Dive Magazine Review
By Charles Hood

In the UK the drysuit market is saturated ­ there are hundreds of different models to choose from. But is there room for one more? Well, a new entrant to the market, Sports Components, a company based in Brecon (mid Wales), think there is. Steve Thomas, its managing director, is a cave diver and self-confessed fusspot when it comes to his equipment. His philosophy is to redesign products that he feels could have been made better. So, has he achieved his goal with his first piece of kit, the Outer Edge drysuit? The DIVE test team took an exclusive look at one of the first suits off the production line. The suit is made from 4.5mm compressed, super-stretch neoprene and my initial impression when I put it on was that it gave a comfortable fit and provided good manoeuvrability. The outer nylon lining appears to be hard-wearing and the neo-vulcanised kneepads and hard-soled boots appear to be up to the job. Entry and exit are via a shoulder-entry zip, which is protected both inside and out by a flip-down flap. In the water the suit certainly is flexible. It was December when we tested the Outer Edge and the water was a cool 10°C, so I supplemented the Thinsulate that comes with the suit with an extra base layer. This made the suit a neat fit.

Throughout the dive I barely noticed I was wearing it, in fact it felt a lot more flexible than the thick wetsuit I use for winter Red Sea diving. I would say that this suit offers all the movement benefits of a membrane suit without the drawbacks of having little insulation and a rigid material. It is supplied with Sports Components' purpose-designed inlet and exhaust valves, inflation hose, super-stretch hood and latex neck and wrist seals. Personally, I would change the neck seal for a neoprene one, but that's because I usually spend all day in a suit and have found that latex seals chafe at the neck.

After ten-hours of test diving the Outer Edge, I think it is a delight to use, and coming in at just over £450 represents great value for money – especially when the whole kit also includes lightweight undersuit, storage/carry bag, direct feed, talc and zip lube. Sports Components say it has managed to put together this value-for-money package by cutting overheads rather than price. The company manufactures and sells direct, so it doesn't have high distribution costs.

Sports Components is currently recruiting agents, including dive clubs, who can sell into their own local area. The next products to be released are aimed primarily at the cave-diving market, but as with most diving equipment these will probably appeal to the majority of hard-core British divers.

Verdict
Flexible suit and excellent price
Value: 9 out of 10
Performance: 9 out of 10

www.divemagazine.co.uk

Sport Diver Review
By Mark Evans (Editor)

Brecon Beacons-based Sports Components is a relatively new company in the diving industry, but it is set to make waves with its Outer Edge drysuit.

A comfortable fit is assured, because the suit is constructed from 3mm compressed, super-stretch neoprene. This gives all the benefits of a membrane suit, but with the inherent warmth that you get from a neoprene suit. The flexibility belies the fact that you are wearing a drysuit at all – it feels more like a 4/5mm wetsuit!

The suit has a traditional rear entry, heavy-duty zipper, with internal and external flaps, and comes with neovulcanised hard-sole drysuit boots. This durable, hardwearing nature continues with the tough outer lining of the suit itself, and the thick but flexible kneepads.

Personally, I am not a fan of latex seals for the neck or the wrists – I generally just don’t find them as comfortable or as warm as neoprene – but I have to say that the latex used on this suit is far better than some I have tested in the past. Still, if I was going to be keeping this suit on all day while out at sea, I think I’d want to swap the seals for neoprene, but that’s just me. Sports Components do offer a swap from latex seals to neoprene seals for £25 for the wrists and £25 for the neck.

Performance obviously counts, but in this day and age, you want your kit to look good too, and the Outer Edge is very eye-catching in its bright red-and-black colour scheme. This two-tone finish is very effective and makes the suit stand out in a crowd.

The Outer Edge drysuit is supplied with Sports Components’ own inlet and exhaust valves – according to the company website, it spent nearly three years developing this valve system, which is also available for retro-fitting to any other brand of drysuit – and these work very well. The swivel inflator is responsive, and the autodump is streamlined and easy to adjust.

The drysuit comes with inflation hose and a matching super-stretch neoprene hood, all bundled into a sturdy storage/carry bag. For an extra £40, you can get a lightweight undersuit thrown into the mix.

The Outer Edge is only available direct from Sports Components, meaning the company can keep the price competitive yet still offer a top-quality suit, and after making several dives in 8°C water, I can confirm that this is an extremely comfortable suit which looks good, works well and is built to the highest standards.

www.sportdiver.com