wet or dry for warm shallow wrecks?

I finally got cold in my 3mm in 72 deg water, was a cold rainy day and I was cold before I went in, after about 45 minutes I was not happy.

I am looking to buy the next evolution in thermal protection for the purpose of diving wrecks south of North Carolina and north of Panama. Assuming a max depth of 150 would a nice 5 or 7MM wetsuit be better than a Dry suit?

as I see it the wet suit has the advantage of not mattering if it gets a hole in it, no air to be compressed, no pinching, no separate gas, no practice needed, and the disadvantage of being slightly compressible, wet and maybe not as warm, bulky to pack on a plane, while the Dry suit has the advantage of being redundant buoyancy, as warm as I need it to be but the distinct disadvantage that it is somewhat bad to get a hole in one (and about 2x the cost).

Are we talking technical diving or recreational diving? You mention 150 feet and separate gases (only required for trimix really) but the question is pretty basic for a technical diver...?

Drysuit - IMHO - could be WAY too warm during deco in 72 degrees (depending upon your tolerance) and - unless it is a laminate - is more prone to holes from contact with the wreck. In North Carolina it does get chilly in the winter but if you are technical diving, you should really have both and adjust accordingly, based upon current conditions.

For me it depends upon a variety of factors. Some that would warrant a dry suit are:

1. Water temperature colder than 55 degrees;
2. Dive duration (in association with water temperature); and
3. If I'm using helium in the mixture (unless the dive is short and the temp is within reason).

IMO 70 degrees is too warm for a dry suit, but to each their own.

SailNaked:

... would a nice 5 or 7MM wetsuit be better than a Dry suit?

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No, absolutely not. I dive dry anytime the water is 75 degrees F or less.

I cannot think of any reason personally why I would prefer a wet suit to a dry suit for those conditions. Advantages of a dry suit include the following:
-WARM
-DRY
-WARM
-DRY
-WARM
-DRY
-Redundant buoyancy

Oh, yeah, did I mention that a dry suit is WARM and DRY?

Doc Harry:

No, absolutely not. I dive dry anytime the water is 75 degrees F or less.

I cannot think of any reason personally why I would prefer a wet suit to a dry suit for those conditions.

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Hi Doc, I like to get wet. Cold and wet are two separate things. When I operated a charter service out of Vancouver, I changed from dry to wet because high 50's water temperature was just too warm with a dry suit. I was missing the wet experience. If your cold wearing a wet suit in that temperature (on a relatively short dive), you're not working hard enough; just bobbing around. Get with the program. LOL

1) I find that a dry suit and underwear is more bulky then a 7mm farmer john to pack and carry.
2) In a wet suit you can take a leak if you have to. In a dry suit, you have to have either a p-valve, dipers, hold it, or live with wet undies
3) I find that a wet suit is better on hot days as you gear up. Thermal stress is something to be aware of. This is improtant if you are in the sun waiting for the "slow" divers to get off the boat in front of you.
4) If you do deco diving, most of your dive will be at shallow depths doing the deco. A dry suit can get real warm at shuch depths/times
5) If you are thin and doing a number of dives per day, a dry suit may be the way to go.
6) If you travel, you will most likely be using aluminum 80's, figure your weight requirements for both a dry suit and wet suit with such a rig. You may or may not need additional weight one way or another.
7) You can tear up a wet suit pretty badly and still make the next dive. A hole in a dry suit may be patched in 3 minutes ot need a day depending on the type of suit. In a pinch, duct tape on the inside and outside of small holes may work.
8) Torn wrist and neck seals will stiop your diving for a day or more.

DCBC:

When I operated a charter service out of Vancouver, I changed from dry to wet because high 50's water temperature was just too warm with a dry suit.

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You Canadians are all nuts. I've frozen my butt off doing 40 minutes deco in 68 degree water even with a drysuit.

I dont like thick wetsuits. If its cold enough for anything more than 5mm then I'm going dry.

ianr33:

You Canadians are all nuts. I've frozen my butt off doing 40 minutes deco in 68 degree water even with a drysuit.

I dont like thick wetsuits. If its cold enough for anything more than 5mm then I'm going dry.

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You pussy!

I don't like cold either and use a hot water suit most of the time, but much of my diving is l o n g and in cold water; not 68 degree bath water. :mooner:

Ianr33 brings up an excellent point OP; I suppose it depends upon where you live and what you're use to. We each tolerate heat and cold differently.

If I was going to be in 40 or less I might consider it, as I doubt I will get in water that cold between N35 and N10 I think I may just split the diff and get a 5MM for now. I can always just put a shortie over it to make it 8MM at the core.

Is the compression of the air in a dry suit similar to the compression of a wetsuit? I would think the effect for buoyancy control would be less with a wetsuit.

SailNaked:

Is the compression of the air in a dry suit similar to the compression of a wetsuit? I would think the effect for buoyancy control would be less with a wetsuit.

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Depending upon the suit material, the material compression is either similar or less than a wet suit; however the airspace within the suit has much more compression.

Buoyancy control tends to be more difficult in the effort to maintain insulation within the suit itself. If dry suit divers are cold, it's usually because they're breathing Heliox or they haven't put enough air in the suit to maintain loft.