Diving Dry, is it worth it?

[Dive Right In Scuba]

Dry suits are great and there is a place for them (in some places the only option) but everything nice comes at a cost and in diving equipment the cost of adding and maintaining a dry suit is substantial. The claim that they last longer than wetsuits and may have a warranty does not include seals and other parts that may fail at any time (seals, valves, etc.) and cost a few hundred dollars to fix. The worst is when parts fail in the middle of a boat trip and I have seen several of my friends miss dives because of malfunctioning valves, ripped seals, and leaks while out at sea. They also bring a new point of complexity and failure in your diving and therefore I do not think these are good for new or infrequent divers.

Yes they are top notch equipment and so are rebreathers which cost a fortune. But they are not for everyone ...

Good points, but there are solutions to those concerns as well...

We offer a lifetime warranty on suits bought from us. Including everything... zippers, seals, seams, holes, boots, etc. So, after the cost of the warranty, you have nothing to worry about for the life of the suit. This is an Industry first that we exclusively offer to our drysuit customers:
Lifetime Drysuit Warranty - Dive Right in Scuba

As for Replaceable seals, there are systems out there so you can change the seals in minutes. If you have one of these systems, you never waste a trip as you can swap out the seal on the spot.
Neck Systems:
Quick Neck Seal System - Dive Right in Scuba
Si Tech Neck Tite Drysuit Neck Seal System | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL - Dive Right in Scuba

Wrist Systems:
Si Tech Permanent Wrist Rings for Replaceable Seals | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL - Dive Right in Scuba
Si Tech Oval Permanent Wrist System | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL - Dive Right in Scuba

 

[MB NZ]

I look at it from another angle. Is it worth diving wet? There are few advantages.

 

[RJP]

I look at it from another angle. Is it worth diving wet? There are few advantages.

Well there is, um...
Oh, and don't forget, uh...
Ooh! Wait... no.

Yeah... I got nothing.

:d

 

[FinnMom]

Dry suits are great and there is a place for them (in some places the only option) but everything nice comes at a cost and in diving equipment the cost of adding and maintaining a dry suit is substantial. The claim that they last longer than wetsuits and may have a warranty does not include seals and other parts that may fail at any time (seals, valves, etc.) and cost a few hundred dollars to fix. The worst is when parts fail in the middle of a boat trip and I have seen several of my friends miss dives because of malfunctioning valves, ripped seals, and leaks while out at sea. They also bring a new point of complexity and failure in your diving and therefore I do not think these are good for new or infrequent divers.

Yes they are top notch equipment and so are rebreathers which cost a fortune. But they are not for everyone ...

In parts of the world where you can realistically dive wet more than 4-5 months a year: true enough. For the folks who would have enjoyed local diving 12 months/year, it's a shame they buy a wetsuit and immediately set themselves up for either a very limited, 2nd class experience or the need to also invest more money in a drysuit.
Around here (69d north lat) even most summertimes dives would be more comfortable, esp. a possible surface interval and 2nd dive, if you always dove dry. On those once in a decade warm spells you can always dive with just long underwear under your drysuit, no undersuit, even no gloves if it's downright balmy. Or you are..
Even permanent seals are not all that difficult to replace yourself and dry in 12-24hrs. If you are almost sure to have 2x the dry dives as wet dives/year, end the debate right there.

 

[undrwater]

The feeling of water against your skin. I like being immersed in water when I can. That includes diving.

 

[RJP]

The feeling of water against your skin. I like being immersed in water when I can.

That's what "swimming" is for!

 

[SeaHorse81]

My dry suit is the only reason I can still dive at all, anywhere. I've always been oddly predisposed to hypothermia, which is a poor match for the live-aboard diving I prefer. I finally said the heck with it and started taking my dry suit to the Caribbean and finally, I am as comfy and happy as everybody else all week (some of whom have the nerve to be warm with NO exposure protection while I'm diving dry with Under Armour cold gear and a sweat suit for undergarments!).

 

[Dive Right In Scuba 2]

Most will say what they will about dry suit diving, but in my experience most that dive wet are shivering and bundled up while I'm comfy and gearing up for another dive!

 

[Blue Quaker]

Took a diver out today for his first dry suit dive today.....it was snowing when we surfaced ( 2-4 cm in the forecast) and he laughed at the shivering OW student group (not with us) and, amongst other things, said " ...to think I used to be that stupid too"

 

[SeaHorse81]

The feeling of water against your skin. I like being immersed in water when I can. That includes diving.

You know, I thought that, too. In fact, that was the reason I didn't resort to getting a dry suit two years sooner, and very nearly quit diving instead. I was really afraid that it wouldn't feel like diving any more if I wasn't in much contact with the water. Turns out it's actually GREAT to be dry(ish). It's warmer, it feels better, it's less fuss with gear management and cleaning. There's more drag with a dry suit but that's the only downside I can think of. And it's not that bad anyway.