Has anyone gone wet again after diving dry?

[spectrum]

I took a dry suit class and while it was good being warm and dry after diving, I was'nt crazy about the bulkiness I felt and the weight I had to carry- I felt heavy underwater and amnot sure that I am willing to spend that kind of money in hopes it becomes easier the more I do it- I think I am going to be one of those who prefer being wet- the DS seems like such a hassle- a pain to put on, difficulty getting my BC on and getting hot even before the dive at 50 degrees surface temp- do you think I can get away w/ a good 7mm semi dry -- and be able to dive Morehead area off NC coast year round? I can afford dry but think I would be more comfortable wet- just want to be able to be comfortable at 60 degrees 100 ft down

Absolutely, give me wet anytime it will be comfortable and safe. I enjoy my drysuit for the extended season it lets me enjoy but hang it up as soon as it's prudent.

Most of my buddies share a similar sentiment.

For 60F I would not bother with a drysuit but that's me.

Pete

 

[300bar]

What's a wetsuit


Sorry,no i've never looked back at those day's no


well maybe in some tropicalwater but we don't have any of that overhere

 

[pir8]

Around here I dive wet from June to Oct then Dry from Novto June. Unless I will be doing something extreme in the summer I expect to be wet.

 

[dave4868]

I took a dry suit class and while it was good being warm and dry after diving, I was'nt crazy about the bulkiness I felt and the weight I had to carry- I felt heavy underwater and amnot sure that I am willing to spend that kind of money in hopes it becomes easier the more I do it- I think I am going to be one of those who prefer being wet- the DS seems like such a hassle- a pain to put on, difficulty getting my BC on and getting hot even before the dive at 50 degrees surface temp- do you think I can get away w/ a good 7mm semi dry -- and be able to dive Morehead area off NC coast year round? I can afford dry but think I would be more comfortable wet- just want to be able to be comfortable at 60 degrees 100 ft down

I'm curious, why are you even thinking about getting a drysuit?

Were you cold on wetsuit dives?

What were the air and water temps at the time?

Expect those conditions often?

What are the coldest air and water temps off NC that you expect to dive in?

Here's a link to conditions off NC (Olympus Dive Center page):

http://www.olympusdiving.com/index.cfm?section=811

Here's a link to NOAA buoys for up-to-date temp data:

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/maps/Southeast.shtml

Unfortunately, taking the drysuit course may have given you a false first impression of diving dry.

It takes some experience to choose a good fitting suit, to choose an undergarment to match the water temp and activity level, to gear up without generating excess body heat, and so on.

Your initial feeling of being encumbered by the suit is certainly real, but how did you feel when you first dove with a 7mm wetsuit? You probably quickly got used to it and the same is true of a good fitting drysuit.

Personally, I get cold pretty easily, so I got rid of my wetsuit years ago and I dive exclusively dry in water temps from the low thirties to upper 70's, just by adjusting the insulation. I love it.

By the way, that includes drysuit dives off NC charters in 78 degree water. And in 72 degree Florida caverns. Felt great with very light insulation. Pretty versatile, I'd say.

But I am very motivated to avoid being cold.

You don't seem to have that problem, right?

Then stay wet. Simple.

I'll never go back to wet, except for Bonaire!

Dave C

 

[fishb0y]

Not until I moved to Hawaii... of course 6 months after I sold my drysuit I got orders to Washington State.

 

[Scuba Brian]

i dive wet until the temp. of the water gets below 60F, then i'm as dry as the Sahara till it warms up again.

 

[SLANG]

I know it's already been mentioned, but I agree you really can't judge the benefits of a drysuit if you don't have the right fit and/or the right type of suit for you. That being said, I personally prefer diving in a wet suit. I've had drysuits, and I still occasionally will use one, but I prefer getting wet when I dive. It's like I tell people who ask, it's similar to the difference between driving a car and riding a motorcycle. And from my limited experience diving in NC, I can't imagine you'd absolutely need to use a drysuit there. I spend the vast majority of my dive time in temps from the mid-50s to the mid-60s, but I've even been wet even on dives with temps in the high 40s. I guess I'm lucky because I don't seem to get cold as quickly as others. I just wanted you to know that despite what you'll hear from most drysuit divers, diving dry isn't necessarily for everyone. Good luck whichever way you go.

 

[Thalassamania]

I'd much rather dive a wet suit.

 

[drbill]

Yes, two of my buddies went dry then returned to wetsuits. Both are underwater imagers and found the drysuits added something extra they didn't want to deal with while focusing on imaging.

 

[1_T_Submariner]

I prefer to dive in a swim suit or 3mm shorty! In the summer when I dive with my wife (No going below the thermocline for her) I shed the thick neoprene or drysuit and enjoy a dive with little lead and my shorty.