If you are an experienced diver, I definately suggest diving dry. Alot of divers in the Puget Sound are using Nitrox now. Never used it but I'm looking into it. Some LDS' in Seattle will allow you to try on a Drysuit and jump in the pool. Once you get the hang of it, wetsuits will be only a bad memory.
Wet vs. Dry suit for Seattle?
- Thread starter tangfish
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Kayla
Contributor
Not to be a thorn in anyones side here...... but it is possible to dive the PNW in a wet suit...... I do a fair amount of diving around here, (all winter long) and I use a 7mm 2 piece wetsuit, and I haven't gotten too chilly yet. There was one dive we did early in January that I got a little sold on the SI, but there was 6 inched of snow on the ground, and it was still coming down! Maybe some people just have a better tolerence to the cold? Juat thought I would add my $0.02 worth!!
Kayla
Kayla
bcsean
Guest
I don't think anyone said it can't be done in a wetsuit, especially since most of us have done it. It's just far more preferable to use a drysuit if you can afford it.
seabat
Contributor
A dry suit will need an inflator hose. You will have to make sure that it is compatible with your regulator set up. Usually not a problem though.
Liners come in a variety of types. Just make sure you dont try to skimp and use sweats or some other type of non-diving protection. It didnt work for me.
You will want to make sure your hood is compatible with your dry suit. Cold water hoods come in a variety of styles with the neck cover being long, short, different cuts etc. Dont get a hood that is too long and bunches up around your neck. Dont get a hood that is too short and when you turn your neck you end up with exposed skin.
Gloves for a dry suit come in many styles. The main differences are wet gloves and dry gloves. The wet gloves come in various thicknesses with 5 fingers, 3 & 2 fingers and mitts. The dry gloves have a ring that attaches to your suit and the gloves mount to the ring. Some of the dry gloves have a seal inside the ring so if you tear you glove the suit wont flood.
Someone already mentioned the zipper placement. I have an across the back shoulder zipper and depend on my buddy to zip or un-zip the suit. My next suit will have a zipper that I can work to eliminate the dependency.
My suit is a Mobbys tri-lam shell suit. The tri-lam just refers to the construction of the air tight enclosure. The shell refers to the outer covering that protects the inner suit. It is sort of like wearing coveralls over your normal clothes. This is the main reason I am planning on getting a new suit. The shell has shrunk (not around my waist! but crotch to neck). Until I get the shell wet I am kind of uncomfortable. That being said, fit is extremely important. If you do consider a shell, when you are trying the suit on at the shop take into account that a wet shell will get bigger . Both my wifes and my suit end up dragging at the ankles after a dive. It was a perfect fit when we bought them.
Check for added reinforcement at the knees, seat, and any other point that might get rubbed. Determine if you want pockets on the suit too.
Fins may have to be upgraded too. My warm water fins had pockets that were too small for my drysuit boots.
The last thing I can think of is boots. Drysuits come with the boots attached or designed with booties that require boots to wear over them. The Mobbys boots are attached and work fine but the soles are kind of thin and walking to and from the water I can feel just about every thing I step on.
By the way, after you get your suit and go diving, just watching some wet suit divers trying to warm up after a dive when all you had to do was towel off your head will confirm you made the right decision to go dry.
Liners come in a variety of types. Just make sure you dont try to skimp and use sweats or some other type of non-diving protection. It didnt work for me.
You will want to make sure your hood is compatible with your dry suit. Cold water hoods come in a variety of styles with the neck cover being long, short, different cuts etc. Dont get a hood that is too long and bunches up around your neck. Dont get a hood that is too short and when you turn your neck you end up with exposed skin.
Gloves for a dry suit come in many styles. The main differences are wet gloves and dry gloves. The wet gloves come in various thicknesses with 5 fingers, 3 & 2 fingers and mitts. The dry gloves have a ring that attaches to your suit and the gloves mount to the ring. Some of the dry gloves have a seal inside the ring so if you tear you glove the suit wont flood.
Someone already mentioned the zipper placement. I have an across the back shoulder zipper and depend on my buddy to zip or un-zip the suit. My next suit will have a zipper that I can work to eliminate the dependency.
My suit is a Mobbys tri-lam shell suit. The tri-lam just refers to the construction of the air tight enclosure. The shell refers to the outer covering that protects the inner suit. It is sort of like wearing coveralls over your normal clothes. This is the main reason I am planning on getting a new suit. The shell has shrunk (not around my waist! but crotch to neck). Until I get the shell wet I am kind of uncomfortable. That being said, fit is extremely important. If you do consider a shell, when you are trying the suit on at the shop take into account that a wet shell will get bigger . Both my wifes and my suit end up dragging at the ankles after a dive. It was a perfect fit when we bought them.
Check for added reinforcement at the knees, seat, and any other point that might get rubbed. Determine if you want pockets on the suit too.
Fins may have to be upgraded too. My warm water fins had pockets that were too small for my drysuit boots.
The last thing I can think of is boots. Drysuits come with the boots attached or designed with booties that require boots to wear over them. The Mobbys boots are attached and work fine but the soles are kind of thin and walking to and from the water I can feel just about every thing I step on.
By the way, after you get your suit and go diving, just watching some wet suit divers trying to warm up after a dive when all you had to do was towel off your head will confirm you made the right decision to go dry.
samsp
Registered
It seems like most of the seattle area stores have dry suits to rent and run dry suit courses. A number of the open-water courses have been extended to include dry suit training. Either way it gives you an oppertunity to see what dry diving is like in the sound.
Sam
Sam
DrDuktayp
Guest
samsp:
I am at the end of my Open Water course. Ours is extended to include drysuit training.
The local dive shop rents drysuits and sells the rental units off every couple of years. I was able to pick up a drysuit in good condition for under 700 dollars. (DUI FLX50/50).
So, this may be another option.
DrDuktayp
90% of my diving is done in Puget Sound/Hood Canal, the only time I'd consider a wet suit is during the summer months or should I say weeks. Sure you can dive wet during the winter, but most of the diver's I come across do not look like they are enjoying themselves. If your only doing 1 dive for the day then it may not be such a big deal. I just like being warm during my dive and SI and I'd never go back to a wet suit here in the PNW.
I usually use either .5 or 3 mm wetsuit to dive only in warm water climate. I was in Seattle April last year and dove around Orcus island. The rental dive shop provided 2-pieces 7mm wetsuit for me with full set of hood, gloves, boots and everything. I was very cold on the first 30-minute dive and even feel colder on the second dive. Everybody else on the boat used dry suit. It was not fun for me.
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