Dry suit or 7mm wetsuit?

[sunshine121]

Friends, I have a dilemma so weigh in with your sage advice. I have a great opportunity to get either a 3 mm Seasoft dry suit or a Seasoft 7mm wetsuit pretty much for the same price. I have never tried a drysuit.
I would be using this in quarries & east coast diving, where temps can range from 35 - 80 degrees. I already have a 3mm wetsuit for my warmer dives.
So, what to do? What to do? Thanks for your opinions.

[Vlane]

A lot depends on how long you want to dive into the colder months. I have a 7mm that I dive with but I'm currently looking at getting a drysuit. Right now the water isn't bad with a 7mm, but a surface interval can get very cold when it's chilly out.

If you plan on diving for years to come a drysuit is definitely a good investment, especially if you plan on making the step into tech diving.

[enigmata]

I agree on the surface interval - you are much more comfortable in a drysuit in between dives. I would try out a drysuit before and see if you like it, maybe play around with undergarments so you can use it even in warmer waters.

A drysuit is the better investment in the long run, and with water down to 35 you will definitely need one.

[CompuDude]

If you want to dive year-round, get the drysuit.

If you only plan to dive in the warmer months, it gets to be a trickier choice. Wetsuits are simpler, and there's less maintenance. And they're easier to deal with in the summer when it's HOT topside... miserable in a drysuit. BUT nothing beats a drysuit when it comes to repetitive diving in cold weather and cold water.

[WaScubaDude]

Originally Posted by sunshine121

Friends, I have a dilemma so weigh in with your sage advice. I have a great opportunity to get either a 3 mm Seasoft dry suit or a Seasoft 7mm wetsuit pretty much for the same price. I have never tried a drysuit.
I would be using this in quarries & east coast diving, where temps can range from 35 - 80 degrees. I already have a 3mm wetsuit for my warmer dives.
So, what to do? What to do? Thanks for your opinions.

I dive and like my Bare Nex Gen Pro

[Lone Frogman]

Most anyone can dive one dive with a 7mm regardless of the temperature. Its getting the second dive of the day done, without a dry suit. I went to the dry suit diving, fighting and kicking. Now I get at least another 35 dives a year that I didn't get before, with the dry suit.

[snagel]

Go for the drysuit.

Last February went for a dive with two buddies who were both diving 7mm wet (I was in a drysuit). Water temp in the low 50's. We made 2 dives that day and ended each dive when they couldn't take it anymore. In between the dives, they ran to the hot showers to warm up. I simply unzipped my drysuit a watched with amusement.

Snagel

[FoxHound]

yeah thats always pretty entertaining, watching wetsuit folks freeze on surface intervals. We did have 4 brave people do the ice diving course in wetsuits.....but ALL 4 of them went and got drysuits within a week haha

[sunshine121]

Thanks for the feedback. It sounds like a drysuit is the way to go since I am able to get it at a great discount. After all, I can always get an inexpensive 7 mm later if I need it. I do plan to dive for a long, long time, and if I have the right equipment, I am totally willing to do more coldwater dives.
Next questions: How hard is it going to be to get into a drysuit on a little boat?

[CompuDude]

Originally Posted by sunshine121

Thanks for the feedback. It sounds like a drysuit is the way to go since I am able to get it at a great discount. After all, I can always get an inexpensive 7 mm later if I need it. I do plan to dive for a long, long time, and if I have the right equipment, I am totally willing to do more coldwater dives.
Next questions: How hard is it going to be to get into a drysuit on a little boat?

Depends on how little the boat is. If you're talking rowboat-sized, you'll want to get the suit on (not necessarily zipped, but at least on) before you leave shore. I certainly wouldn't want to get dressed in a Kayak, putting on a drysuit is not much different.