We’ve officially started our local dive season thanks to the acquisition of dry suits. They’ve allowed us to get in 2 dives this weekend at the Kahnawake Quarry, which is located just off the island of Montreal… a 15 minute drive from our condo.
The water just below the surface is a chilling 5°C at this time of the year. Some divers are attempting this in wetsuits, but their dives are very short and they come back up looking miserable.
Since water transfers heat more quickly, drysuits help keep you warm longer because, well, you don’t get wet. Your body isn’t working to heat the trapped water as in a wetsuit.
The drysuit itself is essentially just a waterproof suit. The openings at the wrists and neck have seals in silicone, latex or neoprene that keep water out. The feet are attached to the suit. You step into the suit through a (waterproof) zippered opening at the shoulders.
The suit is waterproof but doesn’t provide much (if any) insulation. But because it keeps you dry, it allows you to wear some warm layers underneath. And depending on the temperature of the water, you can adjust and layer your undergarments accordingly.
You typically start with a thin undergarment that serves to wick away any perspiration. On top of that you add varying degrees of warm fleece layers.
Since you have air within your suit (not water), it will compress at depth and give your body a squeeze. That’s why drysuits are connected to your air supply, so that you can add air as you descent, just like you would with your BC. As you ascend, an automatic venting valve gets rid of the expanding air.
The other bonus of drysuit diving (especially in temperate regions): when you get out of the water and take your suit off, you’re dry and wearing warm fleece layers. No need for a towel and you’re not freezing on the surface.
Switching from a wetsuit to a drysuit will generally require a bit more weight. Plan for a few dives to get used to diving dry; you learn to add air to the suit pretty easily, but things feel different and it takes a few dives to get your trim and buoyancy back. These dives will also allow you to fine-tune your weight.
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