Am I the only one who thinks the new lightweight drysuits are a step backward?

I got my first DUIX XM450 back in 2012 and it's still going strong after countless North Sea dives. Last year I splurged on one of those fancy 3-layer membrane suits everyone's raving about, spent $3,800 on it. After 8 months of using it on jobs in the Gulf, I've had two seam failures and the zipper started leaking at the 6-month mark. My old vulcanized rubber suit never gave me those issues, so why are we all acting like lighter is always better? Anyone else sticking with the old school gear?

2 comments

2 Comments

janaw115h agoTop Commenter

Why is everyone rushing to replace what already works?

ryanhayes6d ago

Yeah the seam thing is real. I had a 2019 DUI Yukon start leaking at the shoulder seams after about 50 dives. Sent it back twice and they never got it right. Switched to an old shell model from a rental fleet and haven't had a problem since. You might want to check if your DUIX has the original zipper guard flap still intact, mine had a fabric wear spot that let the zipper start leaking.