#1856
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Dale, would highly reccomend the Pinnacle Evolution I. Both the wife and I dive them. Montana, ya know.... 2 seasons... 4th of July and Winter... Trilaminate suit and a temperate undergarment that I can use layers of Thinsulate under to add thermal protection. Trimmable latex wrist and neck seals. Don’t worry if seals are uncomfortable, trim to fit REALLY snug and they will relax a bit after 5-6 dives. Trimmed the wife’s neck seal till her eyes quit bugging out and she could talk again and after a few dives she was fairly comfotable. (Wished I had trimmed a little less) Rear entry hasn’t been a big issue, would be nice to have front zipper if I need to "solo" dive due to lack of dive buddy. Zipper maintenance is same as all other suits. Must clean and lube REGULARLY. We use weight integrated BCs that are trimmed for our 3 mm suits for the Bahamas and use a weight belt to add the extra pounds needed for the dry suit. Suspenders added to the weight belt take the weight and distribute it better. In colder water I use blue "smurf" gloves and bayonet couplers. Warmer water I use 5mm wet gloves for better dexterity. One point of interest is learning to dive with a dry suit. All of the dive authorities (PADI, NAUI) teach students to use dry suit for boyancy control but our teacher taught us to use the BC as you were taught initially and use the dry suit air controls to compensate for squeeze only. You need to use air as an insulating material to enhance the thermal qualities of the undergarmnt anyway. If you squeeze the undergarment down flat against your body, you will be colder. I found it much easier to use one device only for boyancy control and to add just enough air to alleviate squeeze and make sure there is enough air for thermal protection. On ascent you need to swim in a left shoulder high orientation to allow the exhaust valve to function properly.
I have a couple buddies that use Harveys and DUIs but I have found for the wife and I that the Pinnacle has been a very good purchase that has served us both very well for a very modest price. I would highly reccomend the Pinnacle for a modest price dry suit that delivers high performance and is comfortable as well.
Steve
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