Used to think drysuits were overkill for warm water but that changed after a job in Pensacola last month

I been diving in the Gulf for years and always figured a wetsuit was fine even for longer bottom times. But last month we had this contract inspecting a sewer outfall pipe about 80 feet down and the water temp was 72 degrees. After two hours down there I was shivering so bad I could barely sign my checkouts on the slates. One of the older guys on the crew let me try his drysuit the next day and man what a difference. I stayed warm the whole five hour shift and didn't feel that bone cold when I surfaced. Now I got a Used DUI drysuit from a buddy for 800 bucks and I take it on any job where I'm gonna be submerged more than 90 minutes. Anyone else switch over later in their career or am I late to the party?

2 comments

2 Comments

diana_flores2529d ago

oh man, gotta jump in here real quick on the farmer john at 65 degrees thing lol. that's not really standard for most people, especially if you're not moving a ton. i been doing this long enough to know that 72 feels fine for like the first hour but once that cold starts creeping in it's game over for your fine motor skills.plus a 7mm is great but if you're doing repetitive dives or long shifts the suit compression at depth cuts your insulation way down. i had a 7mm that felt amazing on the surface but at 80 feet i was getting chilled after 90 minutes easy.the drysuit thing isn't just about being toasty either, it's about staying consistent so you can focus on the work not on shivering. 800 bucks for a DUI is a steal if it's in good shape. i'd take valve maintenance over being miserable any day lol.

knight.xena29d ago

Hold on, I gotta push back a little. I've been doing this for 25 years and I've never felt the need to switch. 72 degrees is not cold, not for a five hour shift if you're moving around. You might have just had a bad wetsuit or maybe you weren't moving enough down there. I've done four hour inspections in the Gulf at 65 degrees with a farmer john and a hood and I was fine. I get the appeal of being toasty and all, but 800 bucks on a used suit plus the hassle of dealing with valves and leaks sounds like a lot of trouble for something a good 7mm could handle. I'm just not convinced it's that serious unless you're going deeper or staying longer than a full work day.