How many exposure suits does it take?

[claymore]

If you are going to do multiple dives on multiple days in Minnesota, Superior, iron mines deeper than about 50' in the summer, or do the wrecks in Michigan a dry suit is the way to go. As mentioned before they can be a bear to gear up in when it's hot but being warm when the dive is over and during the si is great. They do not dive as nice as a wet suit because of the bulk and drag but it is worth it in cold water.

I have a dry dry suit and 4 wet suits and use them all at different times and for different things during the diving season. Early and late in the season when I am DMing it's the dry suit, as the water warms I will wear a 7 mil when DMing in shallow water but if I am fun diving in the mines or Great Lakes it's the dry suit.

 

[2airishuman]

I think the consensus is clear.

CuzzA, yes, I have a 2/3 wetsuit that I'll be bringing to the keys. Maybe a little thin but I don't get cold easily even by Minnesota standards. I'll finish up my Open Water Diver on our first two days in Key West, then we have a day of snorkeling planned on the Appledore V, and then we'll be in Marathon and I'll plan another few days' diving in among everything else.

I'll include dry suit diving on my short list of classes to take this summer. There are a couple of shops that offer the class in conjunction with rentals, and I'll have to see what I can line up. I'll stick to shallower dives and warmer watters for now and steer clear of heavy and expensive neoprene.

 

[FinnMom]

Words cannot describe how much I would hate spending 10 min in Superior without a drysuit. Read a little about how badly disoriented people have become from the cold, and how quickly some slipped into their condition. Very scary tales can be found on SB, and a few other places. You don't want to tough out the cold. It's incredibly unpleasant, it really doesn't provide machismo points and very bad things can happen. DCS risk is also completely different for a badly chilled diver. You never want to mentally less than 100% on the Great Lakes, even less so below the waters.

On the other hand I have spent as much a 4 hours straight in a swimming pool with just cotton longjohns under a membrane dry suit (the same suit that does subzero with very, very different undergarmets). You cool off a lot by removing your hood & gloves, or at least minimizing the thickness of both. Gloves for protection not warmth can also be gardening gloves, no warmth there. A membrane suit with almost no undersuit (just something to cover your skin/most of your skin to avoid the unpleasant feeling of the suit against your skin) is as chilling as a raincoat that has no lining whatsoever. You can dive some pretty warm water with a drysuit. If you are really too warm then a 3-5mm fullsuit or shorty costs very little; get one of them as your 2nd suit for pools, MN summers and other tropical areas.

 

[raftingtigger]

Like anything scuba you can't have enough of them . I have 3 drysuits available and won't touch a wetsuit anymore. I would probably even bring the drysuit with me to a tropical destination - I tend to get cold. It is all about layering. My most challenging situation is diving the salmon run in the Feather river. Water temp 40-45F and air temp 110F. Suit on, soak in river, gear on and dive.