Drysuits come in two types of material: neoprene and membrane. This is the first decision you’ll have to make when looking for a suit. Many people will tell you that one is better than the other, but it is largely a matter of preference. Both materials do their job well, although neoprene tends to have a degree of natural insulation built-in, which means you don’t have to wear as many under-garments. Because membrane suits are exactly what they sound like (a thin, yet extremely strong membrane of material), you need to wear more clothes underneath to keep warm.
A neoprene suit needs to fit you quite snugly around the legs and hips, but have a bit more give around your upper body and arms, as you need to have flexibility to move. Membrane suits don’t need to fit so snugly, as they are like a ‘sack of potatoes’ around your body! However, they shouldn’t be too big or too small, otherwise you will have problems with either movement or too much air in the suit.
Make sure when you try on a suit that you move around in it to test its flexibility. Two things that you should definitely do are to squat down in it, and also pretend you’re climbing a ladder (both arms above your head, one knee raised quite high). These two positions let you see the suit being compressed and stretched.
Once you’ve decided which material you are going to have, then you need to look a little closer at the details:
- The Zip – This is the most important part of the suit, as it is what primarily keeps you dry! It is also the most expensive part of the suit to replace if it is damaged or worn. I would strongly recommend paying £20-£30 extra for a heavy duty zip if it is not fitted as standard.
- Seals – Latex seals are easier to get into, as well as being cheaper and easier to replace. However, neoprene seals are much more robust, are more comfortable and are less likely to irritate your skin.
- Inflater valve – Make sure you can reach your inflator valve easily when wearing a BC. Most manufacturers position their valves in the centre of the chest area to make sure a jacket doesn’t hide them.
- Exhaust valve – There are two types. Cuff dumps are located near the end of the arms, and are idiot-proof, although they do dump air every time you raise your arm, if you want it to or not. Auto-dumps are located near the shoulder, and can be tuned to dump air at a pre-set rate, and can also be refined underwater. They also have an over-ride mechanism that allows you to dump air manually. Auto-dumps are by far the more popular valves these days.
- Padding – Look out for extra protection at places of greater wear, such as knees, shoulders and bum!
- Extras – Some manufacturers will offer extras, such as different types of pockets, a pee-zip (for the lads only – sorry ladies!), different colours etc. Check carefully what you get as part of the standard suit, and if any extra’s are actually worth it. It is worth remembering that you can always add things like pockets at a later date when you have a better idea of what type of pocket you need and where the best place to position it would be.
Take heed of the advice of the staff in dive shops, but don’t treat it as gospel. If they’ve only one type of suit in stock, go to another shop so that you have a chance to try on a variety of suits. Let them know your budget and experience level, but don’t be pushed around!
So go to your local dive-shop, or visit some of the websites below and see what you can pick up!
NOTE: this list is by no means exhaustive, but is just a reflection of the major suit manufacturers out there. Some dive shops may not stock certain makes, so contact the distributor to find your nearest dealer.
A lot of companies (most notably Northern Diver) have clearance suits, whereby a customer has ordered a custom-made suit, but their measurements were wrong or the customer just cancelled the order. This means you can pick up a fairly expensive suit for a very good price – often less than half-price.
Manufacturer contact details
O’Three – www.othree.co.uk – 01305 776754
Beaver – www.beaversports.co.uk – 01484 512354
Northern Diver – www.ndiver.com – 01257 254444
Oceanic – www.oceanicuk.com – 01404 891819
Otter – www.drysuits.co.uk – 01274 307555
Scubapro – www.scubapro.co.uk – 01256 812636
Seemann Sub – www.seemannsub.com – 01964 532202
Typhoon – www.typhoon-int.co.uk – 01642 486104
Training
Once you’ve bought your suit, you will need to learn how to use it properly. The club can run the BSAC Drysuit Skill Development Course, which covers practically all you need to know, both in theory and practice, about owning and using a drysuit. It is worth noting that if you ever need to hire a dry suit abroad or in this country then it is highly likely that you will be asked for proof that you are qualified to use a dry suit – just show your BSAC Drysuit SDC sticker!
Contact the Skill Development Officer or Training Officer if you are interested in undertaking the BSAC Drysuit SDC.