Mailing List Archive

Mailing List: techdiver

Banner Advert

Message Display

Date: Tue, 07 May 2002 13:45:48 -0400
To: <trey@ne*.co*>, <techdiver@aquanaut.com>
From: Capt JT <captjt@mi*.co*>
Subject: RE: drysuit answers
--=====================_1481494==_.ALT
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

I expected an email from you on this topic, so that puts me in a tough 
spot, who to believe.



At 05:37 AM 5/7/02 -0400, George Irvine wrote:
>JT, this is not the case. Look on the WKPP site and tell me my suit has 
>air bubbles. I can do anything with that suit. Maybe you should advise the 
>Navy SEALs why they should not use the suit I use. I can reach anything I 
>need to reach in my suit with C-4 under it, and I have significantly more 
>muscle mass than you guys.
>
>The correct answer is get a custom suit and learn buoyancy control. I have 
>four and they all work perfectly.
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Capt JT [mailto:captjt@mi*.co*]
>>Sent: Monday, May 06, 2002 6:04 PM
>>To: techdiver@aquanaut.com
>>Subject: drysuit answers
>>
>>I have had a lot of emails over the drysuit statements. Below is compiled 
>>emails from the VBtech list over the drysuits. Hope this helps everyone 
>>with their questions.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>The self donning with the telescoping torso causes to many air pockets 
>>>and is only there  because it is needed for you to get into the suit, it 
>>>does not stretch. I do believe he said the TLS 350 also wears out 
>>>extremely fast.
>>>
>>>Andy's is making a DS that is much to what everyone really needs, self 
>>>donning, stretchable, in a shell that is durable. Dave Dalton has one 
>>>and so does Todd, but theirs have not had the upgrades of the new ones 
>>>coming out, if I remember right.
>>>
>>>I have a neoprene suit that is cheap one, but now that it has been down 
>>>to 400ft a bunch of times it is a high dollar crushed neoprene 
>>>;-0  hopefully some of these others guys will answer about the suits, 
>>>they were there just like me.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>JT
>>
>>
>>JT,
>>
>>I suspect you're referring to the DS2 from Andy's.... diaganol zipper 
>>entry... no telescopic body.... Like I dived with y'all last year? I'm 
>>curious as I don't recall ever hearing any of the GUE/WKPP folks mention 
>>anything other than DUI previously.
>>
>>BD
>>
>>The TLS 350 is similar to what Andy calls the "Ultra",
>>his lightest material. I (and Todd & Allyson) have
>>the "Extreme" which is the heavier grade that Andrew
>>likes (but not the cordura, the heaviest).
>>The biggest problem he mentioned with the DUI is that
>>when you reach for your valves, the cut of the suit
>>restricts your motion (same for the DUI
>>undergarments). He pointed out that Andy puts in
>>panels under the arms and in the crotch as opposed to
>>the "rag doll" design of the sleeves on the DUI & most
>>others. This gives better freedom of movement. He
>>also said that he got Andy to redesign his diagonal
>>zipper so it terminates above the waist and doesn't
>>fold when you bend. He prefers that (the new DS-2) to
>>the DS-3 that we have, due to flex of the zipper when
>>doing a valve drill.
>>BTW, Andrew is GUE, not (as far as I know) WKPP.
>>
>>Dave Dalton
>>
>>I have the DUI 450 and noticed the following things in the class-
>>-When the backplate is in the proper position the telescope flaps stick out
>>and catches your long hose and light cable. I was wearing my plate way too
>>low and the belt was holding the "skirt" in and never noticed it before. And
>>when you have the proper amount of air in the suit (i.e. practically none)
>>the suit does not telescope. I know, I have one.
>>-As JT mentioned the armpits are cut like they would be on a shirt or
>>jacket, there is not enough material to allow reaching your valves,
>>particularly with the thick cordura the 450 has.
>>-With the backplate adjusted correctly DUI puts the exhaust valve in exactly
>>the wrong position, it impedes the left strap from getting on/off your
>>shoulder.
>>I suppose that DUI could add the material to the armpits to allow reaching
>>the valves, but this would mean dealing with DUI, and that would mean pretty
>>much not having a drysuit for a period of several months. But I suppose when
>>you are sending it back to get the various leaks fixed that DUI suits are
>>plagued with, you can have the mods done then.
>> From what I gathered the "dream suit" for DIR ocean divers would:
>>-Be of a stretchable fabric which does not absorb water like crushed
>>neoprene.
>>-Cut with panels in the armpits and crotch to allow reaching the valves.
>>-a diagonal self-donning zipper that does not go so low as to get stressed
>>when you bend over.
>>-Velcro seal bellows pockets on both sides cut so your hand can slip into
>>them without the top folding in, equipped with grommets for a belay line.
>>-An exhaust valve on the outside of the forearm rather than the
>>upper-outside of the arm.
>>-An inflate valve which has restricted air flow. This is for the event of a
>>stuck DS inflater valve or regulator and to keep you from putting too much
>>air in the DS to begin with.
>>-Hard boots with reinforcement where the top of the fin pocket rubs.
>>-P valve located on the leg more towards the inseam than sticking our front.
>>-Thinsulate underwear with stretchable panels in the armpits and crotch
>>(thinsulte does not stretch) or perhaps development of stretchable
>>thinsulate.
>>The goals are:
>>-To be able to reach your valves with no air in the suit.
>>-To be streamlined yet flexible.
>>-To be easily purgable in the correct (horizontal) position.
>>-To have large, easy access pockets on both sides.
>>Currently this suit does not exist. The folks with the cheapest DUI 200
>>(i.e. The model without the telescope) seem to come closest to the ideal,
>>near as I can tell, if you get the purge valve in the right place and the
>>correct pockets installed. The Andy's have the crotch and armpit panels but
>>you have to have a fair amount of drag-producing trilam material to allow
>>you movement and their pockets suck.
>>But if I were about to drop 2 large on a drysuit I would try to find one
>>which incorporates as many of the above features as possible, with the
>>number one priority of being able to reach your valves with no air in the
>>suit.
>>I may have missed something here or not interpreted correctly, gang please
>>correct me where I am wrong.
>>Jim Cobb
>>Andrew is not a supporter of DUI DS, his preference is Dive Concepts in
>>California and Andy's.
>>I have a DUI CF200 with the telescoping body. I asked him about the DS and
>>the only bad thing, which we all know, is the absorption of water and time
>>to dry. It does not develop the folds as the Trilamines do. It is more
>>durable then the type trilamines. He stated that two divers, same setup and
>>scooters, the crashed neoprene will slowly walk away from the trilamine.
>>Crashed Neoprene down side again is weight and time to dry especially if you
>>are traveling.
>>The Andy's suit is, DS2 with the Ultra or Cordura. There a modification to
>>the DS2 zipper placement cutting higher on the body instead of the
>>traditional lower on the right side.
>>The important part to all this is movement or motion. As one raises the arm
>>in both the undergarment and DS w/undergarment, the restriction of the
>>movement is the issue under the arm pit. That is wear the stretch points and
>>restriction in movement occurs. The ability to reach the valves. (See David
>>Dalton comment on the panel - important to relieve the restrict issue.)
>>Dive Concepts sound as if they are building a DS to order with important
>>mod's and improvement. Several reference to them but more the Andy's. I
>>think because he is on our coast and general neighborhood.
>>David Widen
>>
>>Andrew really liked the Andy's suits. The only thing Allyson and I didn't 
>>get on ours was the new diagonal zipper that Andrew got Andy to add. Ours 
>>are the DS3s with the zipper that goes straight across the front.
>>The sleeve sort of telescopes over the seal so you don't put pressure on 
>>the wrist seal when you reach for your valves, etc. The material is 
>>heavier than the TLS 350, but it still is very flexible. It has a sort of 
>>panel built in under the arm that allows some stretch (same with the 
>>legs) and it comes stock with the SI Tek valves. It also has a nice slim 
>>boot (Andy calls it the tech boot) that fits perfectly into the XL 
>>Jetfins. There have been some complaints about the boots splitting after 
>>several hundred dives (Andrew does about 600 a year), but at least they 
>>fit the fins nicely. The suit is well made and has nice heavy duty latex 
>>seals.
>>Todd Claggett
>>
>>I forgot to mention that the DS2 zipper that comes straight down is not 
>>the zipper that Andrew recommends. He has apparently gotten Andy to make 
>>one that curves at the bottom, sort of around the waist a bit instead of 
>>just straight. It takes the stress off of the zipper and makes it last 
>>longer.
>>Todd
>>
>>I believe the key was that Andy's suits have a little extra material 
>>under the armpit to allow proper mobility i.e., reaching your valves and 
>>in the crotch area for proper kicking. The medium grade tri-lam is also a 
>>little more durable than the tls 350. Finally, the new model that Andrew 
>>called the 5th D spec. has a zipper that is self donning much like the 
>>tls 350, but instead of the zipper ending at the hip, it ends midway 
>>between the hip and shoulder. This puts less wear on the zipper when you 
>>bend over.
>>Tom Sawicki
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>"You can't learn to dive on the net, sooner or later you have to get in 
>>the water"
>>
>>Your Guide to Great Wreck Diving along the East Coast & more
>>  Web Site  http://www.capt-jt.com/
>>Email     captjt@mi*.co*
>>
>
>"You can't learn to dive on the net, sooner or later you have to get in 
>the water"
>
>Your Guide to Great Wreck Diving along the East Coast & more
>  Web Site  http://www.capt-jt.com/
>Email     captjt@mi*.co*
>

--=====================_1481494==_.ALT
Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii"

<html>
I expected an email from you on this topic, so that puts me in a tough
spot, who to believe. <br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
At 05:37 AM 5/7/02 -0400, George Irvine wrote:<br>
<font face="arial" size=2 color="#0000FF"><blockquote type=cite cite>JT,
this is not the case. Look on the WKPP site and tell me my suit has air
bubbles. I can do anything with that suit. Maybe you should advise the
Navy SEALs why they should not use the suit I use. I can reach anything I
need to reach in my suit with C-4 under it, and I have significantly more
muscle mass than you guys. </font><br>
 <br>
<font face="arial" size=2 color="#0000FF">The correct answer is get a
custom suit and learn buoyancy control. I have four and they all work
perfectly.</font><blockquote><font face="tahoma" size=2>
<dl>
<dd>-----Original Message----- 
<dd>From: Capt JT
[<a href="mailto:captjt@mi*.co*"
eudora="autourl">mailto:captjt@mi*.co*</a>] 
<dd>Sent: Monday, May 06, 2002 6:04 PM 
<dd>To: techdiver@aquanaut.com 
<dd>Subject: drysuit answers<br>
<br>
</font>
<dd>I have had a lot of emails over the drysuit statements. Below is
compiled emails from the VBtech list over the drysuits. Hope this helps
everyone with their questions.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<blockquote type=cite cite>
<dd>The self donning with the telescoping torso causes to many air
pockets and is only there  because it is needed for you to get into
the suit, it does not stretch. I do believe he said the TLS 350 also
wears out extremely fast.<br>
<br>

<dd>Andy's is making a DS that is much to what everyone really needs,
self donning, stretchable, in a shell that is durable. Dave Dalton has
one and so does Todd, but theirs have not had the upgrades of the new
ones coming out, if I remember right.<br>
<br>

<dd>I have a neoprene suit that is cheap one, but now that it has been
down to 400ft a bunch of times it is a high dollar crushed neoprene
;-0  hopefully some of these others guys will answer about the
suits, they were there just like me.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>

<dd>JT</blockquote><br>
<br>
<font face="verdana" color="#0000FF">
<dd>JT, <br>
<br>

<dd>I suspect you're referring to the DS2 from Andy's.... diaganol zipper
entry... no telescopic body.... Like I dived with y'all last year? I'm
curious as I don't recall ever hearing any of the GUE/WKPP folks mention
anything other than DUI previously. <br>
<br>

<dd>BD</font> <br>
<br>

<dd>The TLS 350 is similar to what Andy calls the "Ultra", 
<dd>his lightest material. I (and Todd & Allyson) have 
<dd>the "Extreme" which is the heavier grade that Andrew 
<dd>likes (but not the cordura, the heaviest). 
<dd>The biggest problem he mentioned with the DUI is that 
<dd>when you reach for your valves, the cut of the suit 
<dd>restricts your motion (same for the DUI 
<dd>undergarments). He pointed out that Andy puts in 
<dd>panels under the arms and in the crotch as opposed to 
<dd>the "rag doll" design of the sleeves on the DUI & most 
<dd>others. This gives better freedom of movement. He 
<dd>also said that he got Andy to redesign his diagonal 
<dd>zipper so it terminates above the waist and doesn't 
<dd>fold when you bend. He prefers that (the new DS-2) to 
<dd>the DS-3 that we have, due to flex of the zipper when 
<dd>doing a valve drill. 
<dd>BTW, Andrew is GUE, not (as far as I know) WKPP.<br>
<br>

<dd>Dave Dalton<br>
<br>

<dd>I have the DUI 450 and noticed the following things in the class- 
<dd>-When the backplate is in the proper position the telescope flaps
stick out 
<dd>and catches your long hose and light cable. I was wearing my plate
way too 
<dd>low and the belt was holding the "skirt" in and never
noticed it before. And 
<dd>when you have the proper amount of air in the suit (i.e. practically
none) 
<dd>the suit does not telescope. I know, I have one. 
<dd>-As JT mentioned the armpits are cut like they would be on a shirt or 
<dd>jacket, there is not enough material to allow reaching your valves, 
<dd>particularly with the thick cordura the 450 has. 
<dd>-With the backplate adjusted correctly DUI puts the exhaust valve in
exactly 
<dd>the wrong position, it impedes the left strap from getting on/off
your 
<dd>shoulder. 
<dd>I suppose that DUI could add the material to the armpits to allow
reaching 
<dd>the valves, but this would mean dealing with DUI, and that would mean
pretty 
<dd>much not having a drysuit for a period of several months. But I
suppose when 
<dd>you are sending it back to get the various leaks fixed that DUI suits
are 
<dd>plagued with, you can have the mods done then. 
<dd>From what I gathered the "dream suit" for DIR ocean divers
would: 
<dd>-Be of a stretchable fabric which does not absorb water like crushed 
<dd>neoprene. 
<dd>-Cut with panels in the armpits and crotch to allow reaching the
valves. 
<dd>-a diagonal self-donning zipper that does not go so low as to get
stressed 
<dd>when you bend over. 
<dd>-Velcro seal bellows pockets on both sides cut so your hand can slip
into 
<dd>them without the top folding in, equipped with grommets for a belay
line. 
<dd>-An exhaust valve on the outside of the forearm rather than the 
<dd>upper-outside of the arm. 
<dd>-An inflate valve which has restricted air flow. This is for the
event of a 
<dd>stuck DS inflater valve or regulator and to keep you from putting too
much 
<dd>air in the DS to begin with. 
<dd>-Hard boots with reinforcement where the top of the fin pocket rubs. 
<dd>-P valve located on the leg more towards the inseam than sticking our
front. 
<dd>-Thinsulate underwear with stretchable panels in the armpits and
crotch 
<dd>(thinsulte does not stretch) or perhaps development of stretchable 
<dd>thinsulate. 
<dd>The goals are: 
<dd>-To be able to reach your valves with no air in the suit. 
<dd>-To be streamlined yet flexible. 
<dd>-To be easily purgable in the correct (horizontal) position. 
<dd>-To have large, easy access pockets on both sides. 
<dd>Currently this suit does not exist. The folks with the cheapest DUI
200 
<dd>(i.e. The model without the telescope) seem to come closest to the
ideal, 
<dd>near as I can tell, if you get the purge valve in the right place and
the 
<dd>correct pockets installed. The Andy's have the crotch and armpit
panels but 
<dd>you have to have a fair amount of drag-producing trilam material to
allow 
<dd>you movement and their pockets suck. 
<dd>But if I were about to drop 2 large on a drysuit I would try to find
one 
<dd>which incorporates as many of the above features as possible, with
the 
<dd>number one priority of being able to reach your valves with no air in
the 
<dd>suit. 
<dd>I may have missed something here or not interpreted correctly, gang
please 
<dd>correct me where I am wrong. 
<dd>Jim Cobb
<dd>Andrew is not a supporter of DUI DS, his preference is Dive Concepts
in 
<dd>California and Andy's. 
<dd>I have a DUI CF200 with the telescoping body. I asked him about the
DS and 
<dd>the only bad thing, which we all know, is the absorption of water and
time 
<dd>to dry. It does not develop the folds as the Trilamines do. It is
more 
<dd>durable then the type trilamines. He stated that two divers, same
setup and 
<dd>scooters, the crashed neoprene will slowly walk away from the
trilamine. 
<dd>Crashed Neoprene down side again is weight and time to dry especially
if you 
<dd>are traveling. 
<dd>The Andy's suit is, DS2 with the Ultra or Cordura. There a
modification to 
<dd>the DS2 zipper placement cutting higher on the body instead of the 
<dd>traditional lower on the right side. 
<dd>The important part to all this is movement or motion. As one raises
the arm 
<dd>in both the undergarment and DS w/undergarment, the restriction of
the 
<dd>movement is the issue under the arm pit. That is wear the stretch
points and 
<dd>restriction in movement occurs. The ability to reach the valves. (See
David 
<dd>Dalton comment on the panel - important to relieve the restrict
issue.) 
<dd>Dive Concepts sound as if they are building a DS to order with
important 
<dd>mod's and improvement. Several reference to them but more the Andy's.
I 
<dd>think because he is on our coast and general neighborhood. 
<dd>David Widen<br>
<br>
<font color="#0000FF">
<dd>Andrew really liked the Andy's suits. The only thing Allyson and I
didn't get on ours was the new diagonal zipper that Andrew got Andy to
add. Ours are the DS3s with the zipper that goes straight across the
front.</font> <font color="#0000FF">
<dd>The sleeve sort of telescopes over the seal so you don't put pressure
on the wrist seal when you reach for your valves, etc. The material is
heavier than the TLS 350, but it still is very flexible. It has a sort of
panel built in under the arm that allows some stretch (same with the
legs) and it comes stock with the SI Tek valves. It also has a nice slim
boot (Andy calls it the tech boot) that fits perfectly into the XL
Jetfins. There have been some complaints about the boots splitting after
several hundred dives (Andrew does about 600 a year), but at least they
fit the fins nicely. The suit is well made and has nice heavy duty latex
seals. 
<dd>Todd Claggett<br>
<br>

<dd>I forgot to mention that the DS2 zipper that comes straight down is
not the zipper that Andrew recommends. He has apparently gotten Andy to
make one that curves at the bottom, sort of around the waist a bit
instead of just straight. It takes the stress off of the zipper and makes
it last longer.</font> <font color="#0000FF">
<dd>Todd<br>
<br>
</font>
<dd>I believe the key was that Andy's suits have a little extra material
under the armpit to allow proper mobility i.e., reaching your valves and
in the crotch area for proper kicking. The medium grade tri-lam is also a
little more durable than the tls 350. Finally, the new model that Andrew
called the 5th D spec. has a zipper that is self donning much like the
tls 350, but instead of the zipper ending at the hip, it ends midway
between the hip and shoulder. This puts less wear on the zipper when you
bend over. 
<dd>Tom Sawicki<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>

<dd>"You can't learn to dive on the net, sooner or later you have to
get in the water"<br>
<br>
<font color="#0000FF">
<dd>Your Guide to Great Wreck Diving along the East Coast & more 
<dd> Web Site 
<a href="http://www.capt-jt.com/"
eudora="autourl">http://www.capt-jt.com/</a> 
<dd>Email     captjt@mi*.co*</font> 
</dl><br>
</blockquote><br>

"You can't learn to dive on the net, sooner or later you have to get
in the water"<br>
<br>
<font color="#0000FF"><u>Your Guide to Great Wreck Diving along the East
Coast & more <br>
 Web Site 
<a href="http://www.capt-jt.com/"
eudora="autourl">http://www.capt-jt.com/</a><br>
Email     captjt@mi*.co*<br>
<br>
</font></u></html>

--=====================_1481494==_.ALT--

--
Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'.
Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.

Navigate by Author: [Previous] [Next] [Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject: [Previous] [Next] [Subject Search Index]

[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]

[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]