Membrane & Neoprene Drysuits - what's the difference?

[Noel Johnson]

Hi Ratbag,

DSMBs are used for pretty much all UK diving - I bought one on my first UK boat trip - and beyond. Myself and Dawn take a DSMB and reel each when we go on holiday anywhere we're diving. I had to launch in the Brothers as we were getting swept out beyond big brother in quite a high sea and it was the best way for the inflatable to find us - Quite exciting really and I'm bloody glad we packed them...

They are invaluable, get one and start practicing. I personally have a self sealing orange DSMB but you can get open ended (IMHO Avoid), self sealing (I think this is pretty much the most common), Closed circuit (Halcyon) or the Buddy one with an air bottle. All have thier pro's and all have their cons and there are probably better informed people than me to guide you.

HTH,

Noel

[Ratbag]

Cheers Noel,

Looks like another thing on the list to buy..

Diving Doc...thanks for the advice...what's DUI???

[Ratbag]

Bloody hel!!!!

Just googled DUI and saw some prices that made my eyes water!!!!

£1,000!!!!!! Is that correct??

I think I'd rather get hypothermia.....

[Mark Chase]

Hi welcome to the boards,

Dry Suits

I started with a membrane dry sit (Otterskin) and now I have a Neoprene Dry suit O3 5mm Neo. MSF. Both have ups and downs.

Personally I found the membrane to be dry and easy to live with but the latex neck seal was always very uncomfortable and very cold in less than 10c. The Latex seals were also fragile and a few splits cut short dive trips. I liked the Otter suit it was net and very light but I didn’t like loads of air in the suit so I was always a bit cold.

Sooooo seeing Rob Evans do a 120min dive in February in a Neoprene sit I thought I would have a go at that. The 5mm Neoprene MSf from 03 is very comfortable, it is MUCH easier to fin in than the membrane, its flexible so I can reach my valves easier than with the membrane and it is very warm. In the summer I use a forth element base layer in the winter I add a 200g Thinsualte and 2kg. The Neo uses exactly the same amount of lead as my old Membrane suit in the summer.

I dive mainly 40M - 60M range and I do 40min to 60min bottom timers with up to 2 hours 40mins in the water including deco and I haven’t felt any worse at depth in the Neoprene suit than I did with the old membrane suit so I think that the thermal loss at depth argument is exaggerated a bit. As for loss of buoyancy as you descend I again have never noted it as an issue. The Neoprene neck seals are warm and comfortable and my 03 ones have never leaked. I prefer Neoprene to membrane for wreck diving because I can invert fully in the neoprene without having to struggle to get back horizontal. I would say there are only two major down sides to Neoprene suits.

1: They are very heavy my one weighs 7KG
2: They can be difficult to get on and off

I doubt if I would go back to Membrane. I did consider getting one for Red sea trips in the winter but I took my Neo out this year and loved it so I wouldn’t bother now.

An 03 5mm neo is about £550 -£650 an Otterskin is about the same. They are both good suits with good back up service.

My advice is get a second hand suit first and try it. I paid £300 for the Otter and £250 for the 03 second hand. The 03 had only been dived 8 times. Loads of people get the kit then give up so there is usually plenty to chose from. ONce you find exactly what you want then go for a maid to measure replacement. I will get a MtM 03 probably in the summer

As for SMB's.

Get a red one
Get a self sealing one
Get a good sized one

I prefer to use the exhaust from my regulator to fill an SMB but there are many ways to do it. The secrete to SMB filling is get comfortable in the water first. I started by going negative buoyancy and kneeling on the wreck, then progressed to mid water deployment. Next thing is always be prepared to let it and the reel go. Most times the skipper will retrieve you kit and its not worth getting winched up to the surface for. Attaching you reel to the wreck is a great idea if you can find a suitable anchor point.

Best thing is go to Stony and practice practice practice.

ATB

Mark Chase

[Diving doc]

<font color='#728FCE'>Ratbag, yep thats about right for a DUI, told ya it would scare ya!

Mark, funny thing about Neoprene vs. Membrane, I did it completely the other way round to you. Got a neoprene first and hated the weight, inflexibility of it (Body Glove insotherm) so went to a membrane (Scubapro). Now I wear the neoprene in the winter and membrane in the summer....best of both world but damned expensive and plays havoc with your weighting!!!

[Mary]

<font color='#F52887'>and just to confuse things a little more..........

I have a membrane suit which IS slightly stretchy, unlike most. Also if you go the MTM route then it is possible with some makers to have neoprene seals (warmer, less painful, and won't split like Mark says) put on a membrane suit (which in retrospect I wish I had done &nbsp

I would have to agree if you can find a decent suit secondhand then go for that, use it for a bit (either until you are feeling flush again, or until you start getting damp) by this time you might have your wishlist for what you want in a suit and won't end up making an expensive mistake. HTH

[Snash]

another thing to consider to add to the confusion

is how do you do your diving topside &nbsp;

..by this I mean a lot of my diving involves long passages in RIBs and therefore I really appreciate the comfort that a membrane suit brings topside when worn for a long time.

Not to mention ease of getting out of it for pee-stops, lunch stops and the fact that whilst not sartorially elegant dossing around in a wooly bear during surface intervals is a lot more comfortable than just a pair of my grandads thermals.

Horses for courses, I know, but if I was just diving sarf coast hadboats as opposed to RIB trips (expeditionary type diving) when I came to change suits, it would play an influence in the decision making.

Simon

[Helen F H]

<font color='#000080'>Denney Diving

Try here for some cracking deals. &nbsp;I get all my gear from Chris.

[Jules]

just to add to all the wisdom above, get a decent SMB and practice practice practice, one day it will save your life or just makea dive a lot easier. The skipper will thank you. I only bought a small cheap one and having seen the ones the juz and Janos have i am getting one of those soon

jules.

[Simon A]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Mark Chase @ Mar. 12 2004,19:10)]I will get a MtM 03 probably in the summer

Mark,
If your serious about this, your best bet is to ring them up and put a deposit down now.
I was down at O3 yesterday (to get some braces put in my MSF500 custom, the nice people didnt even charge me for them) and the earliest cutting out date is mid May, with delivery 2-3 weeks later.
I made the mistake of ordering at the end of the dive show in Nov and the wait was 4 months!
Also once you have booked the date, you dont actualy have to make up your mind what you want/get measured up, until the week before they start cutting out.

Regards
Simon A