It's hard to have fun in the water if you are shivering from the cold. This is most obvious when diving but is also true for kayakers, surfers or other sports enthusiasts who might end up in the water. Wetsuits and dry suits both provide insulation to keep their wearers warm and safe when immersed. Wetsuits are best for short dives or warm water, while the more-expensive dry suits provide better thermal protection.
Function
Hypothermia is a major danger when immersed in water. Water drains heat from your much more quickly than air and if your body is not insulated, you will become chilled. At the very least this can take the fun out of diving, kayaking or other water sports. At the worst, your life could be in danger. Your body temperature needs to drop only3 degrees F before hypothermia sets in, which could lead to cardiac arrest, shock or death.
Wetsuit Description
A wetsuit is a tight-fitting neoprene garment typically used when scuba diving. You may think a wetsuit is intended to keep you dry, but actually they work by allowing a small amount of water into the suit. This thin layer of water between the diver's skin and the suit is heated by the body and keeps the wearer warm. The neoprene itself also contains many small bubbles of air, which insulate the wearer from the cold water outside.
Wetsuit Advantages
Wetsuits are significantly less expensive than dry suits, with low-end models available for less than $100, and even the best wetsuits are typically cheaper than even entry-level dry suits. They require little skill to use so are ideal for people just learning scuba diving or other sports. Wetsuits are best for people who make short dives in warm water, or people such as kayakers who may get wet now and then but will mostly stay out of the water.
Dry Suit Description
Dry suits fit loosely, more like normal clothing than wetsuits. Tight seals at the wrists, neck and ankles keep water out. The suits themselves hold air inside the material and wearers can add air for more insulation in deep dives, and release the air as they surface. Divers wear insulated undergarments beneath the dry suit for more protection against very cold water or long exposure to warmer water.
Dry Suit Advantages
Dry suits provide substantially better protection against cold water. They are used when operating in very cold water below 60 to 65 degrees F, when diving for long periods of time or during dives where the diver won't be moving around much. They are popular among marine photographers who need to remain still to avoid startling sea life so aren't generating much of their own heat through movement. As a rule of thumb, if you are getting the shivers in a wetsuit, it's time to look into buying a dry suit.
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