from wonderful old neoprene drysuit to what?

[Vanny]

What happened to DUI, I've heard that they ran into quality issues, but generally their suits were lauded for excellent flexibility and better than trilam warmth.

From my point of view they were very good suits. I dived a thin neoprene dui for 10 years until the seams started to leak. The price and availability in the uk seems to preclude them. Even during our ownership (my wife had one too) the uk agent changed several times. I’m on my second O3 now and prefer in I can to buy British.

[Vanny]

The trend towards trilam for tec divers is that you dont have the issue of compression of the insulation at depth and the consequent buoyancy changes.

I much prefer my O'three Ri 2-100 to any suits I have used before. I am on my 2nd one after losing 1/3 of my body weight. Expensive but warm, dry and good customer service

They’ve fixed that !

https://www.othree.co.uk/drysuit-ran...-flex-drysuit/

[Paulo]

They’ve fixed that !

https://www.othree.co.uk/drysuit-ran...-flex-drysuit/

Must have been my imagination then as that is the same as 2 of my suits

[Slates]

I dive in what can only be considered Satan’s child by those DIR bunch. A neoprene suit and a Weezle! Mega warm though, and that’s without the heated vest!

[WFO]

Don't really see the point of this super thin neoprene, surely if it's only 1mm thick then there's bugger all insulation value in it.

[Paulo]

Don't really see the point of this super thin neoprene, surely if it's only 1mm thick then there's bugger all insulation value in it.

You would be surprised. The Ri 2-100 is miles warmer than the membranes I have used

[graham_hk]

Just a question out of curiosity here. I am still happy and warm diving in my very old Bare 7mm neoprene drysuit. It is comfortable, very warm and dry. I have had to put a spot of glue on one tiny leak after stretching and mashing SiTech rings on the the arms, and the soles of my boots are wearing away, leaving me repairing disappearing rubber. And yes, it is a chore donning and doffing the thing. ... BUT:
I have noticed after a couple years diving with a very technical club, that all my technical dive buddies complain of this leak and that leak and this failed seem and that hole in their extremely expensive top-of-the-line trilam suits (some even have 2 suits so they can continue diving when sending one away for repairs). My friend recently emptied a completely flooded pro drysuit - he was also electrucuted by his expensive undergarment - ha ha). On the very same dive, his buddy also experienced a failure of his electrical cable - a common topic of conversation amongst these tech-crazy divers. They all dive with electric undersuits because they get cold, and even with those, they often shiver on the boat after the dive. They ask whether I'm cold and I smile and shake my head - I'm a thin guy and can get cold easily ... when not in my drysuit. I stay toasty warm in 8C water on an hour long dive (though with deco and safety stops doing nothing but hanging on a line, it can get a bit cool).
My very first suit was a thin trilam light suit and it ALWAYS leaked. After a couple years I gave up on it and bought the current Bare neoprene suit and was shocked at the difference. For the first time I was really, really warm and dry! At nearly 200 dives on this suit, I still am.

So this leads me to ask why neoprene disappeared years ago? Does fashion rule in such a technical industry? Why the trend away from Neoprene? Why do trilam suits seem to be such a constant source of wet spots and cold dives when they're considered the de facto standard in tech diving? What will I turn to when my old neoprene suite finally dies?

Very curious of peoples' opinions.

If you're happy with Neoprene then I think you have answered your own question ...

I chose a trimlimate because its much more comfortable and flexible than any neoprene I have tried. Flexibility not just in moving around but also where I can take it since its light for travel and I can vary what I wear under it to be comfortable in any water temperature (-2oC to 39oC is my range that I have dive drysuit) - as for wet ... all suits will leak at some point - the trick is knowing how to find and fix the leak when they develop.

[MW1963]

The real beauty of a true 7mm neoprene suit was that it could always be easily fixed with the right kit of course, that could not be said of many membrane types.

[WFO]

The real beauty of a true 7mm neoprene suit was that it could always be easily fixed with the right kit of course, that could not be said of many membrane types.

bit of tape and 2 part contact? Never had cause to fix a membrane suit TBH but have done some adjustments and lots of new seals etc and never had a problem