Dear DUI,
Let me tell you why a French diver loves his DUI CLX450 so much ...
1998: Starting diving
I always loved the sea, even as a child. Always swimming or snorkeling during the summer holidays, watching with excitement the adventures of Jacques-Yves Cousteau and the Calypso and the movie “The Big Blue” from Luc Besson. I thought: one day I should learn diving. And one day with a group of friends we went to a dive school and passed our open water certification. Diving was fascinating, there was so much to see: coral, shipwrecks, fish. As time passed I went deeper and deeper to visit the shipwrecks from the French Riviera: “Le Liban”, “La Drome”, “Le Miquelon”, “le Togo”, “Le Rubis”, etc.
2006: Buying my first dry suit
I thought that a dry suit would be useful only during the cold period, and that from May until November I would use my wet suit. So I bought a 4mm neoprene dry suit and after a few dives I realized how much safety and comfort a dry suit brings. My dives were longer and warmer, and eventually I got rid of the wet suit! I thought this dry suit would allow me to progress into technical diving, I was wrong! Let me explain why.
2007: Transitioning to Technical Diving
One day I went to the local dive shop, and signed-up along with 3 other divers for the Intro to Technical Diving course (from NAUI). Although we were all experienced divers, with hundred of dives under the belt, we rapidly realized that this course was much more challenging than anticipated, especially regarding the “skills”. Thus we decided to train as a team, in between the dives with the NAUI instructor. But this was not easy! I was unable to reach the valves (“valve drill”) and thus was quite discouraged as I knew that skill was a must for any Trimix course. One buddy had a TLS350 Explorer, and suggested I may rent one from the dive school. A rental TLS350QZ was available, and the XL size was a perfect fit. At first I was a bit suspicious concerning the ZipSeal System (is it safe?) and the RockBoots (will I be able to do the back kick?). The first time I used it, I was able to perform the valve-drill with ease. It was not a question of body mobility, but simply a question of suit!!! We continued training and in September 2007 became the first team to be awarded with the NTEC rating in the Netherlands. On the one hand I was happy about this achievement, but on the other hand I was sad to handover the TLS350QZ.
The following week I went diving with one of my buddies, and had to use my neoprene suit… What a shock! This suit was so stiff (with shoulder entry), I was not able to reach the valves. I had a normoxic Trimix course booked in October. Without a proper suit, this would be a total waste of time! Enough! I sold my old dry suit and ordered a CLX450 XL with some options: the neck and wrist ZipSeals, the RockBoot System, 2 large pockets, and a balanced p-valve. The suit arrived a few days before the course. Cutting and fitting the seals was so easy! The course was wonderful, I enjoyed both the suit, and the dives to 70m with Trimix. The shipwrecks did not look exactly the same as before, because narcosis was gone!
2008: Going deeper using Trimix
In may 2008 I went for the Advanced Trimix course (TDI/CMAS), and passed it successfully. Now with a small team of technical divers we organize during our vacations some expeditions to deep shipwrecks and walls, at depths ranging from 100-120msw. Next year we plan to visit 2 deep wrecks: one being a WWII submarine (Protee), and the other a liner (Le Natal). Both lie in approximately 125msw, in the vicinity from Marseilles.
All of this would not have been possible with my old dry suit. But the CLX450 made my dreams come true.
Thanks for such great products.
Kind regards.
Cyrille TURC
CMAS 3* diver, TDI/CMAS Advanced Trimix Diver, NAUI NTEC, PADI Divemaster
