TESTCENTRE
Quality from top to toe
Pro-Elite Lite SD Drysuit
COMPANY: HAMMOND DRYSUITS PRICE: FROM £ 1890 TEL: 01474 704 123 WEB: HAMMOND-DRYSUITS. CO. UK
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Keeping you warm and dry since 1979’ is the proud masthead on Hammond Drysuits’ website. The Kent-based drysuit manufacturer is obviously doing something right after four and a half decades in business, and Test Centre was keen to discover what it was.
The company’ s latest drysuit, the Pro- Elite Lite SD, is a lightweight version of their popular membrane / trilaminate, Pro-Elite. The SD signifies Self Donning, and as such features the familiar diagonal shoulder-tohip entry method.
While the difference between neoprene and trilaminate suits is pretty self-evident, the actual component materials which combine to create the latter may not be quite so.
The Pro-Elite Lite incorporates a 70g / sqm ripstop outer with a waterproof 100g / sqm butyl liner and a 90g / sqm polyester inner. This sandwich combined, makes for a very hard-wearing and robust barrier against the rough treatment meted out weekend after weekend and trip after trip, in often harsh UK conditions.
All of Hammond’ s diving suits are madeto-measure. It’ s a simple procedure which can be done in your living room and – assuming you’ ve been honest about your waistline and vital statistics – it ensures the perfect fit. It helps if someone else can do the measuring and double, if not triple check, to make sure.
The Lite is available in a choice of five colours. The top telescopic section comes in Olive, Navy, Red, Yellow or Royal Blue, while the lower section of the suit is black throughout. Both parts have an attractive, understated criss-cross pattern.
Scent of a drysuit
I love the smell of a new drysuit in the morning, so after a period of poor diving conditions I was raring to go. Along with the suit itself, I also received a three-piece CoreTek Undersuit(£ 150) consisting of top, leggings and socks, plus a two-piece CoreTek Base Layer(£ 47).
In 10-degree water I paired the Lite with the CoreTek Undersuit and after guiding my feet through to the warm, neoprene / rubber boots, slipped the internal braces over my shoulders. Donning the upper of the suit, arms first followed by the head was a doddle.
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