Comparing Kirby Morgan wetsuits to the cheap ones I started with

I used to dive in a $300 wetsuit from Amazon and froze my ass off on a 45-minute dive in Puget Sound, then borrowed a buddy's Kirby Morgan for a 2-hour job and didn't feel a thing. Anyone else have that moment where you realized the price tag on gear actually matters?

3 comments

3 Comments

michael80322h ago

Yeah man I used to be one of those guys who thought you were just paying for a name on the tag. I figured neoprene is neoprene right? Then I did a whole season in a cheap farmer john setup and I was shivering after 20 minutes every single time. I remember telling myself it was fine because I was saving money. Then a guy on a boat let me use his higher end suit for a deeper wreck dive and I was warm and comfortable for over an hour. That changed my whole mind about gear. Now I don't buy the most expensive stuff but I also don't buy the cheapest anymore either. You learn the hard way that a good suit makes the whole dive better.

webb.hannah23h ago

Feel that cold seep in once and you never forget it.

the_laura23h ago

That "feel that cold seep in" thing @webb.hannah mentioned is exactly what I remember from my cheap suit days... the water just found every tiny gap. Actually, Kirby Morgan suits are made by a different company than the Kirby Morgan helmets and masks people usually talk about. The brand that makes the good wetsuits is actually called "Kirby Morgan Diving Systems" and they focus on commercial gear, but the wetsuit your buddy let you borrow was probably a hot water suit with a different brand name on it. Still, your point stands about price mattering - my first cheap suit leaked at the zipper and wrists after maybe 10 dives.