Santi drysuits - has anyone used/own one?

I hired an E.Lite Plus in France last year when I ripped the neck seal on my Otter. Used it for 4 or 5 dives and it was lovely - the material was very light and flexible and the cut very good.

If Santi did a drysuit with more hard wearing material (I'm a UK cave diver, so need something bombproof) and weren't so expensive, I'd be temped.

I think the general consensus is expensive but very good. I had a BARE neoprene and it was very good. I have a Santi undersuit and it is the muts nut - best by far IMHO. I have tried the Santi suit and it is worth considering. The Otter is very good, the Predator is very good and the Ursuit is also very good.

For just day to day diving the O3 range is not bad as well.

So much depends on what you need above and beyond keeping dry and warm - all of them do that; as do Waterproof, ScubaPro and many others.

I have an E.Motion Plus (slightly lighter weight and more flexible than then E.Lite you are welcome to have a look at. I'm coming vaguely your way (Cirencester) at xmas. I really like the suit, I've had it 3 years and it's going strong.

I think the general consensus on the last trip I was on was that they were expensive and not very good...everybody who had one on that boat said they wouldn’t buy another if that’s any help.

I have an elite. I’ve had more leaks in that one suit than I had in all my other dry suits combined (ND x3, DUI x2, O3 x 1, diamond x 1). It’s a nicely cut suit apart from the lie of the zip which is a bugger to get started but is far too fragile for me. It’s also worn through from my harness and santi wouldn’t supply me with any material to patch it with.

If that’s your budget range and it’s Trilam I’d look at otter. Search them on eBay as well as they do clearance there. Santi / bare are expensive and not uk based. See a couple of guys at Ndac with leaky Santi zips. That said I’m not yet convinced by the plastic zips at all.

I'm now on my third zip in this santi suit. The plastic zips are light and easy to close but don't last. I just got a metal one put in after being told that mine had lasted well at 4 years and they usually needed changing after 2 years.

compare the application list from the manufacturer


vs


its fairly clear which one they recommend for drysuits

I have a waterproof neoprene but it weighs 5.7kg and I just find it too heavy really. Now I am on the hunt for a lighter drysuit.

Disclaimer first - I work at the centre that is also the UK service centre for Santi but don't dive one myself (as I got an FE Argonaut years back and haven't needed to replace it). Consequently, many of my fellow divers use Santi suits and only 1 has had significant issues with his (but then he destroys drysuits on contact it seems - none survive long for him regardless who makes them). MrsT has an E-lite Plus and is very pleased with it. They're usually well made, fit very well and are dry. The material isn't the heaviest ever, so if you're planning on doing a b-boy battle on rocks, you might want to look elsewhere. For the rest of us though, it's fine so long as you are reasonably careful. I'm sure that there are others who have had problems with theirs but from my mates' experiences, I'd say they're pretty good and certainly above average. Worth the money? Probably.

[edit: FWIW, if my Argo got pinched or destroyed, I'd probably replace it with a Santi suit. read into that what you will.]

I have an eLite+ had it for nearly 18 months now, taken it to Egypt, Spain, Scapa and plenty of UK north sea diving, never had a problem with it. Would certainly get the eLite and not the eMotion for any UK diving, the eMotion seems way to thin for me. Never had a wet dive, worst I have had was a wet hip where I had not done the zip properly but that was user error. The fit its perfect, never had a better fit (and I've had 2 other MTM suits).

I also have the Santi heated gloves and vest, can't fault them! Only thing I wouldn't buy is the Santi battery, the 6ah is too small for any decent dive, and the 24ah is just massive and expensive, I use an Ammonite dual battery which runs my umbilical torch as well.