]

Rec dives too actually.

[arcFlash]

I'm down in High Springs FL (vacation) and yesterday at Ginnie someone was teaching a dry suit class and all 6 had Typhoon on the back below the zipper. I didn't talk to them and I don't know if they came from the UK to do class but I'd guess someone around High Springs sells a typhoon if your looking for one.

[Nordic Diver]

"I am astonished how much people spend on beat up old DUI suits.    If that isn't a concern to you, the Altan suit is probably very nice.    Bill has obviously seen them, and I think Jeff from Drysuits Plus has posted here on occasion.  Perhaps he could share a bit more?  Like I said, nothing against the quality of the suit, just another thing to consider. "

Yes i have seen them, i have been diving one for ten years. Purchased a new one last spring and retired the old one with well over a thousand dives on it. I see plenty of them every season on divers from all over. I have a good friend who is most likely one of the top cavers in Florida who uses one he purchased just for caves. The suit is tough as hell and unlike a DUI its not over priced ! Just under sold !

There are only three or four dry suits i would ever purchase, Atlan, DUI, Diving Concepts, and Henderson maybe Seasoft too because they make a good suit. I would & have allways dived both crushed and un crushed. The Bi -Lam & Tri - Lam suits i see allways end up leaking and they also add very little to the warmth factor.

It amazes me how people keep buying Dry suits that cost $ 2000.00 or more and then complain about the cost of equipment. But if you got the bucks to burn go for it, DUI makes a good suit too.

Capt Bill 

Bill@nordicdiver.com

[jmohns]

I have found a place in the Rockford area that sells atlan drysuits for around 700.00 They also have a local name that I believe is also made by the same company, it just has there logo on it. At this point I think neo is the way to go for me but I have heard some stories of there lack of longevity and their inability to keep you warm at dept. I think this is due to the neo crushing and loosing its warm value as you go deeper. Kinda like a wetsuit will do.... If you remember what a wetsuit is. I am told that once you go dry then you never go wet again, at least in these parts. This is not my plan but I need something that will keep me warm with the most bang for the buck. Will I need to consider undergarments into this purchase? If so what is the boards consenses? Again thanks so much for all of the good suggestions.

[matt t.]

A "regular" neoprene suit shouldn't need a serious undergarment. Any shell type suit or "crushed" neoprene suit will need a serious undergarment. If you look around a little bit and do some shopping, DUI suits aren't as expensive as everyone thinks. Their "list" prices can be crazy, but who pays MSRP for their car? Bare and Diving Concepts offer the best value for a name brand suit. If you don't care about names and are shopping based on cost alone check out E-bay, the GUE used gear page, The Deco Stop for sale forum, and the Cavediver.net for sale forum. There are a lot of decent deals out there if you know what you are looking for.

[josh b.]

DUI DUI DUI DUI DUI.  They are, if not one the the best.  The CLX 450 is a great all around suit, but if you're looking to do a lot of cold water diving, and want to wear minimal undergarmets, then go with the CF200 2mm crushed neoprene suit.  Zeagle also makes a trilam suit that runs around $1200 if not cheaper, comes with pockets, and has the soft crushed neoprene sole instead of the hardboots if you'd like to use the DUI rockboot system. 

If you're looken for REALLY cold water diving and liked the crush neoprene, then Poseidon would be the way to go because their drysuits go all the way up to 7mm of crushed neoprene.  They have the "U" style entry where the sipper starts at the waist and wraps around the head.


Check 'em out, read other forums on other sites as well to see what they say too.


Good luck

[jmohns]

Thank you everybody so much for all of the great advice. I will take it all into consideration and see how bad Unkle Sammy beats me up this tax season. Thank you for your time.