I got really cold my last dive and decided to start looking for a dry suit as i really enjoy diving. So I'm meeting a gal this Saturday that has a USIA dry suit. All seals were replaced 4 months ago and hasn't been dove in since then. What i'm wondering is what questions should i ask. Ive never bought a dry suit before and any tips would be helpful. I was thinking of asking for the receipt to prove that she did replace the seals. She said the suit is from "the late 90's". What i was told was that she bought it for someone that it was way to small for. Is this suit still good even though its 10 years old?
Thanks,
Stan
Buying a used drysuit
Re: Buying a used drysuit
some key points i learned.
1. neoprene neck size-if the drysuit you are buying has one, does it fit you?
2. inflate the drysuit upon buying it
3. Will your fins fit onto your drysuit boots? my fins barely fit my feet now
4. will you move to another location? i.e california in my 6 mil dry suit i think my drysuit would be to much
5. does the price seem reasonable for the price asked?
6. does this drysuit have a air inlet valve and exhaust valve? I have shopped for used drysuits and have encountered 4 that had no valve in them
7. does the zipper look good? a zipper replacement can cost as much as the suit you are paying for used.
this is just some of the things i have found that arent the odvious, i am sure there will be more to chime in
1. neoprene neck size-if the drysuit you are buying has one, does it fit you?
2. inflate the drysuit upon buying it
3. Will your fins fit onto your drysuit boots? my fins barely fit my feet now
4. will you move to another location? i.e california in my 6 mil dry suit i think my drysuit would be to much
5. does the price seem reasonable for the price asked?
6. does this drysuit have a air inlet valve and exhaust valve? I have shopped for used drysuits and have encountered 4 that had no valve in them
7. does the zipper look good? a zipper replacement can cost as much as the suit you are paying for used.
this is just some of the things i have found that arent the odvious, i am sure there will be more to chime in
Re: Buying a used drysuit
A 10 year old suit could be a deal or a nightmare depending on how much it was used and how it was cared for. I would be concerned about zipper wear for sure. They are only good for some hundreds of cycles. See if you can find out how many dives it has on it.
Shell suits are easy to patch, but if the seams are failing that's another story.
If the integrity and zipper are good, it might be worth buying even if the seals are shot, if the price is right. Replacing seals is relatively inexpensive... compared to the other things that can go wrong. But if they are new, they should look like it.
I think a 10 year old suit would have to be in stellar condition to be worth more than $300.
Good luck.
Shell suits are easy to patch, but if the seams are failing that's another story.
If the integrity and zipper are good, it might be worth buying even if the seals are shot, if the price is right. Replacing seals is relatively inexpensive... compared to the other things that can go wrong. But if they are new, they should look like it.
I think a 10 year old suit would have to be in stellar condition to be worth more than $300.
Good luck.
Re: Buying a used drysuit
Pay attention to the location of the exhaust valve. The valve should really be on the side or back of your arm. I am in the process of moving the valve on the USIA suit I have because it is too close to the front of my arm and won't vent unless I either get vertical or roll onto my back.
"Just to be clear, doing the Diamond Knot requires at the minimum double IPAs to be DIR." - MattleyCrue
"Mmmm....... Oreos!
They didn't look too good when I was spitting in my mask for dive #2!" - cardiver
"Mmmm....... Oreos!
They didn't look too good when I was spitting in my mask for dive #2!" - cardiver
Re: Buying a used drysuit
Or do back flips apparently.renoun wrote:Pay attention to the location of the exhaust valve. The valve should really be on the side or back of your arm. I am in the process of moving the valve on the USIA suit I have because it is too close to the front of my arm and won't vent unless I either get vertical or roll onto my back.
Good advice so far Stan, the only thing I would add is that fit is really important in a drysuit, make sure and bring the undies (and socks) you intend to dive in. Squat down with the suit on, it shouldn't be too tight, also reach behind your head, you should be able to reach the base of your neck, like you were turning on/off your valves.
Good luck.
"Screw "annual" service,... I get them serviced when they break." - CaptnJack (paraphrased)
"you do realize you're supposed to mix the
with water and drink it, not snort the powder directly from the packet, right? 
" - Spatman
"you do realize you're supposed to mix the
with water and drink it, not snort the powder directly from the packet, right? " - Spatman
Re: Buying a used drysuit
Used dry suits can actually be a very good buy, as a new suit loses about half of its value when it leaves the shop.
Seals are cheap to replace and wrist seals are pretty easy to do yourself.
Some leaks are pretty trivial to fix, but can be difficult to find. You really want to know if the suit has any pesky seeps that the owner hasn't been able to locate.
But the big deals are delaminating material, failing seams, and zippers. Inspect the zipper carefully -- all the teeth should be there and look the same. Check the placket of the zipper for cracks. Look at the amount of fraying. See if the owner can give you an idea of the number of dives on the zipper (they're good for somewhere in the 300 to 500 dive range, if well cared for).
Renoun's point about dump valve location is also a good one.
Also realize that you can have EXTENSIVE work done on a suit for a few hundred dollars, so even a used suit in need of a zipper, if it's priced low enough, can be a big savings over a new suit.
Seals are cheap to replace and wrist seals are pretty easy to do yourself.
Some leaks are pretty trivial to fix, but can be difficult to find. You really want to know if the suit has any pesky seeps that the owner hasn't been able to locate.
But the big deals are delaminating material, failing seams, and zippers. Inspect the zipper carefully -- all the teeth should be there and look the same. Check the placket of the zipper for cracks. Look at the amount of fraying. See if the owner can give you an idea of the number of dives on the zipper (they're good for somewhere in the 300 to 500 dive range, if well cared for).
Renoun's point about dump valve location is also a good one.
Also realize that you can have EXTENSIVE work done on a suit for a few hundred dollars, so even a used suit in need of a zipper, if it's priced low enough, can be a big savings over a new suit.
"Sometimes, when your world is going sideways, the second best thing to everything working out right, is knowing you are loved..." ljjames
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oregondiver
- Submariner
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- Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2008 7:16 am
Re: Buying a used drysuit
I am getting ready to buy my husband a new crushed neoprene Mobbys/Mares drysuit for $600 from a local dive shop... so if that is anywhere near what you are getting ready to pay, let me know and I will get you the details if you were interested as I think they have 2 or 3 others...
My own drysuit is 12 years old and It is starting to delaminate a bit, so I have been patching some small holes in the trilaminate fabric....
I talked to Whites (yesterday!) and they said that a suit lasting for 10 years is good...but anything after that, you can be in for some very expensive and frequent repairs, no matter how good a deal was for the older suit. You may not need the receipt for the replaced seals...you should be able to tell if they are in good condition. You can also ask what shop it was serviced at and have them take a look at it. I know hoodsport n dive only charges $15 to check for leaks (and they repair for free if you have just a few...at least they did for me), so the shop she used may not charge much to check it for leaks...
Lots of good ideas above, but checking for delamination of the materials (where you get many small leaks) is a VERY good route. Zipper replacement...$350 easy. My zipper looked in great condition, but the end of it was failing since my
was FREEZING after every dive. No leaks detected until shipped to Whites when they told me the the bottom of the zipper was failing...it had lasted 10 years....
My own drysuit is 12 years old and It is starting to delaminate a bit, so I have been patching some small holes in the trilaminate fabric....
I talked to Whites (yesterday!) and they said that a suit lasting for 10 years is good...but anything after that, you can be in for some very expensive and frequent repairs, no matter how good a deal was for the older suit. You may not need the receipt for the replaced seals...you should be able to tell if they are in good condition. You can also ask what shop it was serviced at and have them take a look at it. I know hoodsport n dive only charges $15 to check for leaks (and they repair for free if you have just a few...at least they did for me), so the shop she used may not charge much to check it for leaks...
Lots of good ideas above, but checking for delamination of the materials (where you get many small leaks) is a VERY good route. Zipper replacement...$350 easy. My zipper looked in great condition, but the end of it was failing since my
was FREEZING after every dive. No leaks detected until shipped to Whites when they told me the the bottom of the zipper was failing...it had lasted 10 years....Discussing the Whites Fusion: "Looks like you are wearing a startrek leotard with bunched-up undies..." -Airsix
"fins are like shoes....you can never have enough pairs." -Lizard0924
"fins are like shoes....you can never have enough pairs." -Lizard0924
Re: Buying a used drysuit
Oh great NOW you tell me. After reading this I went to my garage and tried to fit my fins into my drysuit boots and they don't fit at all!! I'm surprised that people have even been diving with me....I'm so embarassed.Dashrynn wrote:3. Will your fins fit onto your drysuit boots? my fins barely fit my feet now
Anyone have some smaller fins for sale???
sorry...please return to your regularily scheduled thread posting...
**Pinch it, don't stick your finger through. You're just pinching a bigger hole.
CAPTNJACK - 2012**
CAPTNJACK - 2012**
Re: Buying a used drysuit
hey i said ONTO not into! lol I caught myself before i typed into...im sure EVERYONE would hardy har har at that oneNorris wrote:Oh great NOW you tell me. After reading this I went to my garage and tried to fit my fins into my drysuit boots and they don't fit at all!! I'm surprised that people have even been diving with me....I'm so embarassed.Dashrynn wrote:3. Will your fins fit onto your drysuit boots? my fins barely fit my feet now
Anyone have some smaller fins for sale???
sorry...please return to your regularily scheduled thread posting...
Re: Buying a used drysuit
Oh good cause I couldnt afford new fins right now, that was my badDashrynn wrote:hey i said ONTO not into! lol I caught myself before i typed into...im sure EVERYONE would hardy har har at that oneNorris wrote:Oh great NOW you tell me. After reading this I went to my garage and tried to fit my fins into my drysuit boots and they don't fit at all!! I'm surprised that people have even been diving with me....I'm so embarassed.Dashrynn wrote:3. Will your fins fit onto your drysuit boots? my fins barely fit my feet now
Anyone have some smaller fins for sale???
sorry...please return to your regularily scheduled thread posting...
**Pinch it, don't stick your finger through. You're just pinching a bigger hole.
CAPTNJACK - 2012**
CAPTNJACK - 2012**
Re: Buying a used drysuit
+1. fit is the most important. all else can be fixed, if necessary.Nwbrewer wrote:Good advice so far Stan, the only thing I would add is that fit is really important in a drysuit, make sure and bring the undies (and socks) you intend to dive in. Squat down with the suit on, it shouldn't be too tight, also reach behind your head, you should be able to reach the base of your neck, like you were turning on/off your valves.
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oregondiver
- Submariner
- Posts: 579
- Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2008 7:16 am
Re: Buying a used drysuit
Well...did you get the suit? Was it in good shape/deal/fit?
Discussing the Whites Fusion: "Looks like you are wearing a startrek leotard with bunched-up undies..." -Airsix
"fins are like shoes....you can never have enough pairs." -Lizard0924
"fins are like shoes....you can never have enough pairs." -Lizard0924