Typhoon Discovery Drysuit, RRP £619
Typhoon International has quite a distinguished pedigree in the manufacture of diving suits.
Established by British Sub-Aqua Club co-founder Oscar Gugen in 1947, Typhoon (or E T Skinner, as it was originally named) was the UK’s very first manufacturer of wetsuits and in 1976 pioneered the lightweight drysuit.
Now the world’s largest drysuit maker, Typhoon continues to supply a diverse range of watersports products for the commercial, military and leisure markets, all manufactured in-house at the company's Redcar factory on Teeside.
With a comprehensive range of drysuits available, one of Typhoon’s most recent additions to its sport diving range is the entry-level Discovery drysuit.
A back-entry, tri-laminate drysuit constructed from a hardwearing rip-stop and texturised material mix, the Discovery has a stylish and understated appearance, its all-black colour scheme enhanced with blue flashes to the arms and sides of the torso.
An elasticated waist section gathers in the midriff, augmenting the suit’s internal braces to give a more tailored fit, making it not only more comfortable but additionally more aesthetically pleasing than other similar-style membrane suits which lack this feature.
Neck and wrist seals are of smooth latex, the latter benefitting from a slightly thicker material, while the neck also features a comfortable, Velcro-adjustable neoprene collar to retain warmth and protect against any accidental damage to that all-important neck seal.
All internal seals are double-taped and guard not only against water ingress but also provide additional abrasion resistance.
An Apex chest-mounted inflation valve is fitted as standard, with a choice of cuff or shoulder dumps according to your individual preference. Reinforced PU kneepads offer ample protection where it’s most needed and a pair of robust thermic boots should offer many years of sustained use.
Comfortable in and out of the water, the Discovery is easily donned and conveniently removed with very little fuss between dives and during its time at our test centre I was able to have a series of no-hassle, incident-free and most importantly, bone-dry dives.
Of course, it’s always important to choose the correct thermal protection, whatever drysuit you use and by utilising the right combination for your own particular brand of diving the Discovery will have no problems at all keeping you warm too.
A designed-for-women version of the suit, the Concept, is also available.
Both ladies' and gents' suits are available in sizes small to XX large, plus made-to-measure, and all Typhoon drysuits come complete with a three-year watertight manufacturer’s warranty. Neil Hope
