Both wetsuits and drysuits are important gears for water sports lovers or those who work in or near cold waters.

A wetsuit is a garment worn to protect the wearer from losing body heat when submerged in cold or icy waters. It works by trapping a layer of water in the suit that eventually maintains body heat.

A drysuit on the other hand is a garment also worn to protect the wearer from the cold. As their names suggest, drysuits keep you dry while wetsuits allow water to come in between your body and the suit. Drysuits have tight seals on the parts where wetsuits have openings that allow water in. Below are other differences you might find between these two.

Material used

Drysuits are made of nylon or a combination of nylon and rubber or foam neoprene. Wetsuits on the other hand are made of a very flexible rubber, Neoprene.

How these suits work

Wetsuits have openings on the neck, arms and legs which allow water to enter the suit. Aside from these amount of water that will settle between your body and the suit, no other water is allowed to seep into the suit, because this layer of water inside the suit will then prevent the loss of body heat.

Drysuits are sealed and water is not allowed to enter the suit, thus they make you dry. This will preserve your body heat. Because drysuits are baggy, you can also wear warm clothing inside to put more warmth. Aside from the head, the rest of the body is kept dry.

When to use these suits

One determinant on what to use between the two is the temperature. Drysuits are usually worn at temperatures ranging from 60 degrees and below. However, drysuits are advisable to be worn in temperatures above 60 when the wearer wants to stay longer in the water or if wetsuits are not giving you enough warmth.

Wetsuits are worn if water temperature is above 60F. Because wetsuits and drysuits may come in the form of a vest, a jacket, a shorty or spring suit or a long john, you can sometimes wear a combination of both depending on what you need in terms of flexibility and warmth.

Cost

Because Drysuits are more durable and efficient in preserving body heat, they generally cost higher than wetsuits.

Tags: Surfing

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