05-05-2005, 11:28 PM
About drysuits, they seem very attractive, but there are some drawbacks:
-The price (thousands)
-You need a scuba set for them to work (you actually fill them with air from your tank)
-If you pierce them, it is not good....I did a scallop dive with a guy who had a drysuit, all was going well until he pierced the suit on a broken shell, the suit took on so much water he had to be helped back on the boat, where he proceeded to empty what seemed like 100 litres of water on the deck. Most of my diving involves crawling around on and under rocks, so I will not be getting a drysuit anytime soon. But they are the only option in very cold water eg/ southern tassie in winter.
I use a semi-dry wetsuit, which is basically a wetsuit with a very tight seal around the wrists, ankles and neck, with the idea being that you let a little water in at the start of the dive, but this water cannot escape because of the tight seals, so it warms to your body temp and provides a layer of insulation between you and the sea (this is also the principle that regular wetsuits use to keep you warm, but there is more exchange of water between the inside and outside of the suit compared to semi-drys).
If any of you guys have problems with the cold, the first thing I'd suggest buying is a hood. They look daggy but they make a world of difference, because you lose most of your body heat through your head.
-The price (thousands)
-You need a scuba set for them to work (you actually fill them with air from your tank)
-If you pierce them, it is not good....I did a scallop dive with a guy who had a drysuit, all was going well until he pierced the suit on a broken shell, the suit took on so much water he had to be helped back on the boat, where he proceeded to empty what seemed like 100 litres of water on the deck. Most of my diving involves crawling around on and under rocks, so I will not be getting a drysuit anytime soon. But they are the only option in very cold water eg/ southern tassie in winter.
I use a semi-dry wetsuit, which is basically a wetsuit with a very tight seal around the wrists, ankles and neck, with the idea being that you let a little water in at the start of the dive, but this water cannot escape because of the tight seals, so it warms to your body temp and provides a layer of insulation between you and the sea (this is also the principle that regular wetsuits use to keep you warm, but there is more exchange of water between the inside and outside of the suit compared to semi-drys).
If any of you guys have problems with the cold, the first thing I'd suggest buying is a hood. They look daggy but they make a world of difference, because you lose most of your body heat through your head.