Once you go dry, any reason to go back to wet even in warm water?

[NARCOSISOFTHERIVER]

Out in the lake I go with the drysuit mainly because of the thermoclines, but if I'm off to the river it's on with the wetsuit and off with 8 to 10 lbs. of lead. Cheers.

 

[lowviz]

Out in the lake I go with the drysuit mainly because of the thermoclines, but if I'm off to the river it's on with the wetsuit and off with 8 to 10 lbs. of lead. Cheers.

I can relate to that. Gear-up for the conditions. And for inlet diving, if you stay too long at the party, you'll be crawling across the bottom to avoid the ripping current while getting ready to trash that expensive drysuit on the barnacle covered rocks. Wetsuits indeed have their place...

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Right now in S Florida, the water is very warm and the air is hot. I find that a full dive skin (that i keep wet while wearing on the boat) helps to keep me cool from evaporative cooling and the sun protection is welcome as well. I generally slip on a full 2 or 3 mm jumpsuit (and usually a thin hood) over the skin when diving. i'm sure a dry suit would be impractical and for me right now, the challenge is to stay cool, not warm after several dives.

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

Nowadays I just use two suits: a crushed neoprene drysuit and a 3mm.

I wear the drysuit whenever conditions permit: less than 26C/78F.

I love being able to do 90-120 minute dives without feeling cold, the pockets on my drysuit are a godsend and I don't spend half the day shivering in the sea breeze. Its also good to stay in practice diving dry.

For true tropical conditions nothing beats diving a 3mm with only 1-2 weights.

 

[mikemill]

Certainly, it's personal preference.

Here in North Central Florida, the springs are a constant 72 deg F year round and a 7 mil wet suit is very comfortable. There is less drag in a wet suit so you go farther and use less gas. If you're trying to extend your dive time and get farther then you would otherwise, a wet suit is a practical alternative. Some dives are appropriate for a dry suit and some for a wet suit.

A poster above mentioned pee valves. Quite a few folks down here have added a cheap adaptation of a pee valve to their wet suits (the original idea & design came from Hogath, BTW). They use a plastic 90 deg barbed 1/4" elbow, 2 SS washers, some round neoprene circles, a short piece of 1/4" rubber tube and a couple of feet of 1/4" plastic tube (I'll see if I can find time to make a set of instructions for this and post it on my web site).

Be safe and have fun in the water! Bruce

Why would you need a pee valve for a wet suit?

 

[RJP]

Why would you need a pee valve for a wet suit?

Believe it or not, a good many people don't like to spend an hour or more soaking in their own urine.

 

[jenaddyman23]

Believe it or not, a good many people don't like to spend an hour or more soaking in their own urine.

just flush it out and you dont need to soak in your own pee. just put your octo in your next opening and purge. you wetsuit will fill with bubbles and vent out from your feet (just make sure your wetsuit isnt tucked into your booties)

 

[Doc Harry]

I've been diving in the Keys when it was so warm that my red speedo was even too much of an exposure suit......

 

[Tigerman]

I actually preferr diving wet in tropical locations.
Partly because its less to lug around, partly because I actually like getting wet when jumping into the water and it allow me to not get too cold..

 

[Jeff Toorish]

Good thread.

I would echo everything Pete said and add a couple more points.

The suit you choose, just like every other piece of gear in your kit, is a tool and nothing more. Choosing the right tool for the particular job (dive) is important.

Personally I very much prefer diving wet and get out of my drysuit as soon as I reasonably can in the spring. Here in Maine, I am probably one of the first divers to get wet each year.

Drysuits have their place, but I find them difficult when traveling so normally I will take wetsuits on trips unless the conditions preclude that. Also, a flooded or leaking wetsuit can be a real problem in some locations because there is no way to dry out the undergarment.

But all that is sort of technical. For me, the diving aesthetics are simply better in a wetsuit. I just enjoy the dive even more when I am wet.

Jeff