Gear tests: O'Three Ri 2-100 drysuit review

Late last year my trusty Otter Brittanic drysuit finally gave up the ghost. The boots were leaking, the wrists were mostly aquasure and the rear entry zip was on its last thread. I guess i can't really complain as i have dived the crap out of it for the last 9 years. So i decided that it was time for me to invest in a new suit for the start of another diving season.

When i bought my last drysuit nearly a decade ago there was maybe 4 or 5 UK based drysuit manufacturers, and out of them only a couple were making what i would call a premium product. My choice was easy! Today the market is a very different scene. Dozens of manufacturers are producing suits of such high quality that it really is a minefield to figure out the right suit for you.

So after a good deal of research on the web as well as advice from diving buddies of mine i decided to treat myself to a brand new O'three Ri 2-100. This top of the range suit developed by the Dorset based O'three is made from hyper compressed 2.1mm neoprene. By impregnating the neoprene with a waterproof resin, O'three manage to produce a hard wearing, snag resistant material that still retains some of its thermal insulation properties. With a huge range of sizes off the peg, O'three can cater for the majority of divers out there. For those of us that fit outside the normal size ranges (i'm 6"7' and still carrying a little holiday weight) O'three also offer what they call 'off-the-peg made-to-fit'.

First Impressions:

Hats off to O'three they really know how to make a good first impression. On delivery you will receive your suit along with an attractive gear bag, zip care products such as beeswax and zip slip, a bottle of jollop for getting your hands and head through the seals and lastly a changing mat so you dont have the stand in the dirt whilst donning your new drysuit. I guess you get what you pay for. The basic suit retails for £1000 sterling!

In the water:

As with the first impressions my first time taking the suit for a dive was impressive. Donning the suit was made very easy with the jollop lubricant. The rear entry zip comes pre-lubricated so the zip glides open and closes smoothly. I've dived in neoprene drysuits in the past and the one complaint i always had was their weight especially when wet. The Ri 2-100 feels more like a membrane drysuit. The 2.1mm neoprene offers flexibility and insulation without the bulk and weight of some of the standard neoprene suits on the market. A bulkier suit would also require additional weight to counteract the inherent buoyancy. Another advantage is now i also match the same colour scheme as my puppy :)

Disaster!!

Unfortunately the story is not all good. On my third dive with the suit i discovered a small hole just above the knee pad. I was baffled! I hadn't done anything stupid like trying to mount a rusty frigate at 40m or dragged myself along the barnacle studded shorelines. So how could i have gotten this hole. I fear it may forever be a mystery. Regardless of the cause this does give me the opportunity to talk a little about O'three's now famous customer service. After contacting the head office to explain my plight, O'three quickly arranged to collect my suit, fix the hole and return it to me in less than a week. Considering that i live in west Cork and even a postcard sometimes takes more than a week to get to Limerick, i must admit i was very happy with O'threes efforts. Obviously the suit should never have sprung a leak in the first place but top marks to O'three for handling the whole situation efficiently.

Final verdict:

Well I've now completed nearly a dozen dives in the suit and despite the mishap on the third dive i have been very pleased with the suits performance above and below the water. I am still a little concerned about the suits ruggedness. Since finding the hole in the knee i must admit i have been extra careful with the suit to prevent a re-occurrence. Considering the amount of diving i do, i require a suit that is tough enough to put up with a lot of rough use and i have to admit i'm not convinced that this suit is hard wearing enough. Perhaps time will prove my concerns are warrant-less. Despite this i would still rank this as one of the best drysuits i have ever dived in.

Rating: 9/10