Dry Suite Wetsuit

[db83]

I guess my main concern would be whether it ever gets TOO hot in a dry suit.

[CompuDude]

Originally Posted by db83

ahh, I see. so the air in there doesn't just continuously heat up. it'll stay rather cool with the water drawing off heat through the material?

Yes. You could certainly warm things up by working up a serious sweat, where your body is dumping large amounts of heat, but eventually you'll have to stop and then you really get cold. It's the undergarments that really keep you warm, and they have to do so while being pressed up against a cold drysuit membrane that is continuously wicking heat into the water column.

[db83]

Originally Posted by CompuDude

Yes. You could certainly warm things up by working up a serious sweat, where your body is dumping large amounts of heat, but eventually you'll have to stop and then you really get cold. It's the undergarments that really keep you warm, and they have to do so while being pressed up against a cold drysuit membrane that is continuously wicking heat into the water column.

That sounds good to me. as long as I don't get too hot, I can deal with some amount of cold. It's extreme heat that I hate.

[Tassie Diver]

Originally Posted by CompuDude

The urge does not hit you the same way in a drysuit.

You still have to go after a normal amount of time, but somehow it's not as tough in a drysuit. Something about not feeling immersed in water in quite the same way.

For long dives, however, a pee-valve is essential if you want to avoid diapers.

+1. The immersion reflex to pee is not the same in a drysuit, because your body is not in direct contact with the surrounding water.

That said, I love my pee-valve (sounds kinky), and would not consider doing a dive with a run time over one hour without fitting up.