Dynamicnord RS350: Sealed Dry

Steve Jones takes the Dynamicnord RS350 Drysuit for a test dive

Membrane or Neoprene? This is one of the key decisions to make when choosing a drysuit, with each of these distinct design approaches giving several benefits over the other, depending on the type of diving you enjoy.

The key difference is what they are made from, with neoprene suits constructed of similar material to that found in wetsuits, whereas membrane suits are most commonly made with a much thinner and lighter nylon trilaminate material.

Test report by Steve Jones

Premium suits of either type level the playing field by tackling their respective design drawbacks: Membrane suits are generally considered less robust than neoprene so the high-end models use more advanced materials that provide more toughness without sacrificing flexibility. Neoprene suits on the other hand are more restrictive and have less favourable buoyancy characteristics, so premium models may use neoprene that has been pre-compressed to 4 or 2mm or even crushed to 1mm thickness, thus retaining the suits inherent toughness but avoiding the buoyancy change at depth that traditional 7 or 8mm neoprene will incur.  Throughout my dive career I’ve traversed between both types depending on the type of diving I’m doing as I’ve yet to find a suit that is a master of all areas.

Compressed neoprene suits are tough and can stand up to a lot of abuse, yet I really value the flexibility, ease of donning and huge layering options that a membrane suit gives me especially when diving in really cold water. That said, I generally need to be more careful when using membrane suits, especially when wreck diving or in the water with young seals with extra sharp teeth! [see table 1 for a more detailed overview of the pros and cons of these suit types].

First impression: very well made

I was therefore excited to see what the new Dynamicnord RS350 series suit had to offer and whether it could provide that extra robustness I craved in a membrane suit without trading off the very thing I love about this type of suit design – flexibility! Dynamicnord, headquartered in Germany, are a relatively new company that’s emerged over the last 5 years yet bring with them a wealth of experience for they were founded by Martin Kusche who previously represented such famous brands as Atomic Aquatics and Bare in the European market.

As soon as I opened the drysuit bag (which neatly doubles as a change mat), I knew I was looking at a premium product. Constructed of 350 gr/qm ripstop fabric, the material feels thick yet still very supple and the seams are stitched, glued and taped, all adding to the impression that this is a very well-built suit. Vulnerable areas on the seals and zips have protective flaps to resist abrasion and the knees have extra pads to reinforce this area, which are not too thick to limit flexibility. I inspected the suit for production faults and found none, indicating that quality control is doing a fine job at the Polish factory where this suit is made.

Weight is a factor

Being a travelling diver, weight is an important factor to me. Robust suits generally carry a weight penalty so I was keen to see how the Dynamicnord compared to the other 2 suits I currently use. My 2mm compressed neoprene suit, an older O’three Ri 2/100 weighed in at 5.7kg, whereas unsurprisingly my membrane suit, a DUI TLS 350 weighed in much less at 4.2Kg (mine is fitted with rock boots so I included these in the weigh in for a fair comparison). I was surprised to find the Dynamicnord, complete with integrated 3mm neoprene boots, weighed only 4.15 kg – a fraction lighter than TLS 350 (with its rock boots) and even less than the weight stated on their website, which I assume must have included the bag and accessories in the weigh in. This was good news, as the TLS had always been a favoured travel suit for me due to its relatively light weight and packability so I was pleased the RS was comparable in this area.

Unusually for a membrane suit, the neck seal is neoprene, a more common choice on neoprene suits. There are pros and cons to this material choice and I’ve used latex, silicone and neoprene neck seals over the years.  I find that latex and silicone give the best watertight seal, but both can be more vulnerable to tearing when donning the suit when the material ages. Neoprene is more robust, but a bit fiddlier to put on as you need to invert the seal to attain watertightness and I find they are more prone to letting water in when moving your head around, particularly as the material stretches with age. Neoprene however is also much warmer on the neck so a good choice in cold water and it lasts much longer than either latex or silicone.

For wrist seals, the Dynamicnord RS350 uses heavy duty latex. These provide an excellent seal on the wrist but are tougher than standard latex or silicone.  At the end of the day which you prefer comes down to personal preference but the choice of neoprene on the neck and heavy-duty latex on the wrist is logical given the robust design principles of this suit. [See Table 2 for comparison of seals]

The boots are integrated 3mm neoprene. I have previously used both rock boots (which use a separate boot and just a dry sock integrated into the suit) and integrated boots and I have no particular preference. I find I can normally layer up more socks and achieve a closer fit with rock boots, but they are also an extra 2 items of gear to put on and also forget when packing! I am size 44 and found the XL boot supplied on the Large RS350 to be a good fit, leaving enough room for extra thermal socks but not too much of an extra air gap.

The inflation valve is located on the chest slightly offset of the diagonal zipper, and the shoulder dump was on the left, a higher profile design that’s easy to adjust even with thick gloves.

Pockets are exchangeable

The pockets grabbed my attention for being user interchangeable, utilising the widely used “Molle” system for securing. The ability to remove one or both of the pockets when I want to be streamlined, for example when snorkelling in cold water is a really useful feature for me.

The pockets themselves are cavernous with several compartments and exactly the sort of size I need when technical diving or carrying extra bits of camera gear. They also have drainage holes in the bottom, all the things you would expect in a properly designed pocket.

Lundy: in Water Test

The real test of course, would be how it performs in the water so I headed to one of my favourite places, Lundy Island in the UK’s Bristol Channel whose healthy population of playful seals will help put the suit through its paces. Donning the suit was straightforward, as you’d expect with a diagonal zippered suit. Telescopic in its design, it has crotch straps and internal braces to help keep the suit fitting well during use. When zipping up, as always, it’s important to remember to give the TiZip that extra pull into its “dock” when closing, or you’ll be in for a cold wet surprise when you jump in! The integrated elasticated area on the lower back and protective Velcro flaps on the wrists and boots soon had the suit looking like it had been tailored especially for me even though it was an off the peg standard size.
The eye-catching blue trim gives the suit a touch of class and right away it drew compliments on its looks. This is without doubt the smartest looking suit I’ve ever worn!

Underwater, most importantly it kept me warm and dry, easily fulfilling that most basic of drysuit requirements! The suit trimmed well with no air migration issues, which stems from it being a good fit without excess material. This also helps with streamlining the suit. Airflow around the feet is limited by a tightening strap on each boot which helps maintain the right position. As often happens at this site, shortly into the dive I felt a little nip on the back of my leg as an inquisitive young seal succeeds in getting my attention. The tough suit material easily shrugged it off, but I quickly found myself manoeuvring in all directions as two seals decided my fins looked worthy of a nibble! The flexibility of the suit excelled in this situation, it did not feel restrictive at all and I was able to remain agile in the water in the hardwearing yet supple RS350.

In summary, there are many suits on the market that will keep you warm and dry but if you are the sort of diver who looks for a premium product, well built with first-class materials and a real attention to design details that work well, then I highly recommend you take the Dynamicnord RS350 series for dive.