At what temp do you switch to drysuit?

[DA Aquamaster]

I prefer the streamlining of a wet suit as well as the lower task loading and I actually like to get wet when I dive. So I get out of my dry suit as soon as possible in the spring and delay using it for as long as possible in the fall.

When it is too cold for me to wear my 7mm semi-dry depends on several factors.

1) Air temp bewteen dives below 60 degrees.

2) water temp above the thermocline (where the longest stops are made) below 58-60 degrees.

3) water temp at depth below 40 degrees

4) dive time. For example I can stay comfortable with 40 degree water at depth and a 58 degree temp at your stop depths for a 30 minute dive, but will be cold if the dive time is 45-60 minutes long. Alternatively a 90 minute dive in water that is substantially warmer may also be too cold for a wet suit.

The bottom line is that it is too cold for a wet suit or semi-dry when you start to feel cold during the dive (either at the bottom or during the stops at the end of the dive) and the numbers above are just indicators based on my experience of when this happens to me. Normally this occurs in early October.

On the other hand, it's normally time to dump the dry suit and go back to a wet suit in late May or Early June when surface air temps hit 80 and overheating becomes an issue while getting ready.

 

[String]

There is no right/wrong temperature to switch - some people feel the cold, some dont. We have some people here diving in the winter with 42F water in 7mm semi drys without complaint. Others dive in 55F water in the same setup and are visibily shivering underwater.

A big factor isnt the water temperature, its the air temperature. While a wetsuit maybe comfortable in the water, if the air temp is roughly 40F and blowing a force 4 wind anyone wet WILL get cold and very quickly. Given that most of our trips involve 6-7 hours on a boat they are in serious danger of getting hypothermia on the surface.

I dive dry all year round where our sea temps vary from 40f in March to about 60F in September. I dont find 60 particulary warm and im not too hot in my drysuit so see no need to switch.

In fact, the first time i EVER dived wet was abroad in August having done all my training and regular UK dives in a dry suit from day 1.

Yes i found wetsuits to be "easier" (these were 5.5mm jobs) and gave more freedom but the water was roughly 71-75F.

The more cumbersome 7mm+7mm semi drys need just as much weight from my experience as my membrane drysuit.

If i lived in a place where sea temp never dropped below 60F and air temp never dropped below 45F i may be tempted to dive wet but below that no.

In March here im sticking to my drysuit, weezle undersuit, tracksuit bottoms, snowboarding socks, weezle boots, 5mm gloves and 5mm hood

 

[String]

paulwlee once bubbled...
I switched to a drysuit a few months ago.

Reason 3: when I take off the suit, I'm dry! No towelling off and getting out of the swimsuit necessary.

Ive never been that lucky.. Still take 2 pairs of shorts and spare tops to wear as im soaked every dive, usually even the act of launching the boat gets some water in

 

[MikeS]

I switch to the dry suit if I know the water is below 50 deg F. However, the air temperature is just as important. If the water temperature is above 50 deg F, the drysuit versus wetsuit decision has a bigger impact on comfort out of the water than in. If the air temperature drops below 70 deg F, it’s time for the drysuit.

The most comfortable diving is when the water and air temperature are near the same. For example in the tropics were the air and water temperature are 80 degrees. In that case I use a 2.5m wetsuit. Or diving at the quarry when the water and air temperature are both in the 50s I’m quit comfortable both in and out of the water with the drysuit and underwear.

When the air and water temperatures are different it’s a tougher call. For example when the water in the quarry is in the 50s and the air temperature is in the 90s. One place or the other you’re going to tend to be uncomfortable, either a bit cold in the water with a wetsuit (I have a 7-6-8 semi-dry) or rather warm out of the water in the drysuit and underwear.

A good wetsuit has much less drag than a drysuit, yet there’s nothing like coming out of the water dry on a cool, breezy day!

 

[cpete]

Having just bought a Drysuit with about 10 dives on it so far, if I'm diving Monterey, drysuit always. If I'm diving the tropics, wetsuit always. I doubt I will ever go back to my 7mil wetsuit in Calif so long as my Drysuit holds up. I dive in a 3mil in the tropics.

Chris

 

[DiverBuoy]

There are temperature ranges set by the mfg of suits. That having been said, it's really about comfort. I was in Cozumel recently and saw several divers using dry suits - was this insane - absolutely not. Remember even 86 degree water is almost 13 degrees colder than you It was certainly no more insane than the guy in a bathing suit and a tee-shirt. Exposure protection serves many purposes - it protects you from contact as well as a thermal barrier. It's only a personal pet peeve of mine that folks dive in shorties or bathing suits. However, I don't criticise them to their face, or embarrass them, I'm sure they weren't taught to do otherwise. I blame their instructors.

Even if your body is a thermo-nuclear oven when submerged - you should still dive with a full body skin - even a 1mm will be fine if the temperature is accomodating.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

The average person has a body temp of 98.6 but average skin temp is around 87 degrees. So saying there is a 13 degree temperatire difference is not entirely accurate. Water warmer than this is can cause problems with overheating if you are excercising and even at rest it will take a long time for you to get cold enough to shiver. In that case a dive suit or something offerring protection but very little insulation makes much more sense than a dry suit..

 

[jonnythan]

When the water dips below 60, or when I'm doing multiple dives and the air temp drops below 60.

 

[O-ring]

I almost never dive wet anymore, but even with warm water (79) I will dive dry if I am diving big steel tanks.

 

[Genesis]

in the mid 70s water temp, or when the air temp gets down to the lower 70s.

For me the issue becomes one of moving the boat. Since I drive my own boat, and to see I must have air blowing on me to some extent, I get REAL cold REAL fast in a wetsuit if its cool out. As soon as that starts, the second dive is VERY uncomfortable - and the drysuit comes out.

This spring I switched back to the wetsuit in mid May. I'm probably a week or so from switching back to the drysuit; I was ok on the first dive Monday, but cool on the second; I'll add the hood and vest, but that's only good for a few more degrees before I start to get uncomfortably cool in the water and its time to switch over.

Our winter water temps are in the low 50s, summer temps are in the low to mid 80s. In the winter it is not uncommon to have a reverse thermocline which makes things REAL interesting as deco stops can be VERY cold even if you're ok at depth.