Wetsuits versus Drysuits

Had to swim yesterday
I had to swim yesterday. I had taken my gloves off, about 100 feet from shore. Temperture here has been as low as 17 in the last week. Water temp was 47 today. I have a full SRS wet suit, and a dry top. Also tried my new SRS kilt spray skirt. George at Get Outdoors wondered if I could get out of it if I had to do a wet exit. Also it was extremely windy. To make a long story short, I missed a roll and had to wet exit. I’m still here so I got the skirt off, and I know this is stupid, but I didn’t have my pump, so I started swimming with my paddle and kayak. About 100 yards. Extremly windy. Let me tell you, cold water ain’t no joke, even with all that I had on. I think with the cold water, and all that I had on, my mobility rolling is diminished. I went out today, and rolled at Falls Lake several times. I missed a couple of times but recovered and rolled the second time. And I paddle alone. No one was out either time I went out. Moral of the story, don’t roll, and don’t paddle alone in cold water.



Kip

Sorry
SRS

i prefer the wetsuit
I have been in the water when there was snow on the ground in both a wetsuit and drysuit. I honestly felt colder in the drysuit during the cold water experience. I have cut my gaskets, but for a drysuit to work they still have to be against the skin (they can’t be hanging loose). I can’t stand the feeling of something tight around my throat. The gaskets on my wrists seem to decrease blood flow to my hands and make them feel colder. I’ve waded around in water up to my waist that had a layer of ice in some sections of the water. The wetsuit kept me perfectly warm. I paddle year round in northern Ohio and the wetsuit works real well for me.

it is about prolonged immersion

– Last Updated: Dec-24-04 10:40 PM EST –

Yes, each of us is different and even though it ain't necessary to have the seals tight so uncomfortable and cutting circulation.

Yes you can wear a wetsuit and be fine with groin armpits neck and head all covered, for a short immersion and yet Drysuits by themselves, without the insulation are less warm than most 3 mil wetsuits. However, to get the same warmth to stay in very cold water for a long swim and or in current, as a drysuit with comfortable easy to move in insulation, the wet suit would have to be 7 to 10 mil, like divers wear. The reason being that insulation with trapped air has a higher R value for the comfort than neoprene. At least this is what a dive pro with 40 years of winter diving experience told me.

Canoeing on slow rivers (your profile)
vs sea kayaking or paddling a performance kayak on chop ridden lakes big difference.



It’a all about the area of use.

To me, the deciding issue is that
a wetsuit fights my body movement, in the boat, and during portages and rescues outside the boat. This interference not only costs unnecessary energy, it slows and distorts movement. The resistance caused by a wetsuit causes misleading proprioceptive feedback to the nervous system.



A drysuit does not fight movement. Gaskets can be stretched, or cut, or both, until they allow wrist and neck movement with good comfort.



One issue is that we don’t always increase the layers of insulation under the wetsuit to allow for what we will need if immersed for a while.



Another issue is that a sprayskirt which is comfortable in the summer may become constricting when used over a drysuit covering winter clothing. One possible approach is to let the wetsuit tunnel provide some of the midriff insulation, while shortening the insulating shirt garments so they end above the sprayskirt/drysuit interface.



Another, if you almost always use a double tunnel, is to get a sprayskirt with a tunnel which is rather loose and comfy around your midriff. A skirt tunnel only has to be tight if you are relying on that tightness to keep water from entering the top of the tunnel. If you always use a drytop or drysuit, the double tunnel keeps the water out, and the skirt tunnel can be loose and comfortable.



Some sprayskirt tunnels are higher than they need to be, and should be trimmed so that they end toward the top of the double tunnel on the drytop or drysuit. Usually no more than 4" of tunnel need be removed. Shortening the tunnel also reduces constriction, and allows easier torso twisting for proper paddling.



Finally, we COULD consider easing down the risk of what we paddle in the winter. I don’t need as much insulation under my drysuit if I am running a river which, while cold, is shallow and usually slow enough to allow me to choose a safe place to stand and recover.

Sound like you didn’t trim enough
Yes, the seals need to make contact with your skin, but when properly trimmed, you should be able to lift them easily by pinching between your thumb and forefinger. Light contact with the skin is all that’s required to create an adequate seal.

WET SUIT / DRY SUIT
Just some of my thoughts on this subject, but first, background: been diving year round since 1965 in New England. Been using wet suits since then. Kayaking (year round, New England) since 1998, using wet suits, and also own a dry suit for the last 4 years.

Now the thoughts:

1. Wet suits CAN keep you warm for hours in the coldest waters, just look at divers and winter surfers.

2. Most winter wet suits used by divers are inappropriate for kayaking due to limited movement, especially around the arms / shoulders.

3. Surfers, who need more mobility, use variable thickness suits (eg the chest/back may be 6mm, the arms 3mm).

4. Wetsuits are now available in hyperstretch neoprene, which allows much better movement. For the coldest water, I use a 7mm farmer john with a 3mm jacket over it, all hyperstretch. The down side: hyperstretch neoprene is more expensive. But with this set-up, I can be out surfing for hours, and leave the water warm.

5. Very important to keep HEAD, HANDS, and FEET warm. To illustrate this, I was out surfing this past Thursday (23DEC2004) in 39-degree water with a 3mm wetsuit, but because I also had a 6mm divers-style hood, 7mm diving boots, and 5mm gloves, I was completely comfortable…and this was a very wet session, with lots of water flying, and 3-5 foot, short period, chaotic waves.

6. All that being said, for sea kayak touring, I prefer the dry suit…it’s simply more comfortable. But in violent / dangerous conditions (surf, but especially surf around rocks), I just feel so much safer in the wet suit…a wet suit tear is usually no more than a minor problem, but a dry suit tear in cold water could be a life-threatening disaster.

7. Remember that the dry suit only keeps you DRY, not WARM. For this you need the appropriate under-garment. I have 2 liners (polypro), one regular weight, the other expedition weight.



Tony

Thanks Tony
Just what my diver friend was telling me regarding various pluses and minuses. He even said, hey if you really want to be safe wear a thin hyperstretch wetsuit under the drysuit, of course you may not be able to move, but hey, what the hec.

I’ ve Been hyping Hyperstretch

– Last Updated: Dec-27-04 10:23 PM EST –

for a number of years. Nice to read your thoughtful and useful experience-based observations

A wetsuit under a dry suit…
…completely defeats the purpose of having a breathable dry suit. It’s also unnecessary. It takes a lot of punishment to tear a dry suit.