Why Dry?

[sharkattack]

Drysuits own! Throw in some argon and all is right

 

[rongoodman]

The big reason dry is better than more layers of neoprene is the lack of bouyancy swing with the dry suit. Neoprene compresses at depth so you're not only losing insulation, you're losing flotation. You might have to wear 25+ lb of lead so sink your wet suit, but 75 feet down, the suit is mayabe only supporting 5-10 lbs of it--the rest is just dead weight that you have to blow up your BCD to compensate for. Now you have a bigger bubble of air that you have to deal with in the BCD, so the whole issue just mutlplies. With a dry suit, you can add just enough air to keep the squeeze off and allow the insulation to loft. The weight you'll need will vary with the thickness of the undies, but not with the depth.

 

[DiverLS]

I dive dry 'cause I'm an underwater photographer (or trying to be one) I stop a lot to get the "right shot" and diving in the Channel Islands all times of the year put me in a dry suit. A few years in early April, I dove in my 7m semi dry wet suit. I was fine at Catilina and at Santa Barbara, then when I jumped in at Anacapa, I came right up the back of the boat. A representitive from a drysuit manufacturer was on the boat and she let me use her drysuit. I think I died and went to heaven. Now I'm diving a trilaminate, self donning and won't go back.

 

[BrianO]

Lots of good input here. The main reason that drysuits are warmer is that they keep the water off of your skin and slows down the heat transfer from your body into the water. One other thing to touch on is that, in general, the trilaminate suits are tougher and longer wearing than the neoprene suits. Trilam's are the choice across the board for cavers and wreck divers due to the abrasion factor incurred in these environments. Most of them either come with kevlar pads for the knees and other high contact areas or offer them as an option.

I have used both kinds for years now and I personally prefer the thinner neoprene drysuits. They're more comfortable to wear and move in both in and out of the water and are far less buoyant than the thicker neoprenes. They will keep you warmer than a trilam by itself, but can be insulated with thin thermals for excellent warmth and flexibillity.

For multiple dives in a day in water cooler than about 65f, a drysuit will be more comfortable warmth wise and allow you to enjoy the diving quite a bit more.

I also agree with several of the other posters here that to feel the water is one of the main reasons I dive, so I love my Insta dry wetsuit as well.

 

[Azza]

I also agree with several of the other posters here that to feel the water is one of the main reasons I dive, so I love my Insta dry wetsuit as well.

I have decided that this summer I am going to try diving in my semidry again. I already do when Freediving/spearfishing but havnt on scuba for 3 or 4 years.

 

[Wilson]

I probably dive many of the same lakes as you and I have a drysuit. One of the nice parts is when you get out of the water and the air temp is colder than the water temp. Your ears may get chilled if you're not wearing a hood. Doing repetative dives or diving consecutive days isn't a problem because your suit isn't all wet and cold. If you BC ever fails, you have a back up source of lift.
Check out Scuba Toys site, they are having a close out on some drysuits that include the undergarments.

 

[cayman diver]

i went diving today and the water was 84 getting a bit colder its now shorty weather (well i'm not used to the cold living in the cayman islands) i did once do an ice dive in norway though in a wetsuit, never again 20 of the coldest miniutes of my life.

 

[The Kraken]

Jarrett,

One thing that is often overlooked when discussing the pro's and con's of wet or dry diving in cold water is mobility.

The whole object of exposure protection is to maintain a core body temperature on a give dive. That can be done with both wet and dry suits. However, if a diver tries to maintain the same core temperature in in wet suit as s/he would in a dry suit, given the options of undergarments and their respective insulating capabilities, s/he has to give up a great deal of flexibility and buoyancy characteristics.

Case in point. To dive my 7mm farmer john/jacket requires 22# of weight. To dive my Bare XCD2 "Tech" dry suit requires 14# of weight for the same dive.

I can make a couple of short dives on the 7mm, but stay down all day with the dry suit.

When diving cold, dry is just a whole lot better for a bunch of reasons . . .

the K

 

[Wilson]

i did once do an ice dive in norway though in a wetsuit, never again 20 of the coldest miniutes of my life.

But I'll bet you could hit the high notes again when singing in the shower.

 

[Azza]

But I'll bet you could hit the high notes again when signing in the shower.