equipment

Technical diver in an O’Three Ri 2-100 drysuit

Text by Mike Ange Exposure protection is second only to the dive mask in its importance to your dive experience. In my article in issue #92, we looked at , their Comes Full Circle myths and design features. In this follow up, we will discuss the next level cor- ollary—drysuits. Drysuit Technology COURTESY OF O’THREE Literally for generations, neoprene rubber has been the chosen since Hugh Bradner at the drysuits were also made almost airtight environment when prop- In the late 1980s and early 1990s, material with a very fragile (typi- material for building most forms of at Berkley exclusively from neoprene rubber, erly configured. Most importantly, largely as a result of the efforts of cally butyl) membrane laminated exposure protection for divers and invented the material in 1952. and for good reason. Neoprene neoprene provides excellent Dick Long and his team at Divers between two protective layers other water sports enthusiast. It has is form-fitting, has manageable thermal protection in the most Unlimited International (DUI), there of a material like nylon or poly- consistently been the primary, if Many divers are surprised to learn characteristics and extreme environments. was a trend towards membrane ester to make it useable. These not the only, material for wetsuits that prior to the 1990s, virtually all provides a watertight or even an suits that were made from a suits gained popularity because

61 X-RAY MAG : 96 : 2020 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO equipment BARE X-Mission Evolution drysuit for men and women— designed by Mike Ange, it won the Tauchen award in 2019.

the neoprene suits of the as bulk, which effec- divers are forced to add sig- transition to diving dry much era were very heavy tively reduced diver nificant amounts of simpler for the novice. and bulky to wear, and flexibility. These attri- to submerge in a bag suit. many people thought butes made these Lack of stretch they required exces- suits a challenge to For example, I use a stain- The other big trade-off sive weight to control wear, effectively less backplate and twin for bag suits is the lack of buoyancy, although restricting the use LP 72 low 13.5- stretch. While the materials this was mostly a train- of these suits to liter cylinders, filled to are much more “flexible” ing issue. The new only the hardiest 151 bar, for many dives than old-school neoprene, lightweight materials of recreational in neoprene drysuits they have virtually no stretch at produced a suit that divers with a true (Waterproof Antarctic all. So, ’s movements are simply kept the diver need, and the suit, or my preferred quite literally restricted to the cut of dry, and if they were O-Three R 2/100 suit) the material, and in order to allow cut large enough, pro- and public safety with a thin base layer and the diver to simply achieve a normal vided more freedom of segments of the no added weight. This sys- swimming attitude, with arms forward, movement. industry. tem is between 3 and 3.6kg a significant amount of loose material (6.5 and 8lbs) negative, must be added to the suit. This added Called bag suits by Pros and depending on salt or fresh material traps additional air, and when many divers of the day, cons of water. it is not fully extended—which is most of the new technology pro- membrane suits the time—this cut produces folds and duced many benefits. The The membrane suits Switching the exact same con- large wrinkles in the material. Those membrane suits were lighter solved many of these figuration to a BARE XMission nylon folds and wrinkles create a lot of drag weight, easier to travel due issues—literally, opening trilaminate, with a medium weight when pushing the suit through the to their reduced bulk, and, in the door to dry diving for thermal layer over the base layer water, decreasing gas consumption comparison to the neoprene even the most pedes- to compensate for the loss of the and increasing diver fatigue. drysuits of the era, much trian recreational diver thermal protection in the neoprene, BARE more comfortable to wear, with a need. However, requires approximately 20lbs (9kg) of Bias cut hype especially on the surface. there were significant total weight. The added buoyancy to Many manufacturers have touted tradeoffs. is the result of the trapped air, which invert and “bias cut” to imply increased stretch The neoprene drysuits were is required to keep the “loft” in render him or her in the suit. While this works with stretchy typically made of sturdy First, membrane suits offer the undergarments so that they BARE unable to vent air materials used in surface products, it is foams in 5mm or 7mm thick- virtually no slowing of ther- can provide insulation. from the suit. This a bit of a fallacy for the laminated and nesses, which provided mal loss and rely instead can and does create more rigid materials used in membrane excellent thermal protec- on heavy undergarments Trapped air safety issue a worse- case safety issue for suits. It does improve stretch by 1 or 2% tion but at the expense of and large volumes of Incidentally, all this trapped air also cre- the diver, an inverted (feet-first) uncon- typically, but when you need 2.54cm (1in) added dry weight; they trapped air to insulate ates the safety issues we train for in a trolled ascent to the surface. The smaller of stretch and you only get 1mm, the 2% increased buoyancy, espe- the diver. As a drysuit diving course. The air can shift to air volumes of neoprene suits tend to increase is not that effective. In short, bias cially in shallow water, as well result, nearly all the legs for example, causing the diver minimize this issue and will also make the cut bag suits suffer from the same market-

DUI

DUI Flex Extreme drysuit

62 X-RAY MAG : 96 : 2020 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO Waterproof equipment D70 PRO ISS drysuit for men and women with 3.5mm special hi-dense neoprene and SD Toughtex lining

ing malady as omni red from traveling under wetsuits and ground a patch where it will unicorn horn. seek out any flaw in the membrane. Difficult As a result, a maintenance flawed suit will and repair leak or even The final trade- flood. The inter- off is that mem- nal membranes branes are very are extremely hard to maintain fragile, and and even harder over time, will to repair. In the break down, devel- interest of full oping pin holes and disclosure, leaks especially after 30 years where the suit as a technical repetitively bends and cave diver during activities als with more thick as 6mm. Some of the more rugged and 20 years like swimming. stretch, work materials deliver abrasion resistance that selling, designing in a drysuit is 80 times higher than older neoprene and producing drysuits Some materials used because products and most membrane products. for some fairly major in membrane suits, like the suit is They are lighter and much more flex- companies, I am fairly nylon, cannot be chem- always dry. ible than the neoprene suits of the 20th biased against the bag ically bonded or glued in In a wet- century, and because they all have both suit. The reason for this the field at all. This makes suit, as the substantial stretch and inherent insulating

bias is that they are hard seemingly solid repairs fail WATERPROOF neoprene capability, they can be cut to be more to maintain, and they are quickly, but the reality thins with or less form-fitting. also quite hard to build, is that it was never actu- compres- as the quality rates from a ally repaired at all, the sion, it will This cut reduces drag through the water number of manufacturers hole was just temporarily invariably and reduces diver fatigue as well as gas demonstrates. plugged. All of this further New developments allow the suit to flush water, effectively consumption. Gas is saved not only from complicates the fragile nature The good news is that the evolution chilling the diver, but a drysuit does not lower respiratory demand but also by the The membrane is sand- of the suit so that an active of modern neoprene materials—that have that issue. So, the technology has lower internal volume required to keep the wiched between very diver, or even a moderately same evolution that has been benefi- come full circle, as technology so fre- diver warm. The lower internal volume also porous materials (not active diver, can only expect cial to manufacturers of wetsuits but quently does. reduces the risk of gas trapping and loss of even waterproof in many to get about five or six years detrimental to divers—has had the trim due to large volume gas shifts, which cases); hence, it is very from a typical bag suit. opposite effect for drysuits. Thinner, Modern neoprene drysuits are made are always a in membrane suits. difficult to exclude water more durable and more flexible materi- from materials as thin as 2.5mm and as

DUI

DUI CF200X drysuit with crushed neoprene

63 X-RAY MAG : 96 : 2020 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO equipment Designed by Mike Ange, the BARE Sentry Pro Dry is a drysuit made with high-density Yamamoto neoprene.

Ease of repair Superior add to the Another advantage of neo- thermal properties suit’s capac- prene is the ease of The primary advantage of ity to slow repair. There are several neoprene drysuits is without thermal loss. very effective, over- a doubt their thermal the-counter glues that properties. As Climate can be used to close noted in my control tears and seal punc- previous On the climate con- BASTAIRT YKOUR ICEA ADVENTLURE tures of varying trol front, condensa- sizes—even pin article, tion is another major Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, date Stainless steel case 46 mm holes—quite actual factor in comfort and Miyota 8215 auto-winding movement Sapphire crystal glass easily. For lab once again neoprene Silicone strap small testing suits are superior. www.molnija.shop Limited edition 500 pcs WR 200 m flaws, shows Membrane suit wear- you do that ers are forced to use not even neoprene wicking materials in Some divers may prefer a mem- are by far the easiest suit to use for the have to is the best expensive undergar- brane suit for certain dives, espe- transition to drysuit diving.  wait for the insulating ments because of the cially divers who are diving in the suit to dry. material of all immediate conden- temperate and tropical zones Mike Ange has worked in the dive Carry a tube of those tested. With sation that occurs in where the suit’s integrity is not industry for 29 years, 12 of those years aqua seal and a drysuits, you do not their suits when they essential to being able to dive. For in the senior management of exposure syringe, or similar have to worry about submerge. Add a hot, divers diving in more demanding protection companies, including Huish,

device for pushing the type of lining, humid day and the environments or those who just Waterproof, Harveys and Whites. His suit glue into pin holes, because the suit is condensation can BARE demand consistent performance, design modifications have won awards, and you can deal already sealed to be quite significant there are many reasons to select and he designed the first commercially with virtually any stop water flushing. when you drop into a modern neoprene drysuit, viable thermal testing process for wetsuits failure except a seal This means that the even moderately cool especially when looking at the in conjunction with Simon Fraser University or zipper failure. This best protective water. Because of the thermal price tag. in Van­couver, Canada, in 2018. He has gives neoprene a materials can be properties of neoprene, this condensa- authored several books and manuals, huge leg up if you used to cover and tion effect is greatly reduced. A top-end neoprene suit will typically including Diver Down: Real World SCUBA are doing expen- protect the rub- cost a lot less than a top-end membrane Accidents and How to Avoid Them pub- sive dive trips that ber, and unlike Finally, if your drysuit does leak during suit—by a thousand dollars or more. It is lished by McGraw Hill, would be ruined wetsuits, there is the dive, you are much better off with extremely rare in diving that the better- Manual published by SSI, TDI Advanced by a suit failure no trade-off in neoprene materials. Basically, a partially- performing product is available at a Manual, and the SDI/TDI or dives that are thermal protec- flooded neoprene drysuit becomes a lower cost. Even low-end neoprene dry- Diving Leadership Manual. For more infor- mission-required for tion. In fact, the really high-speed wetsuit, while a bag suits deliver superior protection for not mation, visit: mikeange.net. any reason. right materials suit just becomes frigid. much more than a semi-dry or top-end WATERPROOF may actually 7mm wetsuit. For the drysuit novice, they

Waterproof D70 SC drysuit with 3.5mm microcell CR neoprene

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