General question on drysuits

I'm looking to buy a drysuit in the near future. But after talking to a few people I'm not sure its worth the money. I figured if I bought a dry suit I could use it in about any climate and just vary the undergarments to match the weather. But the people I have spoken with which includes some local instructors and divers have told me that drysuits are a pain to wear and add lots of drag in the water, are restricting, require alot more weight and that most would only wear them in very cold water were a wetsuit is not sufficient. If this is the case and I will only get a few extra dives a year its hard to justify the money. What are some of your opinions? I just felt that after getting use to a dry suit most people would probably get rid of their wetsuits. Any input would be appreciated. And while I got a thread going I may as well ask, I'm kind of on a limit budget since I have to buy the wife one also if I get one, and I was looking at the White Nexus 2 system which is right around 1000.00 and includes everything including undergarments. Any advice on it or maybe better suits for the money? I realize DUI is one of the best but unfortunately I don't have 6000.00 to buy 2 suits at the moment.
Thanks
David

i wear a drysuit in Florida, for about 70-degree water, and i love mine
(that is, for cave diving). i could wear it for off-shore diving, but
i like the feeling of warmer water in a wetsuit.

do you feel comfortable doing the kind of diving you do in a wetsuit? if so,
the drysuit is probably not going to help much.

i am a cold wus, so buying the drysuit has been awesome... much more
comfortable, more fun diving

A drysuit that fits well, coupled with undies that are warm and fit well, will make you very happy and never want to dive wet again.

A drysuit that does not fit well, coupled with undies that are not sufficiently warm or do not fit well, will lead to comments like "drysuits are restrictive and a pain to put on"

DavidHickey:

I'm looking to buy a drysuit in the near future. But after talking to a few people I'm not sure its worth the money. I figured if I bought a dry suit I could use it in about any climate and just vary the undergarments to match the weather. But the people I have spoken with which includes some local instructors and divers have told me that drysuits are a pain to wear and add lots of drag in the water, are restricting, require alot more weight and that most would only wear them in very cold water were a wetsuit is not sufficient. If this is the case and I will only get a few extra dives a year its hard to justify the money. What are some of your opinions? I just felt that after getting use to a dry suit most people would probably get rid of their wetsuits. Any input would be appreciated. And while I got a thread going I may as well ask, I'm kind of on a limit budget since I have to buy the wife one also if I get one, and I was looking at the White Nexus 2 system which is right around 1000.00 and includes everything including undergarments. Any advice on it or maybe better suits for the money? I realize DUI is one of the best but unfortunately I don't have 6000.00 to buy 2 suits at the moment.
Thanks
David

Click to expand...

Is it safe to assume that none of the people with whom you spoke actually dive dry?

To be honest, your initial impression is correct: with the right drysuit you can vary the undergarments to be able to dive a very wide range of temperatures. For example, when I lived in TGWN, I was happy with my 5mm neoprene because the waters I dove were pretty cold (down to 34F at one point). However, since moving to less frigid climes I've found a trilam to be able to handle anything from 78F down to 50F (the coldest to date).

Do drysuits require some additional training? Yes. Do they require more weight? Not necessarily: it all depends on where you are diving & what type of suit you'll be using.

In the end, it's your own personal thermometer that should dictate whether or not you decide to dive dry. All I know that my dive career would have been very short had I not decided to give drysuit diving a try. My downtime went from a max of 25 minutes (wet) to only being limited by the dive tables. A BIG difference!

Trust me.... once you go dry, you NEVER go back!

Bonne chance,

What they said.

I used to own a drysuit for colder times of the year, and a wetsuit for summer time.

I eventually just sold the wetsuit. I haven't dove wet in 2 years.

As you've probably guessed by now, different folks get different mileage out of their different suits, so what works for one person may not be the best for another.
A couple things I've noticed is that I use quite a bit less weight in my drysuits than in a 1/4" farmer john, and that includes neoprene drysuits & shells. (unless I wear all my undies at once).
I'll wear a wetsuit when I can get away with it, but the times I get into clean warm water are not nearly often enough.
There is nothing wrong with Whites suits, they even use better valves than DUI does.
[inserting a blatant plug:]
You may want to check out the Viking Xtremes, they're a lot of suit for the $$ & the factory doesn't force the retailer to sell at a high markup.

Love the drysuit! Takes temperature OUT of the equation. Can dive anywhere I want, anytime, for as long as the gas and NDL allow. (...ok, including short deco's...)
Honestly: Maybe I'm a slow learner, but after diving wet for 2 years (100+/year), it took me over 40 dives in my new compressed-neoprene drysuit to re-establish buoyancy/trim control that I had taken for granted in my wetsuit. But I've never shivered uncontrollably again , and I'm diving as low as 50F...often. Deep dives below 80 are more comfortable since I don't have neoprene compression to deal with. Incredibly wonderful on multi-dive boat trips... 6 dives in one day? No problem! Surface intervals are comfy and relaxing.

Love the wetsuit! Soft and cozy as pyjamas. Easier to hike up and down cliffs for shore dives. Buoyancy control is easier on shallow dives (less than 25fsw). Easier to wear on hot and sunny summer days. More flexible underwater. More forgiving on crennulated reef dives where I change depths repeatedly. And I enjoy the feeling of warm ocean water...mid-sixties and warmer.

By the numbers: In the 4 months I've owned both, I've dived wet about 30% of the time, and dry about 70%.

I bought the BARE tech dry suit, stock-size, about $1200-1300...worth every penny.
Good luck and happy diving!

Dry suits are a pain to wear if you do not know how to properly use one. I use on everytime i dive up here in Alaska, and have never had a problem w/ weight, fit, or comfort. The only pain I can think of is the lack of visibility........

oh yeah, I dive with a Viking Pro 1000

I'm wearing my unisuit in my avatar. Its just as stream lined as my wetsuit. Its also alot warmer then my wetsuit. As far as I'm concerned though, where a good dry suit really makes a difference is during a surface interval out on the boat. While the wet suit divers are shivering and generally freezing their vitals off, the drysuit divers are generally warm and just fine. I dove wet for many years before taking the plunge, so to speak and I would never go totally back. I'll go wet if the dives are shallow and the surface is above fifty. Anything colder, I go to the dry suit.
Now after you get a dry suit, you'll have to find regs that don't freeze up and freeflow on you, but thats a whole 'nother thread.

Jim

Hey, I never knew there was anything but a dry suit. I wear mine year round, I've dove under the ice with it and been in water that was mid 70's or better. As for the drag I have not had a problem with it. A boy it sure makes the second and third dive of the day a lot nicer. The only thing I do is change the weight of the underwear, for under the ice BIG, THICK, and WARM for other just a pair of sweat paints and sweat shirt. I love my dry suit and my wife just purchased her second one.
Go with the dry suit.