TRi Lam vs crushed Neoprene

[Kidder]

I have heard a lot of talk on dry suits. It seems like crushed neoprene is better but pricier. Is this true?

[Charles R]

That is kind of like asking is Naui better than PADI it is all preference and dive conditions. They are warmer with less undergarments but they tend to compress like a wet suit with depth. they are more expensive seem to be more rugged in certain environments etc etc etc........

[medic001918]

Crushed neoprene shouldn't compress much at depth, but should be warmer than a trilam suit with fewer undergarments. The trilam suit is lighter though. A regular neoprene drysuit will crush at depth though, and you will have to deal with that issue. It all depends on what environment you're diving in and what you're looking for in your suit. I dive a crushed neoprene, well my fiance prefers a trilam.

Shane

[thesmoothdome]

Like medic mentioned, crushed neoprene, a DUI exclusive, does not compress. Here's a few points to consider when deciding on a material:

Weight: Tri-lam will be a lot lighter. Crushed neoprene is heavy and even heavier wet.

Inherent warmth: Without undergarments, crushed neoprene will provide a bit more warmth than a tri-lam suit.

Durability: Crushed neoprene is designed to be tough as nails. Tri-lam, less so. That doesn't mean you're going to tear a tri-lam suit. It just means, you have less of a chance to tear a crushed neoprene one.

Drying: With a tri-lam suit, you can pretty much wipe off water and excess moisture and pack the suit away. Crushed neoprene dries much slower.

Fit: Crushed neoprene will stretch. Tri-lam won't. This allows crushed neoprene suits to be cut a bit tighter and therefore, more streamlined.

Just a few things to consider. Truith is, neither is superior in all aspects. I'd prefer a lighter suit, but I used to be rough on my gear, so I always wanted the toughness of a CF200.

[texdiveguy]

I have a crushed neo dry suit....very strong and warm....though a bit heavy wearing on land and transporting.

[terrillja]

I personally have a hyper-compressed neoprene suit (7mm compressed to 2mm) It has been very durable, the only gripe I have with it is that it weighs a ton.

When I went to choose a dry suit, I wanted one that would last for a long time, and would be hard to damage, since it is hard to get drysuit repairs near me, and the hyper-compressed neoprene is a great suit for that.

I dive with a Bare XCD2 Tech Dry Suit

[Kidder]

Thank you for the replys everyone. I've got some decisions to make. It seems like the Trilam would be better if I was to only dive dry from now on. Summer through winter.

[medic001918]

Originally Posted by thesmoothdome

Like medic mentioned, crushed neoprene, a DUI exclusive, does not compress.

I don't think that the crushed neoprene is a DUI exclusive. I dive a Bare XCD2 Pro suit, which is a 2mm crushed neoprene. But the post that you wrote outlining the differences was great.

Shane

[Charles R]

Originally Posted by Kidder

Thank you for the replys everyone. I've got some decisions to make. It seems like the Trilam would be better if I was to only dive dry from now on. Summer through winter.

Thats the way I went!

[Kidder]

Originally Posted by medic001918

I don't think that the crushed neoprene is a DUI exclusive. I dive a Bare XCD2 Pro suit, which is a 2mm crushed neoprene. But the post that you wrote outlining the differences was great.

Shane

I agree Medic did an awesome job explaining. It would be a great post for anyone considering a dry suit.