So you don't go wet after the drysuit...
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So is your question.. should you buy a drysuit? If so, it depends. If you think you will get serious into the diving around Wyoming, then yes, you would probably be in a great place to consider dry. Advantages I have seen as a new dry suit diver:
* I have not been cold yet AT ALL down to the 56 degrees I have seen so far
* I have extra pockets to store gear, scallops, etc.
* Bouyancy is easier for me to control. I dive with a back-inflation BC and now it is SUPER easy to know how much air I have.
* I come out all dry and toasty, needing only a quick wipe over my hair and face
Some disadvantages I have seen so far:
* I am almost afraid of the water before suiting up. I avoid water, etc before suiting up so that I do not start the dive with wet dive wear.
* Buoyancy is temperamental at times.. You CAN find feet topside if the air gets to your feet area and you do not control it quickly. Not an issue, just something to be cognizant of.
* Tend to be more weary of sticking your arms in places - may not be a bad thing actually.
* Can be expensive
* May have to carry more gear due to a set of dive wear, the suit, etc. I find the separate bags help organize this for the most part though.
* Cannot really pee in the suit in a pinch - OK, you can if you have a p-valve, are male, don't mind saran wrapping your unit; or don't have a p-valve but don't mind smelling like the town drunk that peed all over themselves.
I REALLY enjoy my drysuit, but I still dive wet in the mid-Spring to end of summer months in southern CA. When the temperature gets back up to 67+, I will dive wet.
Congrats on getting recently certified....
* I have not been cold yet AT ALL down to the 56 degrees I have seen so far
* I have extra pockets to store gear, scallops, etc.
* Bouyancy is easier for me to control. I dive with a back-inflation BC and now it is SUPER easy to know how much air I have.
* I come out all dry and toasty, needing only a quick wipe over my hair and face
Some disadvantages I have seen so far:
* I am almost afraid of the water before suiting up. I avoid water, etc before suiting up so that I do not start the dive with wet dive wear.
* Buoyancy is temperamental at times.. You CAN find feet topside if the air gets to your feet area and you do not control it quickly. Not an issue, just something to be cognizant of.
* Tend to be more weary of sticking your arms in places - may not be a bad thing actually.
* Can be expensive
* May have to carry more gear due to a set of dive wear, the suit, etc. I find the separate bags help organize this for the most part though.
* Cannot really pee in the suit in a pinch - OK, you can if you have a p-valve, are male, don't mind saran wrapping your unit; or don't have a p-valve but don't mind smelling like the town drunk that peed all over themselves.
I REALLY enjoy my drysuit, but I still dive wet in the mid-Spring to end of summer months in southern CA. When the temperature gets back up to 67+, I will dive wet.
Congrats on getting recently certified....
There's lots of pluses to a drysuit, especially when you live in a place with either cold water or cold surface temps. Dry suits give you the option of wearing more or less to keep you warm, you can, optionally, use the suit for some buoyancy and most importantly, when you get out of the water you're dry. This means you can do longer and colder surface intervals and on multi-day dives and trips, you aren't putting back on a cold, smelly suit. The undergarments can also easily be washed between dive days for an added bonus.
The cons? They definitely aren't cheap, on a hot day, you can get really, really hot in one and they take time to master and have some additional associated maintenance to maximize longevity. The price tends to be the biggest obstacle, the training the biggest problem once you have them but really, most drysuit divers I know swear by them.
I've always dove wet and what keeps drawing me to a dry suit isn’t staying warm underwater (although that's nice, especially if you do long dives), it's the ability to be able to jump from a dive to dinner without feeling (and smelling) like I absolutely must shower first and then back into the water if I chose.
Remember, you can always use a wetsuit in warmer water or during the summer and switch to your dry suit when needed. If you really want to experience the perks, why not go to your local dive shop and see if you can't test one out?
The cons? They definitely aren't cheap, on a hot day, you can get really, really hot in one and they take time to master and have some additional associated maintenance to maximize longevity. The price tends to be the biggest obstacle, the training the biggest problem once you have them but really, most drysuit divers I know swear by them.
I've always dove wet and what keeps drawing me to a dry suit isn’t staying warm underwater (although that's nice, especially if you do long dives), it's the ability to be able to jump from a dive to dinner without feeling (and smelling) like I absolutely must shower first and then back into the water if I chose.
Remember, you can always use a wetsuit in warmer water or during the summer and switch to your dry suit when needed. If you really want to experience the perks, why not go to your local dive shop and see if you can't test one out?
ronski101
Contributor
In my experience the comfort difference between a wet suit and a dry suit is the same as the difference between a wet suit and no suit at all.
Cost is an issue for me. Right now, I don't want to spend the $ on a drysuit. However, I love my new found hobby and (so far) I won't let something like the water temperature decide when I will or won't go diving. I guess I'll keep diving my 7mm until my dive spots ice over.
But everyone tells me that once you 'go dry' you can't see yourself in anything else in the chilly conditions.
But everyone tells me that once you 'go dry' you can't see yourself in anything else in the chilly conditions.
I dive Tahoe all the time since I live there. In the summer I switch to a wet suit. Once the air starts chilling down then its back to the dry suit.
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