Predator Drysuits.

[Richard Mason]

Been thinking for a while about a new drysuit and have been looking with interest at Seaskin, offers all the features I want - the only thing that concerns me is the front entry zip, as everyone in my club with a self donning suit has had the zip requiring replacing, whilst my shoulder zip is still going strong and I've had it nearly 8 years now - only problem being that the bloody thing has shrunk. This is a real issue for me as drysuit repairers here in Aus are few and far between, they are all on the mainland, very expensive, (as is anything here with the word "scuba" in front of it or in the same sentence), and turn around times are often several weeks, so long term reliability and utility is very very important to me.

Saeed Rashid visited me from the UK in December, bringing his d/s, a neo Predator; he likes neo, I like membrane, he says tomat....you get the drift. Anyway, I was very impressed with it's quality, it was very nice, apart from weighing a bloody ton when wet.

I'm going off the Seaskin, purely for the potential vulnerability of the zip but I'm quite attracted to the Predator membrane suit, which is similarly priced but comes with option of either shoulder or front zip.

Anyone got any opinions on this suit, good, bad or ugly?

[Davwardo]

Hi Richard,

I cannot vouch for the membrane suit but I have the compressed neo suit and it's excellent. I can certainly recommend the quality and service from Dennis.

HTH

[jackdiver]

Hi Richard,

Have you contacted Seaskin and asked about the possibility of them doing you a suit with a shoulder zip?

Richard at Seaskin tends to be quite helpfull, so I'm sure they could sort you out.

Or you could always get an O3 ri...

[Woz]

ASk Richard nicely and he'll emboider dancing girls and stick a Superman cape on it if that's what you want. Rear entry suit should be no problem.

FWIW my rear entry zip has lasted 2 years and it's just started to break down the rubber cord.

[Sandman]

Get a Predator. You won't regret it. They are the best suits I've ever used. And hand made by Dennis Mears, he really does make each suit himself.

Cheers

[digital_steve]

Have you had a look at the Whites Fusion suit?

[ratcliffe]

The Seaskin neo suit comes with a shoulder zip as I have dived with a couple of people with them. I have only so far seen the membrane Seaskin with a front entry, but I am sure it could be done the other way if you asked nicely.
Drop Prometheus a PM, I am sure his Seaskin neo is a shoulder zipper.

[PaulN]

Personally I wouldn't go near predator after my experience with Denis although I do have friends who rave about the quality of suits that he has made. I ordered a made to measure suit in the 2nd week of January last year which I needed for an Easter (April) diving holiday. Drove down to the New Forest and was measured by Denis and told it would be ready in 4 weeks. After 4 weeks I contacted him and was told he hadn't started it but he would get it finished the following week. After several phone calls I was told the suit was finished and I could come to New Forest and collect it. The suit was huge and was totally unsuitable so Denis said he would make another but that I would have to wait another 4 weeks. After many phone calls the suit was actually finished a further 5 and a half weeks later just 2 days before I was due to go on holiday. I drove back down to the New Forest to pick up the new suit but when I got there it was so small I couldn't get into it. When I asked Denis what he was going to do he said there was nothing more he could do and he had lost a lot of money making me suits that didn't fit and suggested that I find an alternative supplier as he was going to take a break from making dry suits and would be concentrating on T shirts for a while.
I drove down to Weymouth and called in to O3 who took my measurements and produced an excellent well fitting dry suit just 4 weeks later. Denis can make good drysuits but he also can screw up big time.

I had to take my Easter diving holiday in my old leaking drysuit.

Buy an O3, Predator are just not worth the trouble.

Paul Nicholas