Short review Ursuit Easy drysuit

[Vidar]

I'm stuck at the workshop due to bad weather for the 2nd day in a row, so to pass some time I'll do a little review of the Ursuit Easy Drysuit. (Inspired by it hanging here - yes I'm bored).

Anyway, the Ursuit Easy is an unusual drysuit as you put it on as a normal overall with a front zipper. I'd say it is a drysuit designed for surface use, as opposed to diving, and it also looks more like a overall or motorcycle dress than a diving suit. The look is fine when you aren't actually going to dive but have activites that might cause you to get wet. So various watersports I assume, fishing/ ice fishing, and work involving risks of falling into rivers/ lakes/ sea or getting serious splashes.

I have tried it both on purpose swimming around, and actually falling in and floating down a river. The neck and hands are closed off with neoprene cuffs and they have proven effective and not too tight. That even goes for the neck area where I had expected some water to come in by the zipper area. My first use had some drops of water coming through the zipper, but that turned out to be my own fault as I hadn't applied the included lubrication to the zipper. After doing so it has been totally waterproof. Hopefully that will continue - apparently zippers are the doom of drysuits.

It is fairly breathable, and quite ok to work in. There are two waterproof chest pockets which are small but ok for a cell phone or similar. There is a big leg pocket, but I worry putting tools and the like in it for fear of tearing the waterproof leg on the inside of the pocket. And with heavy objects in the pocket it drags the pant section down to the level of an old school hip hopper, and put limits on your walking abilities. So I'm not really using that pocket. There are reflectors all over the place so it is easy to see in the dark.

The outer layer seems to be Cordura of some thickness, and with some serious reinforcements at the knees. The lower leg has a extra pant leg that goes outside your boot or shoes like a normal pant, thus protecting the inner section of waterproof legs and neoprene socks. There is a thick neck and hoodie that can be detached. I left it on as it help against splashes.

The suit was delivered in a carry bag which also included neoprene hood and gloves, the zipper lubrication, some repair patches with glue, and a beanie.

So far I'm happy with it. Looks and works almost like a normal overall, but will keep you dry and warm even if you fall in or get constant splashes.

[Grant Lamontagne]

 Very cool!

What work do you do that would necessitate such an outfit?

I have what we call a floater suit from Helly Hansen,although thankfully I have never required it for its intended purpose.  It is, however a fantastic cold weather suit for extended cold weather activities.

Def

[Vidar]

I got this suit for an ongoing project using AI to identify various fish species and automatically remove the invasive ones.

I use the suit for installation and work with various equipment in rivers. Waders work to some extent, but are always prone to splashes. Waders also limits how much you can bend forwards, and they doesn't keep your arms dry. And the arms have to go in the water, so at some point you do get wet. Which is no good in cold rivers. And cutting a work session short due to wet and cold is not an option.

With this one I don't have to worry about getting wet, and can bend forward and use the arms underwater without any issue. And safety wise I just float down river if I fall. Last time I just waited to hit a shallow area, got up, and went back to work. Just as dry and warm as before. Great indeed. (Sidenote: If you fall and go down stream with a wader people will try to help you. If you  fall and float downstream people just point and laugh...)

I got a Helly Hansen floater too, but just a jacket. That has been for use at sea. It is very warm too.

Safety wise here in cold waters staying dry is as important as staying afloat. I used to work at a research facility as a student back in the day. During weekend duties you would be alone at sea in a small workboat. The foreman was always very strict on us wearing a life jacket. Another part timer said that he always wore it so he would survive if he fell into the sea. The foreman replied that wasn't the reason to wear it. We'd freeze to death within 15-20 minutes anyway, and likely long before anyone could get to us. The reason to wear the life jacket was to recover the body easily instead of having to arrange a huge search party.

[old Lefty]

Interesting! Thanks for sharing


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[Grant Lamontagne]

I got this suit for an ongoing project using AI to identify various fish species and automatically remove the invasive ones.

I use the suit for installation and work with various equipment in rivers. Waders work to some extent, but are always prone to splashes. Waders also limits how much you can bend forwards, and they doesn't keep your arms dry. And the arms have to go in the water, so at some point you do get wet. Which is no good in cold rivers. And cutting a work session short due to wet and cold is not an option.

With this one I don't have to worry about getting wet, and can bend forward and use the arms underwater without any issue. And safety wise I just float down river if I fall. Last time I just waited to hit a shallow area, got up, and went back to work. Just as dry and warm as before. Great indeed. (Sidenote: If you fall and go down stream with a wader people will try to help you. If you  fall and float downstream people just point and laugh...)

I got a Helly Hansen floater too, but just a jacket. That has been for use at sea. It is very warm too.

Safety wise here in cold waters staying dry is as important as staying afloat. I used to work at a research facility as a student back in the day. During weekend duties you would be alone at sea in a small workboat. The foreman was always very strict on us wearing a life jacket. Another part timer said that he always wore it so he would survive if he fell into the sea. The foreman replied that wasn't the reason to wear it. We'd freeze to death within 15-20 minutes anyway, and likely long before anyone could get to us. The reason to wear the life jacket was to recover the body easily instead of having to arrange a huge search party.

The foreman was a wise man.

While I very much appreciate my floater suit it really only prolongs the inevitable in the North Atlantic.  Ordinarily they estimate that you have, at best 3 minutes, while the floater suit extends that to about 45 minutes.  Also, far too short for any kind of rescue.  But then, I don't go on boats unless they are tied to a dock!

That sounds like a fantastic project that you are working on, and one that I feel we could make use of here as well.  There are loads of invasive species all across Canada, and many in my own area that are killing off native species.  If it isn't too secret, I would love to hear more about your work, although I understand if that's not an option.

Def

[Vidar]

If it isn't too secret, I would love to hear more about your work, although I understand if that's not an option.

Yes, I think it is a rather interesting and sadly also a timely and needed project. We have a few implementation parts that we keep shut on for IP reasons, but we are open about most things.

The overall concept for rivers is simple enough: A fence makes sure all fish over a certain size has to go trough our sorting unit. Within the sorting unit they are photographed. A computer use a variant of artificial intelligence called convolutional neural networks to identify the species. If it is an invasive species it is passed on to a trap chamber for later collection, while a wanted species can continue upstream without more hassle.

The AI part with identification was the easy part, we have a new fence design that caters for challenging rivers where the traditional ones can't cope, a modular trap chamber so sizes and shapes can be adapted to different needs, and we're still working on the hard part - sorting. That is connected to fish behaviour and preferences which is further complicated by it changing somewhat with different species and ages. Then there are the interrelations between these species which aren't always amicable..

For large rivers we are aiming for perfect as emptying a trap chamber without mistakes is a lot easier than one which has to be manually sorted out. And perfect is hard. For small rivers with fewer fish it is less of an issue, and thus a few mistakes can be accepted - with the balance being a simpler and less expensive system.

Apart from rivers it can also be used in lakes, the sea (possibly for commercial fishing without bycatch), and there is no reason the AI technology can also be on land for animals, birds, insects and what not. (Although I suspect it will be harder to collect the immense number of photos needed to train the AI than for fish).

(Then there are of course various implementation challenges and work with all kinds of aspects, but that is 10000 mile overview).

[Vidar]

Interesting! Thanks for sharing

I guess Ursuit being Finnish is the default choice in Finland for drysuits?

[old Lefty]

I guess Ursuit being Finnish is the default choice in Finland for drysuits?

Not sure, maybe you are right.
My experience stops at wetsuits that we used decades ago when wind surfing was new and hip in this neck of the woods

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