drysuits (again!)...

[Fi]

<font color='#736AFF'>I know there have already been a couple of threads looking for advice on drysuits, but I do have a shortlist in mind (although I do have an open mind and am therefore open to suggestions):

I have decided to sell my current Otter Hammerhead Pro suit (it's a great suit, but was bought off the peg and was really a man's cut). &nbsp;Now want a &quot;ladies cut&quot; suit. &nbsp;Also considering going down the MTM route if I can't get suitable OTP sizes.

I had more or less decided to stick with a membrane and had the following suits in mind:

Another Otter Hammerhead Pro (but this time MTM);
Oceanic HD400 Bias; or
NDiver Vortex

However, I also saw the:

NDiver CNX2-RI which I know is a neoprene suit.

All the above are around about the £425 or less mark and that is what I want to pay (which I know rather limits the options).

Do any of you have any experience of the any of the above suits? comments good or bad would be appreciated.

Also, I was just wondering, with the CNX2 being hyper-compressed neoprene just how much havoc is this likely to play with my buoyancy and finally - if I did go down the neoprene route - any suggestions re: undersuits (I currently wear a weezle extreme under my membrane.

Thanks v. much folks. &nbsp;
Fi

[Mark Davies]

<font color='#000080'>Fi,

I have had a ND Vortex for 4 years and am very happy with it. Mine was off the peg but fits very well and quite tailored with the elasticated waist. Plenty of room for movement. I couldn't comment on the fit for ladies, but if I remember right it wasn't a lot more to get one made to measure anyway.

The internal braces are useful and the neoprene ankles on the boots are quite snug and so prevent too much air getting into the boots and giving you floaty feet.

I've had no problems with it at all, except for a puncture hole which could of course happen to any suit. ND repaired it quickly and cheaply.

It's great value as, for around the price you're talking about, I got a good undersuit thrown in aswell.

When I was last there (getting the puncture repaired) I looked at their new Cortex membrane suit. Nice. It looked absolutely bomb proof; made from Cordura. I don't know how much it is but if it's not too much more it should be worth considering.

I havn't tried the others on your list so can't give a comparison, but I hope this helps.

Mark.

[parahandy]

Fi
Had 3 Northern Diver neoprene drysuits,in the past .
Have to say not very impressed with the customer service these days, and in my opinion they are a bit on the expensive side on repairs.
Hence now an Otter convert, always a positive experience dealing with Divers Warehouse.    As regards the pros and cons neoprene re Membrane I prefer the membrane, even after diving for years in a neoprene, if you go down the neoprene route one of the weezles will do fine think they do a compact one ideal for neoprene.

[Doug Parker]

I'm about to go the Otter way. &nbsp;I currently have a year old N/D neoprene suit and they've had it there more than i have, it's been back that often. &nbsp;Don't get MTM because they can't read measurements in metric or imperial and if you ask for extras like pockets, you'd better go to the factory and choose the pocket and stand behind them as they put it on for you otherwise it will be wrong. &nbsp;I wouldn't touch their neoprene suits with a barge pole (it would probably cause it to leak again) but while waiting for the suit to be made i borrowed a vortex from the dive shop and didn't have a single problem with it in the 3 months, yes 3 months i used it. &nbsp;Maybe they only worked on my suit on Friday afternoons before they rushed off to the pub.

[Lou]

Hi Fi,

I don't kow about the Hammerhead Pro, but my suit is an Otter &quot;Bliss&quot; made from their FLexi Skin. &nbsp;It was made to measure for someone else hence I got it cheap but the cut is nice and the material is much softer and easier to get on and off than the regular Skin. &nbsp;It still seems pretty tough though.

Lou

[Fi]

<font color='#736AFF'>Thanks for the advice/comments all.

Can anyone advise how shifting to 2.5mm hyper compressed neoprene from membrane is likely to affect buoyancy?

Thanks

Fi

[Mark Chase]

Hyper compressed neopreen will make little or no diference to your boyency. The suit is a virtual membran suit with some small thermal gain over conventional membrain material.

My old Otter Skin membrain with a wezel under suit was more boyent than my present 5mm Neopreen suit. I dont know what all the fuss is about personaly and i havent noticed any depth related boyency issues on dives to 60m.

As far as undersuits are concerned, the Hyper compressed suits will accept any undersuit so your old Wezel should be OK

ATB

Mark Chase

[Digger]

I've got to say, one of the best suits I've used for a while is the NDiver CNX I borrowed from a friend, closely followed by the 7mm neoprene NDiver suit I'm using at the moment. The CNX was virtually indestructible, I gave it about as much abuse as a suit can take, and it's now in the hands of a mate of mine who's very happy with it. I can only reccomend the suit. All the advantages of neoprene and all the advantages of membrane. What more could you want?

I see people ferreting around inside wrecks and holes in these thin membrane suits, and I just wouldn't do it. The neoprene suits are built to last, and will take more than a little bit of sharp wreckage to do them in. If it's just for open water, then OK, they're fine, but they don't stand up to the treatment my gear gets. I've had punctures, seams going, all sorts. And it's very hard to put a neoprene neck seal on a membrane suit.

[Dr Stevil]

Dive mag has reviewed a bunch of suits this month, Otter Brittanic comes out top
Chee-az
steve

[budgy]

Switching from membrane to compressed neoprene I needed more ballast on the weight belt and wearing the same undersuit I was a lot warmer.