Dry suits

[MikeF]

I’m in the market for a new suit. So what to get?

Otter appear to have lost the plot. Shit neoprene seals that are perished in less than a year, shoddy work, socks that leak, inability to read an order form and make the suit as requested. I’ve completely lost faith in them which is a shame as they were the go to suit for many years and always provided a good service.

Santi are on a forever waiting list and won’t fit Kubi rings to their suits and are exorbitantly priced.

So who can I speak to that are still making good suits and providing a good service? O’three?

[BcDiver]

I've always had great service from o3 and have had a couple of suits from them. I do find them not very flexible suits but practically indestructible (2-100). Anyone that I know who dives them also have been very impressed.

[notdeadyet]

Don't know what DUI are like now but mine has lasted 12 years and not showing signs of giving up.

[jturner]

I’m in the market for a new suit. So what to get?

Otter appear to have lost the plot. Shit neoprene seals that are perished in less than a year, shoddy work, socks that leak, inability to read an order form and make the suit as requested. I’ve completely lost faith in them which is a shame as they were the go to suit for many years and always provided a good service.

Santi are on a forever waiting list and won’t fit Kubi rings to their suits and are exorbitantly priced.

Re Santi, have you checked recently? I'd heard it was getting better. As for the price, if you buy a Rolls Royce, you don't expect it to be cheap. Santi market themselves as a premium brand, so... As for the Kubi rings, their own ring system is pretty damn good, so why would they sell someone else's? I think they can fit them locally if you ask (speak to Will at Divemaster Scuba Notts).

So who can I speak to that are still making good suits and providing a good service? O’three?

O'Three and Fourth Element I'd suggest are worth a look. That UK support is nice.

[MikeF]

My DUI has started to leak and gone a bit tight. But otherwise a great suit but last I checked they make Santi look cheap. I specced up my cf200 and it’s now £3800 for a standard size large! They’re clearly on drugs

I have a Santi as well but it’s coming to end of life as I’m at the chasing leaks stage. When I got it they were not much more than grand, now it’s well over 2. I could live with that but if I’m buying a RR and want it in pink I’m pretty sure RR would paint it pink. Lexus markets itself as a premium brand but it’s still a Toyota…I’ve done more repairs to my Santi suit than any other suit I’ve ever owned.

The only suits I’ve had that never leaked were an old ND 5mm compressed and an othree Ri2-100. The last ri2-100 i had was a bit stiff compared to a cf200. And the ND had to be folded with a cricket bat.

The othree 9090 suit is nice but fragile.

I was going to just order an otter but I don’t know if they have been having temporary difficulties and are now sorted or just don’t care anymore. Last time I called in I’d driven from Aberdeen as I needed to get a suit fixed in a hurry, I was the only customer and left feeling like I was interrupting something.

[notdeadyet]

My DUI has started to leak and gone a bit tight. But otherwise a great suit but last I checked they make Santi look cheap. I specced up my cf200 and it’s now £3800 for a standard size large! They’re clearly on drugs

Jesus I think I'll be taking a bit more care of mine then.

Otter wasn't great pre-covid, it's changed a lot since John Womack's days. I remember ordering my first Brittanic and walking out the shop with a box of stuff John gave me that he wouldn't take a "no" for and he still knocked about 25% off the RRP. It's a shame, like you say I would just have ordered a suit without even thinking about it but not now.

[BcDiver]

I had a cf200x a few years ago and it was a great suit, like wearing a tracksuit it was so comfortable and flexible but eventually the neoprene went porous and leaked like a sieve. Always preferred neoprene over membrane for the added heat. Price of all suits has gotten ridiculous when you count add ons.

[graham_hk]

Predator all the way. But to get the best out of a custom fit by Dennis probably worth a visit in person

[MinimalMayhem]

I love my predator suit and it has seen some rough use in five years and still okay. I changed to an O3 ri 2100 for warmth (and it is much warmer than the membrane predator) but I hate the floppy pockets and I'm not convinced about the neoprene seals they fit to kubi rings/sitech quick neck (have reverted to silicone for those and much happier and drier). O3 customer service etc. was good.

[MarkA]

My DUI has started to leak and gone a bit tight. But otherwise a great suit but last I checked they make Santi look cheap. I specced up my cf200 and it’s now £3800 for a standard size large! They’re clearly on drugs.

Where do people get their cf200x repaired nowadays? Was looking at getting the knife pocket replaced with a bellows pocket.

Mine went a bit tight. Too many pies for me. Loosing 15kg helped.

At that price it has to last for the rest of my life.