Quote: (Originally Posted by decoweenie)
I have had CF, CLx and TLS drysuits.<snip>
Ditto. Same experience here with same suits.
Paul,
Try the CF200 before you buy as the sizing is different for this model compared with CLX or TLS. As an example, I'm a stock size LS for the CF and a stock size Medium for CLX and TLS. This is for the front zip. It's even a little different for the shoulder zip.
Overall, for your diving, I think you would be happy with a CF200 for many years to come as long as you get the right size. Give a special attention to how comfortable you are at the arm pit. The CFx (front entry) tends to be too snug there (losange - diamand shape- panels at the arm pit) and can restrict mouvement and be uncomfortable after 2 hours or so. It is the same if the body part of the suit is a little too long (they call it girth @ DUI).
Get the wrist zipseals but not the neck. It's a pain there: hurts your nose when donning/doffing, you can feel the ring when your gear in on shoulder...
Have them under-cut arm length by 1 inch or so (2cm) if getting zip seals/gloves.
Rock boots can be a pain for fins fitting but it's really comfy, safer for the feet on a boat, warmer and it's easier to just turn the suit inside out to have the interior dry.
O3 2.5mm or 2.00mm are amazing suits very comfy that can take a lot of abuse. Better to have them with latex wrist seals though (I don't like their new extra streching material as it's not smooth and let water enter by capilarity on my wrist). O3 Customer Service is first class, even trans-continental.
Now, it looks like some British DIR divers have good experience with the Protec Explorer suit:
http://www.protecdrysuits.com/suits2.html
I'll had that the Beuchat trilam is somewhere in-between the TLS350 and the CLX450.
Hope this helps.
Best
Philippe