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Dry suits are designed to keep a diver warmer for a much longer period of time than a wet suit. Actually, having a gas next to the diver's body is what provides the insulation. Wet suits do this by having millions of gas bubbles in the material of the suit. Like a styrofoam cup, the gas bubbles in the suit provide insulation even thought the suit is relatively thin. A dry suit is designed to keep water away from diver's body and replace it with air for insulation. Hence it must be sealed at the neck and wrists (and ankles if there are no boots). It must provide entry through a large opening that is zippered shut with a special zipper that is totally waterproof.
Some dry suits are made of neoprene. They provide insulation in 2 ways: Using the millions of bubbles inside the neoprene and the air that is trapped in the suit. Dry suits that are made of nylon or composite material are quite thin (< 1mm) and the suit provides very little insulation because there are no gases within it. So, the diver would have to wear some sort of clothing under the suit. This undergarment should be capable of trapping a lot of air within it. Thinsulate, fibers, wool, etc. are materials that have a lot of gas spaces and do not have a lot of weight. The more of this underwear the diver wears under the dry suit, the warmer the dive will be. Naturally, there is a limit due to the size of the suit. Also, as one adds gas spaces (more underwear), one will also have to add more weight in order to submerge. Incidentally, most divers that wear the neoprene dry suits also wear undergarments under them especially if they are diving in ice water.
Diving in a dry suit requires much more training than diving in a wet suit. Since there is gas in the suit it compresses as the diver descends and expands as the diver ascends in the water. If this is not compensated for problems may result, some of which are dangerous. As one descends in a dry suit the compression may result in a major squeeze. The suit can compress around the diver making it feel like a gigantic blood pressure cuff. Where there are folds in the suit, the skin is pushed into the fold by the higher pressure blood. The fold then compresses the skin causing blood blisters along the body. If the diver relieves this by adding measured amounts of air to the suit, relief is felt immediately. However, adding air to the suit may cause expansion problems as the diver ascends. If the suit starts to expand, and it is not vented, the diver can go into an uncontrolled ascent possibly resulting in arterial gas embolism and/or decompression sickness.
DRY SUITS BY O.S. SYSTEMS
O.S. Systems are the drysuit people! They are made in the USA wit a committment to excellence. All seams are sewn with quadruple interlocking stitching and fusion sealed to prevent leaking. Every suit is tested underwater and under pressure. Heavy duty, waterproof, air tight zippers are standard.
O.S. Systems drysuits may be purchased individually or with a package. The packages provide the diver with a complete system with substantial savings when compared to buying each piece alone. The packages consist of the suit, 2 sets of long underwear, one thicker than the other, a wet suit hood, fleece socks, a fleece hood, and a carry bag. Some packages include dry gloves as well.
The SARR Diving Drysuit
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Features: Rear entry or fron entry: The following is a demonstration of the front entry:
It comes with the inlet valve, automatic exhaust valve, and low pressure inflator hose:
The suits comes with butt pads and heavy-duty knee pads that wrap around the suit.There is a bellows thigh pocket with a quick-drain mesh bottom:
The boots are heavy-duty. They feature low profile toes that fit easily into fins, finkeeper heals, and eay flex ankles.
There is an option relief zipper available:
The suit comes in Sea Rescue orange with a black bottom. It is made of tough , military spec., high tenacity 210 denier High Count nylon! The suits have a limited 2-year warrantee.
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Other O.S. Systems Dry Suits:
HDPRO
HDPRO (FRONT ENTRY)
Color choices for top/Black pants
Horizontal Front Entry, Cordura Zipper Cover, and suspenders.
CorduraTM Butt/Extended Wraparound Knee Pads for protection, strength and improved slip control.
Crotch/built in underarm gussets.
Longlife LatexTM commercial grade rubber neck/wrist seals (min. thickness - .030") and DV-Boots. Seals and DV-Boots are easily replaced.
Bellows Thigh Pocket.
Equipped with the SI TECH automatic valve system (PRO Swivel Inlet/Low Profile Exhaust), a Low Pressure Hose, built in adjustable suspenders and a Zipease stick.
Made in the USA.
Sizes: XS-XXL & Custom.
All Options available
Materials: Tough, military specification high tenacity, 210 denier High Count nylon, 210HCTM. High Count nylon contains more threads woven into each square inch of fabric. The resulting fabric has a very tightly packed weave for extraordinary abrasion and puncture resistance, yet is still light in weight
Waterproof Coating: The 210HC nylon is triple coated with six ounces of polyurethane on the inside to protect it from the scratches and punctures that occur on the outside of the fabric. Two solution coats of polyurethane are impregnated deep into the fibers of the nylon. A high molecular density layer of polyurethane is then laminated to these solution coats, for total waterproofing and for internal abrasion resistance.
Testing: Each drysuit is individually tested under pressure and under water.
Sug Ret: $1520
Warranty: Two year limited warranty.
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Nautilus HC
The original Nautilus in the deluxe High Count fabric. The High Count nylon is a tough, military spec, high tenacity, 210 denier nylon fabric. High Count nylon contains more threads woven into each square inch of fabric.
The resulting 210 HC fabric has a very tightly packed weave for extraordinary puncture and abrasion resistance, yet it remains very soft and supple, light in weight and very flexible. Fewer wrinkles and a more streamlined fit. The High Count tight weave fabric makes an exceptionally high performance drysuit.
Features include full wraparound knee pads for durability, underarm and crotch gussets to eliminate four point seams and for better fit and hard sole boots.
The rear entry NAUTILUS HC is available with all the custom sizing, custom color and upgrade options plus a two year warranty sewn seam. See USA Size Chart page.
Standard colors: color choice for top/ black bottom.
High Count colors - Lemon Yellow, Royal Blue, Purple, Charcoal, Hot Pink, White, Sea Rescue Orange (SRO) and Black.
SuggestedRetail : $1228
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MANTA Dry Suit
Introducing the MANTA drysuit ... designed for the travel or tropics diver.
Divers who frequent tropical waters understand that hypothermia can still occur in 80 degree waters. Manufacturers respond by making a wide range of exposure suits, ranging from Lycra bodysuits to wetsuits to actual drysuits. Generally the travel diver hesitated to bring an actual drysuit, or even a thicker wetsuit, because the bulk and weight made airline/ship transportation unmanageable.
In 2002, OS SYSTEMS introduced the MANTA Tropics Drysuit. The MANTA shell, size large, including valves and hose, weighs only 4.15 pounds. Adding the thermal undergarment brings the total weight to only 5.15 pounds.
The MANTA is made from the same high tenacity 210 denier High Count Nylon shell fabric as other OS SYSTEMS heavy duty drysuits, the HDPro, the SARR and the NAUTILUS. However, the polyurethane coatings on the MANTA fabrics are lighter. This 210 HCLT (High Count Lightweight) fabric is extremely strong and durable, yet extraordinarily soft, comfortable and light weight.
The MANTA drysuit includes SI TECH valves (Pro Swivel Inlet/Low Profile Automatic Exhaust), a 32" Low Pressure Hose, and a Zipease lubricating stick. The MANTA features include a self donning front entry (back shoulder entry also available) #8 brass tooth diving zipper, underarm and crotch gussets, Mauser stitching with double taping, a bungie cord waist, Cordura Dome Knee Pads, and Cordura Ankle Wraps. Ankle seals are standard. Latex socks are a n/c option, with original factory order. The MANTA diver's standard sized wet suit boots are compatible with ankle seals.
The MANTA drysuit is designed for thinner, lightweight undergarments such as our Stretch Fleece Jumpsuit, a four way stretch lycra/fleece undergarment with a dropseat. A Handy Duffel Bag is also included with each MANTA.
COLOR: Lemon Yellow top/Black pants.
SIZES: XS-XXL only.
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SIZE CHARTS:
OS SYSTEM'S SIZE CHART FOR DRY SUITS
Custom Measurement Forms:
OS System's Custom Measurement Form, Page 1. Note: Back & Forth arrows above are circumference measurements.
Instructions for making custom dry suit measurements.
Color combinations available:
Here is a heavy duty zipper that runs along the shoulders and provides easy entry and a watertight seal.
The valve with the hose attached is on the chest of the suit. The entry button swivels to allow the inflator hose to run under the right (preferred) or left arm. When the button is pushed air enters from the tank to keep the suit somewhat inflated as the diver descends. This prevents the suit from squeezing the diver and provides gas for warmth.
The valve on the right sleeve has an automatic dump. As the diver ascends the air in the suit will expand. Air must be vented to avoid the suit from over-inflating, possibly sending the diver into an uncontrolled ascent. This is an automatic valve that can be set to a variety of pressures for relief. So, air is released automatically as the diver goes toward the surface.
There are latex seals at the wrists and neck. They are comfortable and provide a watertight fit. The boots are either latex (for ease of fin entry) or heavy-duty, and may be used to walk over rough terrain without fear of puncture. Sandals or a larger type of shoe should be worn over the latex boots when walking on land.
A separate hood especially made for dry suit diving is available. This is a standard 5 mm wet suit hood but it has a smaller bib to avoid having it interfere by floating up in the diver's face or up the back of the head. The neck is designed to lay over the dry suit's latex neck seal.
Some important points from O.S. Systems:
It is important to remember that your suit is designed for environmental protection only and is not to be used for buoyancy control. It is also very important that you properly weight yourself for neutral buoyancy so that when you expel all the excess air from the suit you do not sink.
If you are an experienced drysuit diver, make a few training dives to familiarize yourself with the system and to learn how much air and weight you need for a comfortable dive. If this is your first drysuit or are new to a shell style suit, take a drysuit class from your local training facility or make at least 10 to 12 training dives with a competent, trained drysuit instructor to become completely comfortable with your drysuit diving skills. DO NOT attempt to make normal "Fun" dives until you are totally familiar with your new suit and confident in your new diving skills.
Shell Care
Your shell is primarily nylon with a waterproofing layer physically bonded to the inside. After use, the material should be rinsed in clean, fresh water. The dirt or grime can be washed off with a mild soap and a soft brush. The inside of the suit should be cleaned also, to remove perspiration and body oils. DO NOT hang your suit in the sun to dry as this damages the material and causes leaks. Allow the shell to air dry, perform seal and zipper maintenance and roll the suit for storage. To roll the suit, lay it with the zipper open and facing the floor. Begin rolling from the feet towards the neck. When your suit is rolled up to the neck, fold the arms/zipper over the roll and the suit is ready to be stored in the suit bag (optional).
Seal Care
OS Systems seals are made to exacting specifications of the finest materials available, but are still subject to deterioration if not cared for as follows: Wash the rubber with a mild soap and water solution to remove all contamination from body oil, pollution, lotions, etc. Apply silicone to the cleaned rubber. Insure that you are using a food grade silicone grease, oil or spray. NOTE: Applying silicone to a contaminated seal will only trap the contaminants and accelerate the deterioration.
Store the suit rolled up, in a bag to minimize the air flow around the seals. This allows the silicone to protect the rubber longer.
New neck or wrist seals may feel tight or a little restrictive at first but will relax with use. It is possible to pre stretch your seals by inserting a soda bottle into the neck and/or wrists while soaking the rubber with liquid silicone. This should make the seals feel more comfortable. Contact your dealer if you still need any additional sizing or trimming.
Zipper Care
While operating the zipper, care should be taken to insure that no dirt or foreign material is trapped at the sealing surface that could cause a leak or dislodge a tooth. Zipper teeth are to be cleaned regularly using a soft bristle brush and mild soap. Lubricate the outside of the teeth using OS Systems Zipper Ease (not paraffin or a MAX WAX type of product). Do not use silicone spray, grease or oil on the zipper teeth as it will attract and hold dirt and accelerate wear damage at the rubber's edge. Apply OS Systems Zipper Ease to the inside of the teeth in the same manner as the outside. Firmly grasp the zipper teeth between two fingers and squeeze while drawing your hand the length of the zipper. This does two things ...it forces the lubricant between the teeth where it does the most good it and removes the excess lubricant. Apply a small amount of silicone grease or oil on the zipper fabric between the teeth and the seam. This helps protect the rubber of the fabric and keeps it from discoloring the surrounding material. Store the zipper completely open and do not close it until the suit is on and ready to use. Sliders should operate smoothly and easily. If binding does occur STOP! DO NOT FORCE THE SLIDER!! Reopen the zipper; inspect; clean and lubricate as necessary.
Undergarments
The right undergarment with a proper fit is the key to warm diving and buoyancy control. If your Undies are too large, you should consider having them tailored to remove excess material. Don't use cotton (T-shirt, sweats, shorts, etc.) under your garment. The cotton material does not wick the moisture away from your skin and you will feel a chill as you perspire. Your undergarments will need periodic cleaning to remove perspiration and body oils. You can machine wash with regular laundry soap (no bleach) and hang or tumble dry on low/cool setting. Air drying is the preferred method since the dryer causes the fleece material to "Pill" faster, plus the warmth of the machine tends to tighten the weave of the fabric temporarily making the undergarment tighter fitting.