How dry is a dry suit ?

[emoreira]

I'm just back from a 3 days dives in cold waters (8 ° C - 46 ° F). I did a 6 dives and this total 11 dives with drysuit in my hole diving history (71 logged dives).
The weather was also cold with something like 5 to 10 ° C (41 to 50 ° F) in the boat. 2 days were cloudy and one sunny.
I worn a rented neoprene drysuit manufactured by PINO SUB here in Argentina. The neoprene thickness was 6 mm. The drysuit valves were SI TECH from sweden (SI TECH AB).
The drysuit was not new though it was in very good shape.
I worn also 5 mm wet gloves and 5 mm semi-dry hood.
I realize that I was not wearing the correct undergarments, as I was pretty cold at the end of the second dive every day.
I've noticed that when I d-off the drysuit after the second dive, I had several wet patches in my undergarments just where the inflator valve is located in my chest and also several wet patches in both shoulders, this is why I cannot blame the exhaust valve in my left shoulder.
Besides, my both wrists were wet, very little.
I understand also that though I was conscious that I should not move my neck so much, I did, this possible causing the wet shoulders. What I'm concerned is related to the wet chest.
Is all this normal with those using drysuits ?

 

[Jax]

I cannot speak for your drysuit, Eduardo, but for me, my seals seep water due to my scrawny neck and wrists.

When my neck seal leaked a lot, it transferred to my chest and shoulders, and flowed steadily down my body.

I know some people stay absolutely dry, while others like me have damp spots. Good drysuit undergarments wick the moisture away from your skin, so you don't fill the chill as much.

Hope this helps, some. I'm guessing your neck seal wasn't as tight as a personal drysuit seal might be.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I think Jax hit that one on the head. My used DUI seeped at the neck until I replaced it with the properly trimmed one. Wet chest then, now I an normally dry. I think some condensation can be expected in cold water and the proper undergarments wick it away to prevent getting cold.

 

[Rileybri]

For me in my whites bullet how dry I wind up being is more a factor of how hot the ambient air temp is out of the water and how much I am exerting my self in the water. Ya see it’s a closed system so once you sweat in it the moisture has no where to go. So given that I would say my dry suit is less wet then my wet suit and MUCH more comfortable!

 

[msg]

The inflator may have a slight leak around the gasket, may need to be tightened slightly. Water at the shoulders or just around the exhaust valve. Water at the exhaust could be caused by hitting the valve when not being at the highest point or low air in the suit. Water around the wrist can be caused when the wrist are bent causing the seal to be opened. Condensation is also something to consider. If water is coming in, you will know about it.

 

[ajduplessis]

a Drysuit should be 100% dry. The only time you might find traces of water is due to condensation. Why have a drysuit if it's not dry 100% of the time??

For those with scrawny neck/wrists (and those who react to latex) I can recommend Apollo Bio Seals.

 

[smorneau]

I have a new drysuit and there is definitely a learning curve on what you can and can't do and expert to stay 100% dry. After 50 dives in it I am now only staying 99% dry. Practice makes perfection.

Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk

 

[ClayJar]

My drysuit is *never* 100% dry thanks to condensation or just plain sweat, but it's a general dampness on the whole surface (or throughout, if I was diving 42°F water and doing my stops in 85°F water with the sun beating down). Just like hiking, you wear a wicking layer and keep cotton away from you.

On the other hand, if you're getting wet from leaks, those shouldn't happen. With my neoprene neck seal, if I turned my head *just* the wrong way, I could dribble a little frigid water down my back, but that's about it. Only time I got really wet inside was when one of my gloves apparently rolled an O-ring and leaked. Three hours with one sloshy arm was enough to get me to buy Viking bayonet rings to solve that problem permanently. :biggrin:

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

All drysuits eventually become wetsuits ... and then you get 'em fixed.

Leaks are not uncommon. Sometimes they're caused by ill-fitting (or ill-fitted) seals. Sometimes by wear'n'tear. Sometimes by valves that become loose, or get some dirt or grit inside of them. I once had a drysuit that "seeped" due to some defect in the material in the boots ... replacing the boots fixed the problem.

The best "cure" for drysuit leaks is a good undergarment ... mine will keep me warm even when wet.

Oh ... and DUI tends to stand for "Dry Until Immersed" ... I loved my TLS350, as it was the best-fitting, most comfortable suit I ever owned. But I probably had as many wet dives in it as dry ones ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[skankpile]

yea yea.. always the negative DUI comments. Their competitors love that, but real dogs just laugh at some of the spandex power-ranger looking suits and people sporting the cheap bad-fitting suits with buoyancy issues, leaks etc..

Its not a wetsuit or skin, and it needs care and maintenance. If you take care of it it will keep you dry. All the DUI owners I dive with are dry, and we maintain our suits. For their service and quality I'll buy DUI again any day.