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DIR Kit questions Agonising over what to buy, ask other divers what they have done and what they have found. Bought something great or new - tell us.
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June 15th, 2007, 02:40 PM
| #2 (permalink) |
| New Member  Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Plymouth, UK
Posts: 580
  | Quote: (Originally Posted by Darren555)  Has anyone bought one of these recently? Ohhh yes and chuffed to bits with it.The spec on the website looks spot on but they haven't got any pictures and I cannot find any recent reviews. Cheers, Darren Myself and Brian A acted as guinea pigs for these suits. Basically we wanted a functional suit, without the DUI price tag. So we went down explained exactly what we wanted and needed. Then demostrated movement required type of fit (snug on legs, room in chest etc) and they made it! You can have standard drysuit boots, neoprene socks (like my regular buddy), or latex socks (as is mine). The variation are almost endless. The shoulder dumpwas moved back to allow horizontal ascent, pockets on sides not front etc. My suit has taken a battering ( I opted for lighter weight material), and its survived a hammering during winter diving (Crawling on the deck of the boat in big swells, crawling out over rocks in big swells, crawling up steps in big swells ..... there is a theme here). So yes I can thoroughly recommend them. 
__________________ I once enjoyed a sado-masachistic frenzy of total tintintabulation leading to a state of metampsychosis... or did I make that up? www.bananafrogcars.co.uk |
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June 15th, 2007, 02:49 PM
| #3 (permalink) |
| New Member  Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: london/surrey border, UK
Posts: 353
| Quote: (Originally Posted by Martin Burnard) Basically we wanted a functional suit, without the DUI price tag. i notice the price is £850 or £1600 for MTM  so it's not that far from DUI then - but if the stock size fits, then it does look like you'll save some cashvid |
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June 15th, 2007, 03:18 PM
| #4 (permalink) |
| Can't remember  Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Exeter - Team of 1
Posts: 263
| Quote: (Originally Posted by Martin Burnard) You can have standard drysuit boots, neoprene socks (like my regular buddy), or latex socks (as is mine). The variation are almost endless. They are also doing a membrane sock, which I now have. They got the neoprene ones a bit small. |
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June 15th, 2007, 03:54 PM
| #5 (permalink) |
| Pinoy ako pinoy  Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: here, there and everywhere
Posts: 779
| Quote: (Originally Posted by vid) i notice the price is £850 or £1600 for MTM GBP1600 - DUI is considerably cheaper than that so it's not that far from DUI then - but if the stock size fits, then it does look like you'll save some cashvid 
__________________ DIN caps and plugs with free world wide postage: www.dustcap.halcyon-hk.com |
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June 15th, 2007, 06:26 PM
| #6 (permalink) |
| New Member  Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: UK
Posts: 5
| Quote: (Originally Posted by Martin Burnard) Ohhh yes and chuffed to bits with it. Myself and Brian A acted as guinea pigs for these suits. Basically we wanted a functional suit, without the DUI price tag. So we went down explained exactly what we wanted and needed. Then demostrated movement required type of fit (snug on legs, room in chest etc) and they made it! You can have standard drysuit boots, neoprene socks (like my regular buddy), or latex socks (as is mine). The variation are almost endless. The shoulder dumpwas moved back to allow horizontal ascent, pockets on sides not front etc. My suit has taken a battering ( I opted for lighter weight material), and its survived a hammering during winter diving (Crawling on the deck of the boat in big swells, crawling out over rocks in big swells, crawling up steps in big swells ..... there is a theme here). So yes I can thoroughly recommend them. Quote: (Originally Posted by Adrian Kelland) They are also doing a membrane sock, which I now have. They got the neoprene ones a bit small. That's good to hear  Have you got any pics you could upload as the PB website isn't exactly cutting edge. How would you compare the weight of the lighter material, to say a DUI TLS350? Also have you got the no-cost cuff ring system? Cheers, Darren |
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June 16th, 2007, 12:05 AM
| #7 (permalink) |
| New Member  Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Nottingham
Posts: 74
| I own one (the light version) for about 18 months and 150 dives now. Its certainly comfortable, allows all sorts of movemets. However there are a few patches on it already (very easy to repair though). I went for neoprene neck seal (great) and neoprene wrist seals (a bit leaky sometimes). Regular boots fit into my turtles very nicely. All in all, I am happy with it. Regards Alex
__________________ "Some of the positions in the Kama Sutra are only possible in a weightless environment..." |
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June 16th, 2007, 11:43 AM
| #8 (permalink) |
| New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Plymouth, UK
Posts: 580
| Might pay to give thema call to check they have posted the right price? My regular buddy is far too tight to pay £1600! I have the cuff ring system on my other suit, and it's very good. If you split a wrist seal you can change it in a couple of minutes, or you can put thier dry glove system on it. On my explorer I have the "Mansard" ie long latex seals, just to try them out really. The draw back to the cuff ring system is that when getting kitted it sometimes snagged on the harness and required a wriggle to get my arms through (how pathetic of me is that!). If I was ordering a new suit now I would have Light weight material (as present) Neoprene Neck seal (as present) Cargo pockets (as present) Cuff ring system (for ease of change and dry gloves) Knee reinforcement (see previous post!) Latex Sock (as present) Single front entry short zip (as present) Apex dump valve set back on arm (as present) Braces (as present) AND MTM undersuit to work with the drysuit (As present) Hope that helps
__________________ I once enjoyed a sado-masachistic frenzy of total tintintabulation leading to a state of metampsychosis... or did I make that up? www.bananafrogcars.co.uk Last edited by Martin Burnard; June 16th, 2007 at 12:08 PM. Reason: EXtra detail |
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June 17th, 2007, 12:19 AM
| #9 (permalink) |
| New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Nottingham
Posts: 74
| Quote: (Originally Posted by Martin Burnard) Knee reinforcement (see previous post!) It is knee reinforcement on my suit- kind of a piece of rubberish material glued on the knees area. It is too small and too stiff. Now I would choose a double layer of normal material on the front of the legs.
__________________ "Some of the positions in the Kama Sutra are only possible in a weightless environment..." |
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June 18th, 2007, 10:20 AM
| #10 (permalink) |
| New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: London
Posts: 31
| I have one, but it's a few years old now. On the plus side, it does what was promised and valve reach is so easy it's silly. Would I buy another? No. There are too many detail niggles, coupled with customer service which, when compared to the likes of O'3, has been appalling. A mate bought one, based on my valve-accessibility delight, and was disappointed for several reasons. Neither of us would buy another, which is a crying shame as they're fundamentally sound suits. I'd far rather buy from a manufacturer in the same time zone, but fear my next suit will be a DUI, unless O'3 start making membrane suits. Regards, Mark |
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