Dry suit Brand question

[LowDrag]

Hey all...I am looking at buying a dry suit for my wife and me. I have been looking at the Hollis BioDry FX100. I have been reading different forums threads over the last few months and it seems as if cave diver really like Hollis gear.

What I am wondering is if anyone can give me a review on the BioDry FX100. Good, Bad or otherwise.

I am also looking at the USIA line up as well.

Thanks in advance.

[diveconjeff]

...I am looking at buying a dry suit for my wife and me.....

As the owner of a Hollis FX100, I have one tip to offer. You can choose to take it or leave it. I would strongly suggest buying "two" dry suits rather than one. I know it is stretchy, but still very difficult to seal two heads in one neck opening...

I had most recently owned an "economy" suit that left Steve Gamble (dry suit repair guru) laughing at me and shaking his head. I have also owned a number of higher end suits as well.

I do not have a lot of hours in it yet, but it is as good a dry suit as I have owned, with it being my sixth. The suit itself is really tough. Equally important for me is the flexibility I gain because the material stretches. As I am a bit barrel chested, suits typically either bind on me when I reach around my torso or have so much extra room its ridiculous. Not this one.

Nothing bad to say about it yet.

BTW, I would have just loved this suit and the rock boots when I dove the Barview Jetty out in Tillamook, or when diving the wrecks up in BC. You have some great diving out there !!!

[WJH]

If the choice is Hollis or USIA, go Hollis. DUI is still the gold standard, though, for drysuits.
WJH

[jj1987]

If the choice is Hollis or USIA, go Hollis. DUI is still the gold standard, though, for drysuits.
WJH

+1, DUI FLX Extreme is the suit I recommend to everyone. I've owned a Dive Rite 905, TLS350, and a cheapy suit-- FLX Extreme is the best of the bunch.

[LowDrag]

As the owner of a Hollis FX100, I have one tip to offer. You can choose to take it or leave it. I would strongly suggest buying "two" dry suits rather than one. I know it is stretchy, but still very difficult to seal two heads in one neck opening...

Dude!!! You're killin' me man!!! I about fell off the couch when I read that. Good call, I will take your tip and get two of whichever suit we decide on...Thanks!!!

Nothing bad to say about it yet.

Good to know, thanks...

BTW, I would have just loved this suit and the rock boots when I dove the Barview Jetty out in Tillamook, or when diving the wrecks up in BC. You have some great diving out there !!!

Thanks. I have only got one dive in out at Barview Jetty, (a dry suit would have been good - 54° F). We were on the inside of the south jetty last July. It got pretty dark at about 33' and I did not have a light with me so I stayed up above that depth. It was my first try at spear fishing...I got four and lost three...

[LowDrag]

+1, DUI FLX Extreme is the suit I recommend to everyone. I've owned a Dive Rite 905, TLS350, and a cheapy suit-- FLX Extreme is the best of the bunch.

I will check that out...thanks.

[WJH]

+1, DUI FLX Extreme is the suit I recommend to everyone. I've owned a Dive Rite 905, TLS350, and a cheapy suit-- FLX Extreme is the best of the bunch.

Yea, the FLX Extreme is my new suit, after retiring my 1700-dive CLX-450 last year. But Hollis puts out some great products, too! If you can do without the ZIP seals, which I would not like to do.

[diveconjeff]

COLOR="blue"]Thanks. I have only got one dive in out at Barview Jetty, (a dry suit would have been good - 54° F). We were on the inside of the south jetty last July. It got pretty dark at about 33' and I did not have a light with me so I stayed up above that depth. It was my first try at spear fishing...I got four and lost three...[/COLOR]

Spent many late afternoons cooking up dungeness carb and lingcod right on the jetty as the sun dropped into the pacific. Serious beer add material!

[Superlyte27]

Call Steve Gamble at Gamble Scuba and ask him his opinion. I asked everyone I could think of and even though we had the product line, I decided to buy something else. Ultimately I became a Bare Dealer and bought the XCS2 or whatever it's called. I like it so far.

I've dove Viking, DUI, 905, Northern Diver, and a half dozen more. If this Bare holds up to the claims, it'll be my favorite yet. I'll let you know how I feel when I have 200'ish more dives on it.

[rchrds]

After finally killing my (and at one time Steve Gamble's) 18 year old DUI CF200, I had to get a new suit. I will never buy another DUI based on their customer service and how fast I have seen their new suits fall apart. Steve and I came to the same solution separately, but around the same time. As a result, I got one of the first SF Tech suits in the US. I have already tried to wreck it, and people with me on trips are wrecking their suits, but so far the SF Tech is holding up. It fits great, out of the box (I got lucky) and the material is like the really old DUI suits, not like the new flimsy ones. They aren't cheap, but hopefully, it will be another 20 years before I buy another drysuit.