Cold water protection?

[boulderjohn]

No you're reading that backwards. Wetsuits compress and therefore reduce your displacement (bouyancy), making you heavier in the water. This means more air (not more weight) is needed at depth to offset the net weight gain.

Exactly.

That is one of the biggest problems with a thick wet suit. You are guaranteed to be overweight at depth, unless you can devise a magical system of taking some weights off when you are at depth and then putting them back on before you ascend. A dry suit is more uniform because as it compresses you add gas to compensate for changes in pressure.

Your goal is to have enough weight to get down at first, but more importantly to have enough weight at the end of the dive (when your tank is getting closer to empty) to maintain a safety stop followed by a controlled, slow final ascent.

Many divers new to thick wet suits are surprised by how much change there is in buoyancy in those last 30 feet or so. They are doing just fine in their ascent and then suddenly they feel themselves rocketing to the surface. That is because when that suit was compressed and they were overweighted, they had to add a significant amount of air to the BCD to remain neutral. As they ascend, both the wet suit and the extra BCD air expand rapidly, pulling them to the surface.

 

[rstofer]

If it wasn't for the cost of drysuits, wetsuits wouldn't exist. Well, that and a drysuit may take a little more ballast.

For water temperatures at or above 50 F, you can get a workable wetsuit for $170
Edge Men's 7mm Monterey Wetsuit

A better wetsuit might cost $300
Henderson 7mm Thermoprene 2-Piece Wetsuit

A superb semi-dry wetsuit might cost $500
SolAfx Wetsuits

A pretty decent drysuit might cost $1800 (not the cheapest model around, not the most expensive)
DUI TLS 350 Select Men's Drysuit

and you might need additional undergarments at around $400 depending on water temperature and what's included with the drysuit.

So, the top-of-the-line semi-dry wetsuit might cost $500 and a modest drysuit might be about $2000. That's a pretty huge difference when you provide all the funding for 4 divers and one is growing like a weed.

Whether a wetsuit diver skips dives depends on more than just the wetsuit. It could be that dives are inexpensive, like a beach dive. Do one or skip it, it isn't a 'once in a lifetime' kind of thing. Boat dives are more costly. I don't recall ever skipping a boat dive. But it isn't just the wetsuit that has me turned off to beach diving. A lot of it has to do with beach diving. Given a choice, I would rather drink hot chocolate.

One of our local charter RIBs installed a hot water circulating system for wetsuit divers. Kind of neat! I haven't been on the boat but it will make the shortlist of potential 6 pack charters.

I actually find my AquaLung SolaFX to be quite comfortable between dives. I leave the suit zipped up and just pull the hood back. But the conditions around Monterey are fairly benign. Water temp 52 deg F and air temp around 60 deg F (Jan 2, 2009) so it isn't really all that cold.

Drysuits are definitely the way to go. The very next time I have $10k to throw at this sport...

Richard

 

[NudeDiver]

Have a Henderson 7m wetsuit and will be diving alot in cold water will that offer the protection a dry suit will with hood and gloves?

No, not even close.

Whats the tempature differances and comfort being cold that is, are they that big of a diffrance?

The difference between going diving in cold water once, and going multiple times.

Coldwater == drysuit.

 

[gNats]

All of the other posters had great advice and wisdom... Now hear from a cold weather wussy..

(Notice I didn't say water?)

I hate to be cold and wear a sweater or fleece jacket in most buildings with air conditioning during the summer months.

I wear turtlenecks and sweaters in the winter months.

I dived on NYD in Ohio. Air temp: 20s F. Water temp: 37 F. Thin sheet of ice on quarry.

Did I feel the cold during my dive using a drysuit? Hell yes! But, it was not unbearable. Dove for 18 minutes after hanging at the surface for 15 minutes while a buddy's free flow was resolved. The only reason I ended my dive was due to boyancy (my fault) and not because I was too chilled. Once out of the water, I slipped out of my drysuit and was comfortable hanging out in my long underwear and a fleece layer. Within 10 minutes, my body didn't feel chilled at all.

I NEVER could have done a NYD dive in a 7mm 2 pc.

Back in December, I dove with someone in a 7mm. He lasted the entire dive, but frankly, he was so cold when he came out of the water it was painful to look at him. The shivering was well pronounced and he looked cold even after changing and sitting in the truck. The water temp that day was 38 F.

I bought my drysuit because it was a deal I couldn't turn away from. I am thankful to have it, it has definitely opened up the season for me here in Michigan. And, I expect I will dive dry during the summer months.

The biggest question to ask yourself, is do you want to dive between October and April? If you are happy hanging up your gear in October and not diving again until April/May, stay with the wetsuit.

The drysuit will definitely give you a longer diving season.

 

[DiveNav]

Sorry... You said "A FJ can lose as much as 20lbs of bouyancy at depth". If I use 25lbs now to get under in a 7mm 2 piece and have netural bouyancy at the surface. are you saying I'm actually becoming lighter under the water and would need more weight? I have trouble with bouyancy as it is " Told it takes time and continued pratice" which I believe but the loss of 20lbs has me confused. Sorry bear with me New Diver and was woundering about this and one of those questions I wish I would of had a thought of to ask my instructor before the end of the course.

You can experiment how the wetsuit changes buoyancy at depth (and other things too ) using our scuba diving simulator.

Soon, in addition to the buoyancy model of the wetsuit, our simulator will have the thermoregulation model too.

Regards,

 

[String]

Worth remembering that when a wetsuit compresses at depth and loses buoyancy that means its also losing thermal properties. So at depth where the water is often coldest the suit is at its LEAST warm as well.

 

[Sas]

There is a huge difference between wetsuit and drysuit diving. I dived wet down to 10C/50F and after repetitive dives in a day it was *not* comfortable, especially as a photographer as I wouldn't be moving much. One dive (third of the day) I had to end early as I was shaking so bad I couldn't hold the camera, I was uncoordinated and I was almost in pain. I was cold until well into the next day. Very shortly after that I got a drysuit.

It is easy enough to dive in 50F though if you do *one* dive only

Since I got a drysuit I dived way more over winter and could do more and longer dives. Can't recommend them highly enough.

 

[ruready7]

I can tell you from experience that diving in a wet in cold water is doable but not for long or repetitive dives. My last dive was with a 7/5mm suit in 42 degree water. Only 25 min and one dive. I am looking for a drysuit as I am typing this.

 

[boulderjohn]

If it wasn't for the cost of drysuits, wetsuits wouldn't exist. Well, that and a drysuit may take a little more ballast.

Lt's not take this too far.

I assume you are limiting this to cold water diving. If I am going to a tropical paradise, I would much rather stuff my 3 mm wet suit in my bag than bring a dry suit.

Even in some colder water diving, a wet suit can have advantages. For example, when I went to the GaláÑagos, veterans of those dives strongly suggested leaving the dry suit home, because the combination of ripping currents and jagged rocks could cause a tear that would not only be expensive to repair, it could leave you with no thermal protection for the rest of the trip.

 

[seaducer]

I can tell you from experience that diving in a wet in cold water is doable but not for long or repetitive dives. My last dive was with a 7/5mm suit in 42 degree water. Only 25 min and one dive. I am looking for a drysuit as I am typing this.

I have done several repetitive dives in similar temps in my 7mmFJ. Been down longer than 25 minutes also. It really is going to depend on how your body handles the cold.

I would never talk anyone out of a ds, excepting the price. But, if you have the correct lack of sense, a wetsuit is pretty doable