Wetsuits vs Drysuits: Which to Choose and Why?

It’s not such a simple question. Both wetsuits and drysuits are designed to keep you warm while you’re in the water as well as after your dive – they just do it in distinctly different ways. As with most gear choices, it all depends on how you dive, where you dive, and your individual likes and dislikes.

Which is going to work best for you depends on your unique needs. Here are a few points to consider.

Drysuits: Trilame vs. Neoprene

For warmth and comfort during your dive, it’s hard to beat a drysuit. As all divers know, water is a heat-stealer. Unless you’re diving in water warmer than 98.6ºF, your body starts losing heat as soon as you hit the water.

But in a drysuit, water never touches your body, only air does. And since you lose body heat faster in cold water than in cold air, it stands to reason that you’re going to stay warmer for longer when wearing a drysuit.

Trilaminate drysuits, like the Evertech Dry Breathable or Definition Dry act as a protective shell by keeping water out. Trilaminate suits have no inherent insulation, so you regulate your at-depth comfort by varying the thickness of your thermal undergarments – the colder the water, the thicker the undergarments (either two-piece top and pant combos, or one-piece jumpsuits).

Another option includes neoprene drysuits. Neoprene drysuits, like the Exodry, offer something closer to the fit, comfort, and flexibility of a wetsuit, but with the water-tightness of a drysuit. Because neoprene drysuits derive a portion of their thermal properties from the neoprene itself, they can be worn with a thinner undergarment or sometimes with no undergarment at all. Both of these suits fit like a glove, offer excellent range of motion, and most importantly, keep body heat in and cold water out.

If you decide that a drysuit is the right fit for you, be sure to check out our sister article on improving drysuit comfort and performance.

Unlike wetsuits, which allow some water to enter and rely on body heat to warm it, dry suits have waterproof seals at the neck, wrists, and sometimes ankles to prevent any water from entering. These seals are helpful for maintaining warmth and comfort in extreme conditions. Proper fit and maintenance of the seals are vital to prevent leaks, ensuring the diver stays dry and warm throughout the dive.

Wetsuits

If you’re comparing drysuits to wetsuits, chances are you’re a temperate to cold water diver, so you’re probably considering a drysuit versus a wetsuit like the Everflex 7/5mm steamer.

SCUBAPRO’s wetsuits are made with natural rubber, or limestone-based neoprene. This, combined with a snug, sealed fit that minimizes the amount of water that enters the suit and flows across your bare skin, is what keeps your body heat from escaping.

So in order for a wetsuit to do its job it has to fit like a second skin, and it has to have seams, seals and zippers that minimize water intrusion. The more flexible the suit, the easier it is to climb into it, the more comfortable it is to wear, and the more range of motion it offers.

Semi-dry: Another Option Worth Considering

Between the drysuit and the wetsuit is a suit that some divers say captures the best of both designs. Its concept is simple: Combine the snug fit of a wetsuit with the rear horizontal dry zipper and some of the sealing elements of a drysuit. By doing so you eliminate the bulk and hydro-drag that’s inherent in most drysuits, while minimizing heat loss that’s inevitable in most wetsuits.

Which to choose?

It all comes down to your personal preferences, your diving style, and your budget. Drysuits occupy the highest rungs on the pricing ladder, wetsuits the lowest, with semi-dry suits falling somewhere in between. Drysuits keep water out through seals, but wetsuits allow more flexibility and are warmer in general. Whichever form of thermal protection you choose, with SCUBAPRO dive suits you simply can’t lose.