Drysuit Front Entry Zip

A couple of questions for those of you who have a front entry zip on your drysuit...

Can you actually get in and out by yourself or do you still need someone to help you?

What advantages do you see in a front entry zip?

[Bob Cooper]

Originally Posted by Steve Robinson

Can you actually get in and out by yourself or do you still need someone to help you?

Yes!

What advantages do you see in a front entry zip?

1. You can actully get in and out of it yourself!
2. Zip is better protected
3. Suits with front entry zips tend to fit better.

Bob

[Col]

Yip, no help needed.
I can also have a pee without getting my suit off (no funnies please)
Don't think I would go back to having a rear zip.

[AMW]

I have both a front entry suits and a rear entry, the front entry is a membrane suit the rear entry is a neoprene suit. I tend to use the front entry suit for cave diving in the England and Wales as it folds up small and is easy to carry into the cave (more caving than in France). I can also take it on and of with out help no real problems. The only change I made was to replace the original silicon seals with neoprene ones.For cave diving another must have is a zip protection cover.

Andrew.

[Kent Tooling]

YES

I dont need any help getting out of my suit other than someone to tug the zip for the last few inches to open a bit more.

I would not go for a rear entry zip as i find the front one more comfortable to wear.

John

[Little Pete]

I can get into and out of my suit (PB expl) on my own but usually don't as it is a little bit of a struggle on my own and I'd rather ask for 2 secs help than stress the zip or suit.

But I do like front entry for the zip protection and such in water. Very handy.

Plus it looks very cool......rule 6 and all that

[Deck Bitch]

Originally Posted by Kent Tooling

YES

I dont need any help getting out of my suit other than someone to tug the zip for the last few inches to open a bit more.

I would not go for a rear entry zip as i find the front one more comfortable to wear.

John

all i can say is mark can u give me a hand 2 get my suit off i will give up now there so many funnies i can say ie so u do not like it from the rear u prefer to come from the front SUIT U SIR & U HAVE TROUBLE WITH THE LAST COUPLE OF INCHES AGAIN SUIT U SIR & OPEN U UP A LITTLE BIT MORE !THERE R SO MANY MORE M8 LOTS OF LOVE THE MAN (DECK BITCH)U KNOW U LOVE ME U THE MAN NO U THE MAN

[Paul Oliver]

Yup, i have a Northern Divers CNX2Ri front entry, and get in and out of it by myself all the time. I can do/undo the whole zip up myself but its a lot easier getting someone else to do the top few inches for me.

This zip is a bit high though for a pee without taking the top off so i have a pee zip as well, which is an outstanding investment

[Woz]

I can just get into my rear entry drysuit by myself. Involves alot of sweating and a few changes of elbow but it is possible.

Getting out of it, however, is even harder. But you don't find this out until you are in it of course then you have to wait for the Missus to get home and she laughs at you for being a sad git.

[nigelH]

Originally Posted by Steve Robinson

A couple of questions for those of you who have a front entry zip on your drysuit...
Can you actually get in and out by yourself or do you still need someone to help you?

I can get into and out of mine OK although I do have to keep the zip well waxed as getting it over the shoulder it tends to prefer to bunch up rather than slide. This is probably a good thing in terms of zip life expectancy. I like it as I tend to like to keep the neck seal off my neck until as late as possible (seasickness) and everybody else tend to be in mid-kitup when I want zipping.

There is the hidden advantage that if you do need to slip off to the little boy's room all the bits are hanging behind you not in the spash zone.