Fast drying wetsuits?

[100days-a-year]

Dive year round and getting tired of changing into a cold wetsuit 3 to 6 times a day in the winter.

I need a wetsuit ,saw Henderson Instadry was NLA so asking here

3 to 5 mm,doesn't matter if 1 or 2 piece.
Dries in minutes
Under $500
Absolutely not interested in drysuits or parkas.I spearfish for a living and need mobility.Tried parkas to stay warm between dives with no success as air temps are sometimes down to 40s and WT can get into hi 50s.

TIA

 

[Akimbo]

I take a different approach. I could care less if the inside of my suit dries since I spray it with a highly-dilute water and soap mixture. There is no internal fabric lining, just rubber. It slides on as if it were washed down with 10w-40. It is the norm in freediving and there are some Neoprene blends with "split-cells" that are more resistant to suit compression than others (better for Scuba). Split-cells, rather than smooth skin, act like millions of tiny suction cups that reduce water circulation. It also keeps the thickness of the water film between you and the suit to a minimum so the suit warms up faster.

There are quite a few Scuba divers in Florida using Mako freediving suits.

 

[northernone]

I'd second the comfort of a well fitting freediving suit, less horrible to slip on wet than the furry diver's wetsuits.

A couple suggestions from a cold water wetsuit diver: have 3 wetsuits on rotation, dry warm ones always ready if your boat has room. This is rarely practical but I do it shore diving with students when pre warming the suit isn't practical.

The most significant tip I use is prewarming and wetting the suit with body temperature water. A dry wetsuit floods with cold water, requiring your body to heat it, immediately chilling you unnecessarily. If you quickly gear up wet and warm already you can maintain core temperature much longer. An engine block little water heater works well. Metal can or tub on an engine or exhaust. Same thing possible on a boat I imagine? Or just a thermos.

Sorry I don't have a quick dry suit I've experienced that worked in a significant way, perhaps my alternative thoughts would be helpful as I hate a cold wet wetsuit too. I've only owned a drysuit 3 years and have been in cold water my whole (still fairly young) life, including plenty of ice.

Regards,
Cameron

 

[CuzzA]

Dive year round and getting tired of changing into a cold wetsuit 3 to 6 times a day in the winter.

I need a wetsuit ,saw Henderson Instadry was NLA so asking here

3 to 5 mm,doesn't matter if 1 or 2 piece.
Dries in minutes
Under $500
Absolutely not interested in drysuits or parkas.I spearfish for a living and need mobility.Tried parkas to stay warm between dives with no success as air temps are sometimes down to 40s and WT can get into hi 50s.

TIA

Do you have outboards? When I went out with Dan this month they plumbed into their tell tale and we had endless hot water overflowing a bucket on deck. We would just keep filling our suits with damn near boiling hot water as we worked all day. It made the trip very comfortable.

 

[flyboy08]

Sharkskin or Lavacore may be an option to look into? My SS dries rather quickly in the sun.

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

A 7 mm Freedive suit (such as a MAKO Yamamoto Suit) will be extremely warm. However the OP is asking about a quick drying wetsuit. Any wetsuit which has a lycra or nylon exterior (as our suits all do) will be subject to evaporative cooling on the surface. Until the material is totally dry there will be some heat loss associated with evaporation.

The normal solution for an extended surface interval in cold weather is to remove the suit. Alternatively, you can wear a large parka or boat coat or some windproof garment that provides insulation AND eliminates the evaporative cooling effect.

I suspect the OP has a pretty good handle on these constraints and strategies to offset the issue.

If evaporative cooling is a major concern, the diver does NOT want to remove the suit between dives and does not want to wear a windproof outer garment, then the solution is probably to use a wetsuit with a smooth bare rubber exterior.

The smooth rubber on the outside holds essentially zero water, it will dry in a few minutes completely and then the evaporative cooling is eliminated.

Some freedivers prefer a suit like this and they can be purchased. Generally a freedive suit has smooth (bare) rubber on the inside and a nylon exterior. This makes for a flexible suit and one that is quite resistant to abrasion and other abuse.

A smooth rubber suit (with nylon only on the inside) will be slightly harder to don, but will be much warmer on the surface before a dive. The big problem with these suits (and the reason that their popularity limited) is that they are very susceptible to UV damage from direct sun on the exposed rubber. The back and shoulder will begin to crack and weather in a year or two - depending on frequency of use and sun exposure.

There may also be some issues with abrasion from the tank harness etc, and the knees are also very vulnerable to abrasion with no exterior protection. However, if the diver understands these limitations and can accept a somewhat shortened life span for the suit, then a smooth rubber exterior suit may be the best choice.

As mentioned, MAKO does not sell such a suit, It may be possible to wear one of our 5 mm freedive instructor suits inside out (since they have no knee pads, chest pad etc) but I really can't recommend that because I don't know anyone who has tried it.

I think you may be able to buy a stock or custom suit with smooth rubber exterior from Elios. Not sure of wait times etc. but it might be an option.

 

[100days-a-year]

Thanks Dano,nice explanation.

 

[Rred]

We used to have *textured* bare rubber that was referred to as "Sharkskin" in the US, although I'm told this is now being used as a trademark for some particular fabric from Oz. Smooth or textured, either way, if the OP wants it to dry in "minutes" they'll have to go with an all-neoprene suit, no fabric on either side. And that may mean adding wear patches on the knees, etc. if need be.

 

[mcohen1021]

If your budget is $500, why not buy three $150 wetsuits and swap out between dives? Suit #1 should be dry before dive #4 starts I would think...

 

[Neilwood]

Personally I would either go for the option of additional suits or flushing with warm water when needing warmed up. Even a flask or two of hot water would probably be enough to add sufficient warmth (you will not need a huge amount of water each time).