Staying Warm On Every Scuba Dive; Drysuit Or Wetsuit
One of the classic debates with scuba divers; drysuit or wetsuit. Which one do I need for my scuba diving?
There’s loads of fantastic (and not so fantastic) advice out there for such a wide range of scuba diving exposure suits. The biggest thing to think about is when buying any dive kit is what scuba diving you currently do and what diving you may want to do in the future. This is super important for your exposure suits, this is what keeps your body at the right temperature on your dives and helps prevent hyperthermia and hypothermia.
This post isn’t a ‘which is better’ post but a post designed to give you information and personal experience on drysuits and wetsuits to help you choose your next suit.
Staying Dry with the Drysuit
So in this drysuit or wetsuit for scuba diving debate let’s start with the drysuit. A staple piece of kit in any cold water divers box. A drysuit does what it says on the tin, it’s a suit that keeps you dry when diving.
There are several types of drysuits, the main ones being Trilam and Neoprene. Both of these materials have their advantages and it comes down to personal preference which one you would like to dive.
The Trilam is a thinner more ‘bag-like’ drysuit. The suit itself won’t give you much thermal protection so you will need to wear much thicker undersuits to keep you warm. However having a thinner drysuit has its perks, it’s super flexible, easy to move around it and it does not impact your buoyancy. Being a flexible material makes these drysuits easy to roll up for storage as well as drying them out (when washing or if you have a leak). Nice and simple. As mentioned above you will need thicker undersuits for this type of suit, which is not necessarily a bad thing. There is a huge selection of undersuits on offer which you can tailor to the environment and season you are diving in. Look at getting a thinner lightweight undersuit for summer dives and a thick quilt-like one for winter diving.
Now for the other popular drysuit type which is neoprene drysuits. The neoprene material is similar to a wetsuit however tends to be a more crushed neoprene. These suits are thicker, therefore, warmer, you do not need to wear thick quilted undersuits. During the summer months, you can wear just basic thin base layers as the drysuit adds enough warmth. As neoprene is a thicker material I find it more hard-wearing. It’s less likely to tear on rough materials, and if you do get a scuff it’s not going to affect your dive as quickly as tearing a Trilam suit. If you are unfortunate to damage your suit then there are neoprene glues and patches making repair jobs easy.
Of course, there are a couple of disadvantages to the neoprene drysuit. Firstly this type of suit will affect your buoyancy underwater, particularly if it is a new suit, so you will need to do a couple of weight checks to get it right. Also, these drysuits are heavier, take longer to dry and are bulkier to store. If you are looking to travel a lot with your drysuit then the neoprene May not be the one for you.
I learnt to dive in a Trilam drysuit and at the time found the thicker undersuits too bulky for me, and felt more Michelin man in the suit than a scuba diver. Once I started investing in my own kit I brought an OThree MSF500 neoprene drysuit. What I love about this drysuit is that I only need to wear standard thermals all year round, reducing the bulk I feel in the water while keeping me warm in the chilliest of UK waters. O’Three are a local brand based in Dorset so I am super happy to of supported a local dive company, they have fantastic customer service with nothing being too much trouble.
My favourite thing about diving a drysuit is coming out from a cold winter’s dive, nicely dry and toasty. Also, I can use my drysuit all year round by changing the winter undersuit to thinner thermals for the summer months. Giving me flexibility for all conditions of diving.
Warmer Water in Wetsuits
Now for the other half of this drysuit vs wetsuit debate, the wetsuit. The most popular exposure suit of choice for scuba diving and one that all divers have dived at some point. So the wetsuit is designed to trap a layer of water between you and the suit, for your body to heat up then use to keep you warm underwater. There are different wetsuits for different diving environments, most commonly you will find 3, 5 & 7mm wetsuits then semi-dry wetsuits.
Each thickness of wetsuit is best suited to a particular water temperature. If you are diving in tropical locations then a 3mm is the usual go-to. A 5mm is a great all-rounder suited to tropical and cooler water locations meaning it can cover a wide range of diving. Also in tropical locations, the deeper the dive, the cooler the water so a 5mm wetsuit would cover those deeper warm waters well. Finally, the 7mm and the semi drys are perfect for cooler waters, even summer diving in the UK if you’re brave enough.
You can also tailor wetsuits to how much you feel the cold. Some of us get cold quickly on a dive even if the water is in 30°c waters. Wetsuits are easy to layer up, pop a 3mm over a 5mm to give you a toasty 8mm wetsuit. Then pair it with neoprene accessories such as vests, socks and gloves to keep yourself extra warm.
What I love about wetsuit diving is the flexibility the suits give you compared to a drysuit. They bend and stretch as you do making reaching for your attachments and putting your fins on easier. The key to a good wetsuit is the fit, nice and snug but not restrictive. This allows for good movement, no excess bulk and makes your scuba diving very comfortable. A lot of wetsuits these days have extras such as glideskins, pockets, attached hoods and reinforced knees to make your wetsuit as multi-functional as possible.
However, getting a wetsuit on is considerably more difficult than stepping into a drysuit. We’ve all been there pulling the thick neoprene up our legs and jumping to get it over our bums! Then when you have to do that on a multi-dive day it can get a bit tedious. Also, it can be pretty cold coming out from a dive where there’s wind chill and you’re in a wet wetsuit. You have to be quick to change and get warm again.
Wetsuit vs Drysuit: My Preference.
Here in the UK, I dive both drysuit and wetsuit. Our waters get very chilly in the winter but there is the end of summer months when you can jump into the water in your wetsuit. Personally, I love diving in my wetsuit. I have a 5mm Fourth Element Proteus II wetsuit which is one of their suits designed for slightly cooler waters. I love the freedom it gives me from my drysuit, the less lead weight I need to carry and the flexibility in movement. Which is particularly helpful when clambering out of the sea after a shore dive. However I will only dive my wetsuit in the UK summer months on shallow shore dives, it gets chilly quickly the deeper you go here.
That’s not to say I do not like drysuit diving. Quite the opposite really! My drysuit opens up my dive season from 3 months a year to all year round. I use my drysuit in the summer months when I’m doing multiple dives or on boat dive days. These days tend to have a deeper chiller dive to start. The ability to use different underlayers depending on the water temperature makes my scuba diving very comfortable, I am never too hot or too cold. If I’m too hot on the first dive, I just take off a thermal layer for the next, nice and simple. Having the pockets as standard, hoods and gloves to match with boots built-in, my whole body is warm for every drive. Trust me there is no better feeling than coming out of a winter 7°c quarry dive dry and toasty!
Which One Is For You? Wetsuit or Drysuit?
Hopefully, this has offered a bit of insight into the differences, advantages and disadvantages of wetsuits and drysuits for scuba diving. Both are large investments in your diving kit as essential exposure protection. As I said right at the start the right one for you will depend on the diving you are doing, and then the future diving you plan to do. Speak to your dive buddies and local dive store who can give you expertise and advice on which may be the best one for you.
