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AVATAR DRYSUIT | SRP: £1,350 Mark Evans: Avatar might be a new brand name for many people, but the heritage of this suit is plain to see just by even a cursory glance. This suit comes from the same stable as the iconic line up of Santi Drysuits, so its lineage is not in any doubt. However, Avatar is its own brand and own suit, and for anyone in the market for a keenly priced membrane drysuit, which is light enough for travel but durable enough for local cold-water diving, then it is well worth checking out. COVID 19 played havoc with our testing schedule, and this – combined with delays on being able to get test products into the country – means that it has taken several months to finally get our hands on an Avatar and take it diving. So let’s get the core elements out of the way first. The Avatar is constructed using advanced ergonomics which eliminates four-way seams in the crotch and under-arm areas, giving unparalleled range of movement against its closely priced rivals. The Avatar I had on test fit rather snugly over the Avatar undersuit (SRP: £210), but I still had the full range of movement both topside and underwater and not once did I feel overly restricted. It is a telescopic torso design, with a crotch strap and cross-torso front-entry plastic zipper, and inside, it has internal braces to properly support the suit. The Avatar has a subtle but effective colour scheme, with the blue-grey of the main suit contrasting nicely with the black Oxford nylon reinforcements on the knees and elbows/forearms, and on the crotch pad, which also provide extra abrasion resistance. The four-layer membrane material of the suit has a weight of 200g/m2, which means the entire suit weighs in around 3kg, making this ideal for taking to the Med, for instance, or the Red Sea in the winter months. The suit has latex neck and wrist seals, and there is a neoprene neck warmer collar to help retain heat in colder conditions, as well as give you something to tuck your hood into. Down at the business end, the Avatar has 3mm neoprene boots, with a rubber sole that extends up the heel and over the toes. There are also Velcro straps around the ankles to help prevent excessive air migration into the feet. I found these boots extremely comfortable, and they fit well with a thick undersuit sock on your feet, so I was never cold. I did find the sole thinner than some other membrane and trilaminate suits I have dived recently, though, and could feel some of the sharper terrain through them. There are spacious cargo pockets on both thighs, complete with bungie loops inside to secure accessories. The large Velcro-closing flap can easily be opened thanks to the design featuring a solid bar across the bottom – you can locate and grasp it even wearing thick neoprene gloves or drygloves. They are plenty big enough for a spool and DSMB, a torch, spare mask, etc.
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The Avatar comes complete with swivelling Apeks inflator valve and a high-profile Apeks exhaust valve. These are branded up as Avatar, and work well, as you’d expect from a tried-and-tested design such as Apeks. The Avatar is supplied with a compact drysuit bag, and a neoprene hood. The Avatar undersuit is made from Sherpa fleece, which is constructed from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles. It has a weight of 450g/m2 and the company say it is perfect for use in temperatures from 6-18 degrees C. It has a grey mélange knitted jersey outer, and the internal Sherpa fleece is very soft and comfortable – in fact, it looks and feels very much like lamb’s wool. The undersuit has two side pockets, is equipped with a double-ended splash-proof zipper, and can be machine washed with no issues. While it has a simple, functional look to it, the Avatar undersuit is also purposeful, with P-valve outputs inside the pockets, and an output for a heating cable.
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