dry vs wet

[Kourtjestr]

Considering you have a 7mm already and that its the SI thats a bitch for you.. yes.

That tidbit of knowledge is just one more reason I love this forum. I would have assumed it might be worth doing, but now if I decide I'm diving cold enough, I'll just save up and go dry.

 

[RonFrank]

When diving dry it's not just the diving but the SI, and the next dive etc. I did 6 dives a day in S CA with temps ranging from 45f-65f. Wet divers were doing 3-4 dives as they were cold after the first dive and were skipping dives for that reason. They were also doing short dives were we logged an hour on most dives. A warm shower and getting out of the wetsuit between dives helps a lot, but no one diving wet could hang with the dry crowd (live aboard). Being cold really limits the zeal one has for back to back dives.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I have not yet purchased a drysuit. But I plan to. In aprox. 50-60 degree water, I currently dive with a 7mm wet suit and a hooded vest. My set up keeps me warm on the first 2 dives and semi warm on the 3rd and 4th dive. Most divers
I talk to who use drysuits say they would never go back. I've been on dive boats when its cold and raining and
wish I had one. From what I have been told, diving dry is like being warm in your PJs.

Diving Dry is somewhat of an oxymoron. You are not dry, even if your suit does not leak a drop you will have a significant amount of condensation / sweat. This is why under garments are so important, the good ones keep you warm even when damp. So if you expect the comfort of PJ's, your expectations are too high. However, not being an ice cube is a good thing.

I was a diehard wet suit diver for a long time and I do admit now that I have a dry suit is makes a lot of dives more comfortable. But is is also bulky, increases by air use a bit and had more maintenance issues, not to mention an obscene price tag. For this reason I continue to dive wet when weather permits (at least 5 months of the year), its simply easier to just enjoy the dives.

 

[ddmattos]

I have a trilam suit (Santi Elite). Trilam suits don't insulate like the neoprene drysuits so I always dive dry. The undergarments are huge a factor. I use the forth element system. I use the drybase for warm waters as high as 80F and the zerotherm or arctic for colder water. The fourth element system keep the moisture away from your body keeping you dry and comfortable while be extremely flexible with very little bulk. I find putting the suit on as easy as putting on a 3mm and much easier than any wet suit on multiple dives.

Don't skimp on undergarments and stay away from cotton.

A Proper fitting drysuit is very important and should not feel bulky. Proper trim, weighting, and adding just enough air to relieve the squeeze doesn't increase air usage by much in my experience.

So to answer your question ... 85F and below.

Dive dry, dive all year round.

Be sure to try out a backplate and wing before you buy a BCD. Can't stress that enough. I prefer BP/W over jacket style.

 

[Tigerman]

Diving Dry is somewhat of an oxymoron. You are not dry, even if your suit does not leak a drop you will have a significant amount of condensation / sweat. This is why under garments are so important, the good ones keep you warm even when damp. So if you expect the comfort of PJ's, your expectations are too high. However, not being an ice cube is a good thing.

I was a diehard wet suit diver for a long time and I do admit now that I have a dry suit is makes a lot of dives more comfortable. But is is also bulky, increases by air use a bit and had more maintenance issues, not to mention an obscene price tag. For this reason I continue to dive wet when weather permits (at least 5 months of the year), its simply easier to just enjoy the dives.

Try wool closest to your body, you wont feel damp either..

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Try wool closest to your body, you wont feel damp either..

I love wool, but it is only a moderate improvement. Although it does retain a good portion of its thermal insulation when damp and it much better than anything with cotton, it does not wick all the well as other options. Man made materials (starting with polar fleece and thinsulate) do that better. If I wear wool now, its a middle layer and I use materials that wick better underneath.

 

[azathoth]

For me it's more about the surface conditions than water temp. Upper 40's water temp gets a bit chilly wet, but I've been with people on the same dive who were dry complaining about the chill. It was beautiful sunny and warm day, almost 60, so the second dive wasn't any worse. A night dive later that evening might have been rough to suit up for. With the current weather I'd go dry. No cold clammy wetsuit in the wind and rain and it is much easier to stay warm between dives when you're not all wet.

 

[muddiver]

The U.S. Navy Diving Manual, Rev. 6, Page 6-18, has a table that gives an illistration of the effects of temperature on divers that are in good physical condition. It is just an average and a guide line, but it shows that a diver in a wet suit can only be expected to be able to function at 45F for about 3 hours.

If your local safety divers are part-time divers like most teams, they are probably not in the peak of physical fitness and made the decision based on the number of unknowns that include the water temperature.

 

[CaptainPickles]

I live in Denmark where the water can get quite cold in the winter (3-5 degrees). I recently bought a drysuit and it has really, really improved my comfort. It is not such much when I dive I get cold as it is when I get out of the water and have to change. There is nothing worse than standing around in wet underwear fighting too get your boots of and trying to ignore the wind.

 

[DeepcDivr]

True!