To those of you who dive dry....

[Green_Manelishi]

This is very interesting. I've never considered this before.

This is why you want to avoid repeatedly purging and inflating your
drysuit. The warm gas goes out into the cold water and the cold gas
comes in from your "fill-tank" ... now you have to heat it.

 

[cdennyb]

Put me down for "ANY KIND OF DRY SUIT" even one that's too big! I've been diving for 26 years now, wet...damn I wish I had known what I know now, sooner. I would never dive a wet suit again.Even in the tropics, I filled the suit with some He I had in a bottle and it actually kept me cooler than the water temp! Unbelievable, but at 1.50$ a cu ft it was an expensive gas fill. Anyway, dry is the way to go, if I had it to do again, I'd get a tri-lam suit. I now have a neoprene dry suit from Bodyglove. It wasn't too expensive, something like $240 off ebay. It was in perfect condition too. Some guy back east was selling it for his son and he was exactrly my weight and height...it was a perfect fit. I do whine about my cold hands though. I might invest in a set of dry gloves this next year, but I'll keep the wet hood, it keeps my ears warm.
db

 

[Warren_L]

In water colder than 72F or so, I prefer to dive dry.

I HATE being cold. While I CAN dive wet in virtually any water, why? Freezing is not my idea of a good time.

With my drysuit only my hair and face gets wet, along with my fingers. The rest is dry. And as warm as I'd like, depending on the underwear I use.

The downside to a drysuit is that it DOES have a lot more drag than a wetsuit - but do you really need to go fast anywhere underwater?

I guess it is all a matter of perspective. Water temps well into the 50s for me I do not consider cold and am perfectly comfortable diving wet. As long as the surface intervals are ok, I have no problem with this. As well, being more streamlined when all else is equal is always a good thing. Does not mean you would necessarily speed around everywhere. You just expend less energy at the same pace.

 

[renpirate]

It really comes down to how much diving you do in colder water, say 50's and below, and how many dives you do in a day. In general, I am warm in either a dry suit or a wet suit on my first dive. It is on progressive dives that I begin to get colder while wearing a wetsuit, whereas in my drysuit I continue to stay warm.

One big disadvantage though, you can't pee in a dry suit. Well.....you can, but I wouldn't recommend it. ;-)

 

[Genesis]

Get a Pee Valve.

Yeah, I know, they don't work for women. I ain't one

 

[mogwai]

No way would i dive with a wetsuit over here. Way too damn cold. Just got a new Oceanic HD 400 Bias and to go with my Weezle undersuit and am realy comfortable in the water for 40 mins or so. You know the cold is lurking around in the background somewhere but it is no problem. Makes for a comfortable dive and an even more comfortable SI. Need to remember to get a new thermos or 2 for the old hot water in the hood and gloves routine though.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I prefer a 7mm semi-dry most of the year. Surface temps in August approach the mid-70's around here but temperatures below 100 ft are still in the low 40's and temperatures at 150 ft are mid 30's. Even with that, I don't mind the semi-dry as long as the thermocline is deep enoughj to allw the deco stops in the warmer water toward the surface. I don't get real cold when swimming or working underwater, but hanging on an ascent line can be a very chilling experience with a wet suit in water much colder than 60 degrees.

Yesterday we did our annual New Years day dive in 34 degree water. The total time in the water was about 50 minutes with a max depth of 90 feet and I stayed comfortable throughout the dive with the exception of the fingers holding the reel with the dive flag which got a little chilly toward the end. No way I could do that with a wet suit or semi-dry. And of course after hiking the doubles back up the bank and to the explorer, I was positively toasty and ready to get out of the suit and cool off.

I used a Scubapro Cape Horn tri-lam with heavy wooly bear underwear, a set of dry gloves, a 7mm dry suit hood and an 1/8 neck warmer.

I also agree that carrying a little more air in the suit (kept under control with thicker underwear) will keep you much warmer than swimming around with a perpetual suit squeeze in the quest for an absolute minimum amount of air in the suit. That is maybe a workable ideal in moderately cold temps in the fifties or sixties but will just make you cold in really cold water. If you are cold with just your underwear, add a sweatshirt and a few more pounds of weight and you will be substantially warmer.

 

[Tygh]

I am addicted to diving dry. The ability to stay warm makes even the coldest day attractive for diving. During the summer, I try to just use sweats for my undergarment, but in winter, the undersuit keeps me toasty (Diving Concepts Stretch Thinsulate).

My wetsuit hangs in the closet and may never see the ocean again.

 

[SubMariner]

Right now, I use a 5mm semi dry with a 5mm shortie over it. I've never dived in the winter but this summer I decided I'd give it a shot this year. Well, winter came around and I wimped out. There's no way I'm getting in with my current setup. It was cold enough in November.

My question is, just how warm and comfortable are you in a drysuit? Too warm? Just right? Cold but tolerable? Just how much nicer is it to dive dry in cold water?

Boyo, come to the dry side! You'll never regret it. I wouldn't dive any other way!

IMHO diving semi dry is like being a little bit pregnant....

All the best to you in the New Year,

 

[KVDIVR]

This is why you want to avoid repeatedly purging and inflating your
drysuit. The warm gas goes out into the cold water and the cold gas
comes in from your "fill-tank" ... now you have to heat it.

Try Argon gas for cold water diving. There is a huge difference from using tank air. I ran out of Argon on an Ice dive and had to switch to my tank air, WOW, I thought I was putting ice water in my suit compaired to the Argon gas.

Dive safe
KVDIVR