Justifying a dry suit or not

[boulderjohn]

I
However, if you swim fast you won't like it as much as wet, and you may or may not like the 10-15lbs additional weight you'll need to offset the bouyancy. I've been using a 7mm foam neoprene drysuit for a few years and would hate to leave that comfort behind again. It has slowed down my pacing though, and a nearly 40lb weight belt is miserable. But worth it once in the water. It was also cheap - under $500 on close-out.

I just completed teaching a dry suit class for the student who purchased my old Whites Fusion. I had just purchased a new suit of a different style, and I needed more weight then I expected with it.

IIRC, my student used about 16 pounds total. He had 10-12 pounds total in the pool with minimal undergarments, and he needed more in the open water, using an AL 80 for the dives. He is pretty muscular. I used 11 pounds plus my 6.5 pound steel backplate in the open water, for a total of 18.5 pounds. I was diving a single steel LP 85 tank, which gave me more weight than an AL 80. This was fresh water--we would obviously need more weight in salt water.

I am going to guess that I would need more weight with a 7mm foam dry suit in the ocean, but it is hard to imagine that I would need 40 pounds. If I did, I would not put it all on a weight belt. I would distribute some of it around on the tank, backplate, etc.

 

[spoolin01]

I've only ever dove the 7mm drysuit but tune in now and then to discussions of comparative bouyancy here, trying to scope out whether a shell suit might save some weight. I see mid-30s weighting described for those as well, and some who report little difference when switching between shell and foam. With so many factors, it's hard to conclude much from eavesdropping. In a 7mm wet fullsuit I use about 26lbs with an AL80 and aluminum backplate. I'm around 36lbs with the drysuit and LP120 whose bouyancy isn't too far off the AL80's.

I just picked up a couple of Whites Fusion suits to try, as I'm about on the line between the mid and biggest sizes. I tried the XXL/XXXL with sport skin and thin-lined lycra undergarment in a 57F pool last weekend, and with 30lbs of lead and a HP100 on the aluminum plate, I could get below if I pretty much emptied the suit. I won't be surprised if I'm up close to 40lbs once I get enough underwear on. I've got both the Whites MK2 and MK3 to work with, and some other options. Since I've now known nearly discomfort-free diving with the foam suit, I'm not going back. My main objective actually is finding a front-zip suit. So far I'm appreciating the simplicity and quick-doffing of the foam suit.

Since I've been using the heavy LP120, I haven't wanted to add any more weight to the rig. I usually dive sloppy seas from an inflatable and can't imagine slinging around a heavier rig. It helps to have it in two similar piles. I also don't follow wanting to have weight farther out and less immobilized when you can put it right on top of your hips. I don't notice the weight while diving, aside from the sore back later on...