Monday, May 11, 2009

Why Use Wetsuits and Not Drysuits?

By Paul Garnett

If you are looking for a wetsuit for your water sport, you might think of buying a drysuit instead. You might be faced with what to get. Wetsuits out in the market may be specifically designed for a specific water sport, like scuba diving or snorkeling, but you might think of getting a drysuit instead of choosing from these wetsuits.

It pays to know the difference between a wetsuit and a drysuit so you will know what exactly you will need.

Flexibility is one difference you might find between the two. Drysuits are not flexible, while wetsuits are flexible and stretchable. They also differ in their fit, as drysuits are baggy while wetsuits are snug. Although wetsuits are snug, they allow free movement because of its flexible material. Drysuits allow movement in the space between the suit and your body. Both suits however preserve body heat when you are exposed to cold weathers.

Drysuits are also waterproofed and wetsuits are not. Drysuits protect you by sealing in the heat from your body and keep you dry. They also allow you to wear clothes underneath it for more warmth. Wetsuits are not waterproofed and, in fact, allows a little water to get into. They keep you warm when the body warms this layer of water. Clothing may not be used underneath a wetsuit.

Both drysuits and wetsuits affect your buoyancy in water, but drysuits affect your buoyancy more than wetsuits. Because of this, drysuits have inflation valves that allow you to manage your buoyancy in water. Wetsuits on the other hand is made from a buoyant material, but come in different thickness that you can fit to your body weight to control your buoyancy.

By knowing their differences, you may be able to determine what you need, or why you need a surfing wetsuit or a wetsuit for swimming and not a drysuit. If you love surfing, or wakeboarding, or you will be joining a triathlon race, you might want to wear a wetsuit for comfort and flexibility than a drysuit that limits your movement and a little bulky too.

Some people who love snorkeling for example, prefer to wear wetsuits than drysuits. They have pointed out that a drysuit could be a little bulky because it is loose-fitting and because of the additional clothes worn underneath. It could also limit your movement underwater, and whenever there are leaks in the suit, it can interrupt your underwater adventure.

What snorkeling enthusiasts want about wearing a wetsuit than drysuit is that they are able to freedive. Drysuits may allow you to freedive but the suit may cause welts on your skin when the air inside is sucked.

These are just some of the reasons why wetsuits are generally worn in water sports that do not necessarily require you be dry but require the flexibility you need. Especially in triathlon where speed and flexibility is an important factor, drysuits may not be suitable. - 23802

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