Bowstone Suit Pocket

Suit Pocket

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A heavy duty textured nylon pocket, attached to a neoprene back, which can be glued to most suits. With a velcroed flap and eyelets for drain holes.

Size: 27cm x 20cm x 7cm

Our Vision; "To continue to be the number one manufacturer of diving equipment in the UK by using the highest quality materials to manufacture a unique, reliable set of gear" Our Mission;"To design and manufacture high quality diving equipment whilst continuing to promote UK trade. To ensure customer satisfaction at all levels through providing a high quality, reliable service matching our quality products" As well as specialising in a full made to measure service on pouches and undersuits, we will also manufacture just about anything you want, to your speciication and to meet your needs! Got an idea? Please let us know! Whether it is a new pouch or something completely non-diving related, please feel free to contact us as we are more than happy to help!

If you are intending to undertake any scuba diving in temperate waters then you will need a drysuit. Many warm water divers who intend to carry out prolonged dives at depth or dives which do not require much movement, such as for photography, also prefer to use drysuits for the added warmth they offer.

Below is some information that could be helpful if you are new to drysuit diving and looking for your first drysuit.

If you’ve been diving for a while and already know which suit is the one for you, then just click here to see our full range of both membrane and neoprene drysuits[insert link over keyword].

Neoprene vs membrane drysuits

One of the first decisions you will need to make when it comes to your drysuit is whether you want a neoprene or membrane model.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both but, eventually, it will come down to personal preference. Both perform well and are perfectly adequate for diving in temperate waters.

Neoprene drysuits

Neoprene drysuits, as the name suggests, are made from neoprene which is available in a range of thicknesses, but usually from 5mm to 8mm.

When choosing a thickness, it is worth bearing in mind that a thicker neoprene will make you more buoyant. However, a thicker suit will also be warmer, which means you will need a thinner (and therefore less-buoyant) base layer. So in theory, this should almost balance out.

Other than that, it will depend on where you are planning to dive, how long for and to what depth as this will dictate how cold you are likely to get.

You can also get suits made from compressed, semi-compressed and crushed neoprene. The method of compressing the neoprene makes it thinner, reducing its buoyancy and also, to a degree, its warmth.

Membrane drysuits

Membrane drysuits are made of much thinner, but equally durable, material. This is usually comprised of trilaminate and polyester – both of which are thermally efficient fabrics.

Suits made from this material have the advantage of being less buoyant on their own but you will need a thick undersuit to make sure that you stay warm for the duration of your dive, which will in turn make you more buoyant.

Many divers consider membrane suits to be less restrictive in terms of range of movement compared with their neoprene counterparts. While this can be true to an extent, a well-fitted neoprene suit should not cause you problems in terms of your movement underwater.

Some membrane drysuits have the advantage of a telescoping torso. This means that the main body section of the suit can be adjusted to fit people of different heights or body sizes. Extra material to make the suit taller and/or wider is added and easily folded down and clipped in place for anyone shorter or slimmer.

Neck and wrist seals

The seals on a drysuit around the wrist and neck should be tight to prevent any water leaking into the suit during a dive. Some wrist seals have a double cuff to reduce the likelihood of water seeping into the drysuit at this point.

You will need to make sure that these seals are fitted to you and, if necessary, stretch them the day before a dive.

Seals will either be made of neoprene or latex. Many people have an allergy to latex which can be uncomfortable if using a suit with seals made from this material.

Any latex seals can be easily replaced for neoprene ones, at a relatively cheap price.

Sizes

The only way to find out if a drysuit really fits you is to try it on. Obviously, ordering online means that this isn’t always possible before you buy.

In order to have the best possible chance of finding a suit that will fit you, measure yourself before you start looking.

As well as height, check your hip and waist size, shoulder width and, particularly for women, chest size.

Then, make sure you look at the individual manufacturers’ size charts. Drysuit sizes vary from manufacturer to manufacturer so it’s essential that you look at the correct one.

If you are really struggling to find a suit that fits comfortably, then you may want to consider having one made to measure. This has the obvious advantage of being fitted to you, which means it should fit like a glove.

You should also make sure that the boot size will not only fit your feet but that it will then fit into your fins.

Air dumps

The position of your air dumps is unlikely to mean much to you if you haven’t dived in a drysuit before. But here’s a brief explanation.

Most drysuits will have a dump valve in one of two places. Either on one wrist, which is known as a cuff dump, or on one shoulder, which is called an auto dump.

Cuff dumps will release air when you raise your arm to the highest point to force the air out.

Auto dumps can be set to an open or closed position. When open, air can be released by rolling your shoulder to put this at the highest point and expel some air.

If the dump valve is closed, you can dump it by pressing the purge button located in the centre of the valve.

The inflator valve on drysuits is always situated on the chest and attached to the first stage of your regulators, and therefore to your cylinder. This is a simple press valve which will pump air into your suit when you push it.

It is a matter of personal preference over which system you prefer.

Zips

Drysuits will have a zip either across the shoulders or running diagonally down the front.

Front entry suits allow you to unzip/zip up your suit yourself, while if using the variety which have the zip across the back of the shoulders, you will need assistance to get into and out of your suit.

Men in particular may opt to have a pee valve inserted or a fly zip to allow them to relieve themselves without needing to fully remove their suit. It is an additional option and a matter of personal preference.

Drysuit pockets

Having large, easily accessible pockets on a drysuit is always a good idea as it gives you somewhere else to store additional pieces of equipment other than your BCD.

While many drysuits come with basic open pockets on the thigh, you can choose to have larger ones fitted, with either a zip or Velcro fastening.

If you are considering adding pockets to your drysuit then you need to make sure that they will be somewhere you can reach them and get into them. With this in mind, remember that zips can be fiddly when wearing gloves but are also generally more secure than Velcro fastenings.

Again, it comes down to personal preference and what works for you, as well as what you are intending to store in them.

Drysuit boots

You should check that the soles are thick and have a good grip. Remember that you will probably be scrambling over uneven or slippery ground as a diver and it is important to give yourself the best chance possible of staying on your feet!

Most boots also have fin retainers on the heels which are useful as they reduce the risk of your fin strap slipping off your heel, as long as it is correctly attached in the first place.

While most drysuits will come with boots fitted as standard, it is worth noting that there are designs which fit more like socks around the feet and require you to buy boots to wear separately over the top of the suit.

Other drysuit features

Additional features to look out for include knee pads made of a durable material such as rubber or Kevlar to provide extra protection to some of the more vulnerable areas of a suit.

Some drysuits are comprised of a range of materials, with the intention of making life easier for the diver.

For example, some neoprene suits use crushed neoprene for the legs because this is less buoyant and reduces the risk of the diver becoming inverted due to air getting trapped around the legs and feet.

Drysuit maintenance

Once you’ve bought your shiny new drysuit, the last thing you want to do is flood it or damage it in some way.

Here are a few simple tips to help keep your suit in good condition and leak-free.

Firstly, make sure you rinse it in clean water after every dive or dive trip – this will help prevent deterioration of the drysuit. Check the suit for damage regularly as well, the sooner you pick up a problem, the quicker you can get it fixed and prevent it getting any worse.

Waxing or lubricating the zips is another essential piece of drysuit maintenance. Bees wax or another form of zip lube is cheap and worth investing in to make sure not only that your zip does not leak but also that it can be easily undone/done up.

Finally, to keep your seals in good condition, sprinkle them with talcum powder if you are not going to be using your drysuit for a prolonged period of time.