# Beginner suit?



## Megan Berry (Jul 19, 2010)

My husband is learning to decoy, and will soon be in the market for his first suit. 

Any recommendations? He's 5'6", approx 155lbs.


----------



## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

how does he deal with pain?


----------



## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Megan Berry said:


> Re: Beginner suit?


The best fitting one you can afford to buy! Nothing sucks more than than trying to learn to decoy in a suit that is to small as the dogs beat the shit out of you. Or to big as you can't move in it.


----------



## Megan Berry (Jul 19, 2010)

Just fine. Something easier to move in would probably be preferable to something overly padded.


----------



## Megan Berry (Jul 19, 2010)

Geoff Empey said:


> The best fitting one you can afford to buy! Nothing sucks more than than trying to learn to decoy in a suit that is to small as the dogs beat the shit out of you. Or to big as you can't move in it.


exactly. Hes borrowing a too-big suit right now.  I would like to learn too, but I could drown in that thing!(I'm 5'3" 135lbs)


----------



## Derek Milliken (Apr 19, 2009)

I'll second what Geoff Said, even just a few inches too big makes a difference when you feel the difference custom makes. Go custom, not off the shelf.
The obvious choice is Demanet, I like both of mine. As for weight, Joby already addressed that.


----------



## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

the biggest factor is what the purpose is gonna be..

is the dog gonna be encouraged and allowed to find him in the suit, or is it gonna be used for other purposes...

that factor, coupled with the type and size of dogs would be a factor, as well.

training FR malis in the 60 lb range is far different from training larger dogs to grab and find you in the suit and go to work...


----------



## manny rose (Jun 3, 2010)

Depends on style of training, 60 fr mali or 90 knvp mali all feels good pain in comp or semi comp if ttrained to counter in. And 60 or 90 mali taught to just hang on.....well not so much! So plan on feeling some pain if training a dog properly.


----------



## Megan Berry (Jul 19, 2010)

60-80lb mals mostly. FR/PSA/PP type work.


----------



## Timothy Saunders (Mar 12, 2009)

I have done all three and have 3 suits. I think clement has a suit you can take padding out of to make the suit more light and flexible . I own a clement (not that type) and like it. I think a Demanet is the best suit all around. You have to remember suits are padded for the type of work.


----------



## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

mostly fr psa and pp ?  beginner...easy to move in....yeah that sums it all up...

beginner is gonna want more protection period...which will sacrifice mobility...

key is finding a suit that will be good for MOST of what you do day to day....extra stuff can be added for bigger stronger biting dogs, but if you have to add it most of the time, then that should be a factor as well


----------



## Megan Berry (Jul 19, 2010)

OK - So our main focus is French Ring. I say Personal Protection because we plan on throwing in some 'non-ring' stuff, and PSA because we havent ruled out the possibility.

Beginner because well, he is. Easy to move in because he'd rather have better movement and feel the bite more than be so protected from the bite that he can't move.

Better?


----------



## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Megan Berry said:


> OK - So our main focus is French Ring. I say Personal Protection because we plan on throwing in some 'non-ring' stuff, and PSA because we havent ruled out the possibility.
> 
> Beginner because well, he is. Easy to move in because he'd rather have better movement and feel the bite more than be so protected from the bite that he can't move.
> 
> Better?


I would suggest training weight pants...and a semi jacket then...can always add leather or neoprene where needed...maybe semi pants..maybe,,,

take into account how much the bicep and upper thigh bites can hurt once they start accumulating and are not healed by the next training session...

or just go for it...get a paper ba-, I mean trial weight and learn evasive and tension techniques on an accelerated schedule...


demanet is great. My favorite suit I owned was a clement...it was older though...

will be stiff but both loosen up good...


----------



## Tim Connell (Apr 17, 2010)

If you can get past the color scheme, there's a EuroJoe suit for sale over on the PSA forum.

http://www.psak9forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=2271

Keep an eye on the various forums for something used until you really know what you want. Most people like a very specific suit once they know what they are really looking for in a suit.

For new suits: An excellent made in America suit is the ALM. A good friend uses one, and loves it. Excellent suit at a very fair price.

Others swear by the Demanet, and others...try out some gear before you invest in something you may not like down the road, if you have the chance to do so.


----------



## sam wilks (May 3, 2009)

I would also keep in mind that its alright to feel some pain but if he is feeling too much he will be worrying about that instead of what he needs to be doing with the dog! neoprene gauntlets with ace bandages work pretty well if the suit doesnt offer much protection.


----------



## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Originally Posted by *Megan Berry*  
OK - So our main focus is French Ring. I say Personal Protection because we plan on throwing in some 'non-ring' stuff, and PSA because we havent ruled out the possibility.




Joby Becker said:


> I would suggest training weight pants...and a semi jacket then...can always add leather or neoprene where needed...maybe semi pants..maybe,,,
> 
> take into account how much the bicep and upper thigh bites can hurt once they start accumulating and are not healed by the next training session...
> 
> ...


If you want to move, semi pants and a semi top for FR. The PSA and PP stuff get a training top. Most of the nasty bruises I see on the decoys I work with are from upper body bites not so much leg bites. Except for when the home made line we had for the bungee broke and the carabiner hit the decoy in the ass. That smarted!! 

If you can afford it get a custom made to measure suit that will really help in the movement part. Expensive but in the long run worth it.


----------



## Zakia Days (Mar 13, 2009)

Some custom suit makers I'd say give a go on are: Demenet first. One of if not *the *best suitmaker.
Phillipe Clement
Seynaeve. Another very good suitmaker
Dany Maison. Not sure, but up and coming
suitmaker.

Good luck


----------



## Jason Davis (Oct 12, 2009)

Demanet semi comp top and bottom. It's pricy but worth it. It will last the longest and the padding holds up nicely. If you're working PSA style bites, just throw some padding around the arm area. In FR, the dogs will be biting the chest/collar bone area on the upper body, for the most part, so semi comp suit offers you plenty of protection for that. Invest in a good suit the first time. Your body will thank you lol. If he wants to fly out to Florida to work some dogs, he's more than welcome. My body hurts;-)


----------



## scott zimmerman (Dec 7, 2009)

I second Tim's suggestion with Arnaud at ALM. I have used Demanet and Seynaeve and they are both top notch suits, but I love my ALM. Excellent quality, made by a decoy with excellent personal customer service at a much better cost and the quality is equal to the other two. Not knocking the other two, you can't go wrong. But if there is a problem with Arnaud's suit, he will fix it no questions asked and only charge shipping. We have a Seynaeve suit as well and though their "warranty" policy might be the same, it is a whole lot cheaper to ship to CA than Belgium! If you go with Demanet or Seynaeve, shop around for the best price. Plenty of Demanet "dealers" in the states but I will tell you when it comes to Seynaeve suits, Charloe Kirshner is probably your cheapest/best bet as I have seen Leerburg charge several hundred dollars more for the same suit.


----------



## Derek Milliken (Apr 19, 2009)

Megan,
As Jason said, for mostly FR, with mid sized mals, a demanet semi comp will serve your husband well.
As Zakia said, there are several good ones out there.
I've worn and owned several Demanets, been happy with all. 
I've worn Synaeve, the fit was WAY better than Demanet, but something in the fabric, stiff, even though the movement was awesome. I just worried and thought I saw more wear on the dogs teeth.
Clement, I've heard nothing but good about them, but I've never worn one. ALM, they can be hit and miss, some are incredible, some not so much. Consistency seems to be the issue. If they sort that out, for the price...

My new suit is Demanet, custom fit. Only had it about 3 weeks, but I'm happy with it. Like I said in my earlier post, go custom fit. Sure the suit is pricey, but off the shelf vs custom is about a $20 difference. And the wait time, 2 weeks or 2 months...

That's where I'd tell your husband to go.


----------



## Chris Keister (Jun 28, 2008)

It is important to try and determine how serious he will be. Suits are not cheap and I can guarantee if you buy one for geared for decoy protection while he is new, if he gets serious and try's a dement or synaveve semi comp he will hate it. 

Go with demeng or synaveev, If he doesn't like it or decides decoying is not for him it will be easy to sell and get most of your money back. Those two brands are where it's at for bite suits


----------



## Megan Berry (Jul 19, 2010)

Thank you for all of the suggestions! The reasoning behind them will give us plenty to mull over as we decide.

Thanks!


----------



## Jeff Phillips (Feb 15, 2010)

I have a suit that I have had for less than a year and it has never had any leg bites, only upper body bites. I am 5'-7"and weight 180lbs and I had this suit custom fit for me. The suit I have is called a semi-comp Belgium and it is identical in construction to the Demanet. I'm asking $900. If you are interested let me know and I will send you some pictures.


----------



## Thomas Barriano (Mar 27, 2006)

Megan

Why don't you make one for him out of moving company packing blankets like the Pro's use for their Costa Rica training sessions? ;-)


----------



## manny rose (Jun 3, 2010)

Hey Derek, if you dont mind..what was the inconsistency on the ALM suits. I would imagine you have seen a few to come to that conclusion! Thanks


----------



## manny rose (Jun 3, 2010)

I am very close to purchasing one, so could use the info!


----------



## Peter Cavallaro (Dec 1, 2010)

manny rose said:


> I am very close to purchasing one, so could use the info!


Bumpity bump, like to see answer to this if possible.


----------



## Jonathan Katz (Jan 11, 2010)

If you are ordering your first suit, you cant go wrong with a semi-comp. you can always add under padding, you can't take padding out of a suit. If he is learning to decoy, a suit that doesn't fit him will hinder the learning process. The price of a custom made suit is extremely small price when you are talking about getting bite by a dog. 

My vote will always go to Seynaeve. www.ringsuits.com


----------



## kerry engels (Nov 7, 2010)

I heard this was a pretty good suit. http://canine-consultants.com/catalog.html


----------



## Evan Stuart (May 19, 2011)

I am/was in the same boat your husband is in. I ended up ordering a custom Seynaeve. I went semi-comp pants and a competitiion jacket with PSA bicep covers for a little bit extra padding in that area. Price is a little bit cheaper than Demanet, and my understanding is material quaility is higher in the Seynaeve than the Demanet (something about a material change a while ago?). Demanet is nice, but I think you are paying extra for a big name that is no more quailty than a a Seynaeve. 

check out www.ringsuits.com and get in contact with Thad. He's great to work with and will help you decide the best combination to fit your needs. Seynaeve is even making a semi-comp kimono jacket now. A lot of options and a great feeling suit.


----------



## manny rose (Jun 3, 2010)

Derek Milliken said:


> Megan,
> As Jason said, for mostly FR, with mid sized mals, a demanet semi comp will serve your husband well.
> As Zakia said, there are several good ones out there.
> I've worn and owned several Demanets, been happy with all.
> ...


Hey Derek, im very close to purchasing an ALM suit....and was wondering what were those inconsistincies you found! Im assuming you have had a few from your post...soooo help a brotha out. Thanks


----------



## Peter Cavallaro (Dec 1, 2010)

Help a brotha out.........lol

ALM was on my short list for my first suit, if u got a reason why not, help out the brothas man.


----------

