When it comes to diving and other water activities, choosing the right suit can make all the difference. Although drysuits and wetsuits serve similar purposes, they have distinct differences that suit specific conditions and preferences. In this article, we will explore the six main differences between drysuits and wetsuits to help you make the right choice.
What are Drysuits?
Drysuits are one of the types of water suits that provide environmental protection by way of thermal insulation and exclusion of water. Drysuits are used by scuba divers, water sports, boaters, enthusiasts, and others who practice one of the water sports in or near cold or contaminated water. With a drysuit, your whole body is protected except the head, hands, and the feet.
What are Wetsuits?
A wetsuit is a garment used to offer sufficient thermal protection while wet. It is made from neoprene, and is worn by divers, surfers, canoeists, windsurfers, and others engaged in different activities that you can practice in or on the water. Its purpose is to provide you with thermal insulation and protection from ultraviolet exposure, abrasion, and stings from different marine organisms. It also adds extra buoyancy.
The Main 6 Differences between Drysuits and Wetsuits
When you scuba dive or practice any other water activities, choosing between a drysuit and a wetsuit can be very important. Both can keep you warm, but in different ways and each one is suitable for specific conditions. We will discuss today about six key differences between wetsuits and drysuits in order to help you decide what is the best option for your adventure.
1. Warmth
2. Buoyancy
3. Weighting
4. Varying conditions
5. Purchase cost
6. Cost of ownership
1. Warmth
This is a key reason to choose dry diving. Neither wetsuits nor drysuits provide warmth, as all they do is slow down heat loss. Wetsuits do this with neoprene and a thin water layer between the suit and the skin.
Drysuits use air in addition to various undergarments. They prevent water from entering if a seal is broken and allow adding insulation layers to slow down the heat loss process.
2. Buoyancy
Wetsuits lose some of their buoyancy buoyancy and insulation while going deeper, as they compress with depth. Drysuits allow divers to add air and compensate for the increased pressure as they go deeper.
3. Weighting
When a diver becomes skilled with a drysuit, over-weighting becomes less of a problem when compared to a wetsuit, as the wetsuit loses buoyancy at depth due to compression. That makes over-weighting a serious problem.
While wearing a drysuit, the amount of buoyancy that it offers stays less or more constant since the diver should keep adjusting for the increased/decreased pressure.
4. Varying conditions
The main benefit of a dry suit is the ability to use it in different conditions. A wetsuit won’t provide you with the same flexibility of a dry suit which allows you to add or subtract undergarments to be suitable for the conditions of the water/surface. Many divers use their dry suits all year, from warm waters to winter ice dives.
5. Purchase cost
Drysuits used to be very expensive, costing as much as several wetsuits. They often had to purchase one in case of scuba diving in a wide range of water temperatures!
Thanks to new materials in addition to the competition between manufacturers , a quality entry-level drysuit now can cost you about the same as a high-end wetsuit. Divers can adjust their undergarments to avoid buying multiple wetsuits. That makes one drysuit suitable for various environments.
6. Cost of ownership
Wetsuits need minimal maintenance beyond the proper rinsing. On the other hand, drysuits need their seals to be replaced, leaks to be fixed, and boots, socks, and the zipper to be replaced.
These maintenance costs can be balanced by the lifespan of suit. With proper care, your drysuit can last 15-20 years or more upon using it regularly (around 100 dives a year). On the other hand, a wetsuit used that frequently may only last five years.
In the long run, you will realize that the drysuit is less expensive. Dry suits retain resale value, purchasing a drysuits often holds its value the cost of a new one!
