Dry suit? Wet suit?

[sillygrendel]

I'm still pretty new to diving and I don't currently own any exposure protection. (yes... I'm still renting smelly suits)

I'm currently in Baltimore but probably won't be for too much longer. I had the chance to dive a dry suit (DUI TLS350) and absolutely loved it.

I figure if end up north I'm definitely going to want a dry suit. What I'm wondering is how many of you who live in warmer areas (ie florida) own drysuits and use them on a regular basis?

 

[jonnythan]

In warm waters (I call anything above 65 warm), I love using my wetsuit. So much less trouble, and, well, getting wet isn't always bad. Don't you ever like to swim?

 

[sillygrendel]

I figure if I'd never use a drysuit in warmer waters, I wouldn't need to think about getting one! (would be nice up here though)

Not sure where I'm going to end up and it may end up being somplace warm!

 

[danceswithoctopus]

There's plenty of discussion on this topic elsewhere on the board, you might look around and see what you can find. In short, you can go dry with a shell and vary the amount of insulation depending on the environment in which you are going to dive. OTOH, you can dive just about anywhere in a wet suit, given thick enough neoprene (and constitution). Kris (the little dancer) never got cold in his 7mm wet suit in Puget Sound, and I've diven (see dive v. dove thread) my DUI CF200 in waters as warm as 75F without cooking. (Note that Kris now dives dry--thanks Mike!) If you do go dry and are going to be moving from cold to warm you might want to steer clear of the thick neoprene dry suits 'cause more of their insulation comes from the suit, not the undergarment.

Where will you be doing most of your diving? I'd base my decision on the answer to that question. If you're going to do most dives in warmer waters, you're probably better off giong wet. But if you're going to be diving in the chillier northern lattitudes you'll probably prefer dry (most folks, not all, around here dive dry 'cause it's freakin' cold!).

Florida? Prob'ly wet.
$.02

 

[Bob3]

I've sold a few drysuits to folks in FL; most to the folks on the Gulf side from TPA & North. It gets downright chilly in the Panhandle area come winter, and then there are the spring divers/cavers.

I do most of my diving in the Keys, the most I've needed there for day long bubble blowing excursions is a 3mm jumpsuit, adding a 1/8" hooded vest underneath for those nasty "cold snaps".
If you're going to move to FL, your $$ would be better spent getting several different suits:
Lycra jumpsuit
0.5 mm jumpsuit
2mm-3mm jumpsuit or a 2/3 farmer john
2mm hooded vest
If you get cold REAL easily or spend all day in the water, you may want to bump a 5mm into the picture as well, or in place of the 2/3.

More suit means more lead, my personal preferance leans towards wearing as little of anything as possible. Makes things sooo much easier & enjoyable.

 

[Green_Manelishi]

Yo Bob,

You musta decided "as little of anything" sometime AFTER the
picture I've seen. My friend, you were wearing LOTS of gear !!!

G_M

ps. be careful HOW little you wear

 

[IndyScott]

Dive dry! IT is so much nicer ro stay warm when diving and easer to change out of. :ninja:

 

[SubMariner]

As Canadians, Pearce & I always dove dry year 'round at home & had a full 3mm (1/8") for tropical or pool use.

Now that we live south of the Mason-Dixon line, we STILL have only two suits: a DUI 350TLS trilam and a full 1/8" pool/tropical suit.

The drysuits get used whenever we dive in water temps below 80F such as the Florida Springs or the Gulf during the colder months. Anything above 80F and we use the wetsuits.

Once you start diving dry, you will NEVER go back to diving wet in anything other than tropically-warm waters.

BTW, the DUIs are superb. Worth every penny.

~SubMariner~

 

[buff]

I agree with Submariner about getting a 3mil wet suit(I dive with a Bare 5/3 front zip and that was if it is too warm I just open it up and vent cooler water in). I have a Northern Diver dry suit and an Aqualung dry suit too.

But the prices I see for DUI suits are just unrealistic. They are good suits but there are more affordable, well built suits on the market e.g. Northern Diver, Aqualung, Oceanic, Bare, Viking. I feel the price of the DUI suits just isn't justified-they are almost double the cost of any other dry suit.

 

[jonnythan]

buff once bubbled...
I agree with Submariner about getting a 3mil wet suit(I dive with a Bare 5/3 front zip and that was if it is too warm I just open it up and vent cooler water in). I have a Northern Diver dry suit and an Aqualung dry suit too.

But the prices I see for DUI suits are just unrealistic. They are good suits but there are more affordable, well built suits on the market e.g. Northern Diver, Aqualung, Oceanic, Bare, Viking. I feel the price of the DUI suits just isn't justified-they are almost double the cost of any other dry suit.

I second that.. I paid $760 for my Northern Diver drysuit, brand new. It's every bit as high quality as the DUI suits I've seen... why pay $2000+ when you don't have to?