Why Dry?

[Jarrett]

I'm a warm water newbie that doesn't dive anything colder than 65 degrees generally. If I wanted to dive colder, is a drysuit my next step? Why is dry better than more layers of neoprene? How cold can you comfortably dive in a drysuit?

 

[JeffG]

How cold can you comfortably dive in a drysuit?

I did 2 hrs and 20 min in 41F water. Try that in a wet suit.

 

[roakey]

I'm a warm water newbie that doesn't dive anything colder than 65 degrees generally. If I wanted to dive colder, is a drysuit my next step? Why is dry better than more layers of neoprene? How cold can you comfortably dive in a drysuit?

My limit for driving wet is about 70 degrees. I find diving dry far more comfortable than diving wet.

Roak

 

[divingjd]

Dry is warmer. You choose your undergarments to suit the water temperature. Most drysuits have no inherent insulating capacity. You can dive anything that's still liquid in a drysuit. They use drysuits for research diving under the ice in the Arctic and Antarctica. I've been in 41F water myself. A drysuit is a major investment (they are generally over $1000 and can run a lot more), but it should last longer than a wetsuit, so the total cost over time should be similar, or at least not as big a difference as it appears comparing one wetsuit to one drysuit. You would buy at least three or four wetsuits, if not more, over the life of a drysuit.

 

[Jarrett]

What do you wear underneath to keep you warm? Is extremely bulky? Hard to get on and off?

 

[Azza]

I'm a warm water newbie that doesn't dive anything colder than 65 degrees generally. If I wanted to dive colder, is a drysuit my next step? Why is dry better than more layers of neoprene? How cold can you comfortably dive in a drysuit?

I dive a Trilaminate drysuit in all water temps.
I have dived the drysuit in 4 degrees celcius (39f)and just recently in Byron Bay Australia in 20 degrees celcius(68f). Its what I wear under it that keeps me warm.
The only thing I hate is when the sun is beating down, and others are mucking around before the dive you get kinda sweaty.
However the big problem with neoprene is that it compresses as you descend. Most of the weight you wear will probably be to counteract the buoyancy of the neoprene. As you dive deeper and it compresses you end up overweighted at depth. That sucks.
The more neoprene the more weight you need, which also limits your ability/ makes it harder to distribute the weight to attain good trim.

Depend tho. How often are you intending on diving colder water? 65F is pretty warm

 

[Sharky1948]

What do you wear underneath to keep you warm? Is extremely bulky? Hard to get on and off?

Lots of options for undergarments....thinsulate, polartec, one-piece, two-piece, scuba-specific, skiing underwear, layered, etc., etc.

Two kinds of suits...self-donning (more expensive, longer zipper), or rear-entry. Just a matter of price vs. convenience.

You'll get used used to getting it on or off in no time.

And, dry is no more bulky than "layers of neoprene."

Only thing to learn is a bit of a difference in buoyance techniques.

 

[Jarrett]

Depend tho. How often are you intending on diving colder water? 65F is pretty warm

Trying to decide if its even worth it. The water temps around here don't get below 50 that I know of and don't generally stay there for very long. Right now they are at 56-63 in the area lakes. I don't have any plans of travelling anywhere the water is colder than that.

 

[Jon C]

As mentioned in a previous reply, there are a wide variety of undergarments...virtually jumpsuits, that range in thickness, thermal effectiveness, style, cost. Very disco (another reason to hate drysuits) Someone trying to stay warm in 65 degree water would likely choose a different undergarment than someone diving in Antarctica.

There are more comfortable crushed neoprene outer shells and the more rigid trilaminate shells. The crushed neo's are designed to fit tighter, usually with less undergarment thickness. Some folks dive with no undergarments. The tri's could, in theory, allow for different ranges of thickness underneath.

The main factor for me (with my trilaminate) is that it is much more bulky than my wet suit and it separates me from the diving experience to some degree.

In moderate temps (55-70) I try to go with the wet suit and hope I don't freeze on multiple dives. When I know I will be on a boat, doing multiple dives and water temps are below 60, I go dry...I don't like it, but it beats not diving.

I have an odd issue with mine in that it rubs the back of my knees raw. The folds just hit at the wrong place. I am going to experiment with gaitors the next time out to see if they minimize the rubbing...or I'll just move to Hawaii and dive in a bathing suit.

Jon

 

[Sharky1948]

If I were doing a lot of diving in 50ish water, I'd go for it. You'll enjoy your second dives a lot more! If it's just an occasional thing and you're basically a summer diver, than I'd avoid the hefty investment.

You could always take a course (which generally includes use of a suit) and see what you think.