What are the differences between wetsuits and drysuits?
Wetsuit or drysuit is commonly used in water sports. Why need them? As they allow your body to maintain some warmth and slow down the heat loss when you are under the water. The body temperature will decrease quickly when in the water. And we will at the risk of losing too much body heat when we do the water sports without the right gear. Also, they give your skin protection from the harsh sun.
Maybe many people don’t know the difference between wetsuits and drysuits. The most obvious difference comes from the name itself — A drysuit keeps you dry and a wetsuit does not.
Hereby, we explore the main difference between the two, which will help you decide which suit is best for your needs.
What is a Wetsuit ?
Wetsuits are designed to provide thermal protection from the cold water by slowing down body’s heat loss. Normally, they’re made with closed-cell foam material ( usually it’s neoprene). Once you enter the water, a thin layer of water creates a protective layer ( a thermal barrier) between your skin and the wetsuit. This layer of water warms up thanks to your body temperature and allows your body to stay warm for long time under the water.
Wetsuits vary in thickness, style. Naturally, the thicker ones provide more thermal protection and insulation for colder waters while the thinner ones offer lighter insulation in warmer waters. Before you choose a wetsuit, you need to consider your needs carefully.
What is a Drysuit ?
It’s obviously that drysuits keep you dry completely when under the water.
Along with being breathable, drysuits are waterproof and watertight to prevent exposure of the skin to water. Normally, they’re fully sealed and use a combination of wrist seals, neck seals as well as waterproof zipper.
Dyrsuits fit more loosely than wetsuits and allow you to wear clothes or other insulating layers underneath.
Wetusits VS Drysuits
1. Wetsuits use a layer of water to keep body insulated while drysuits use a layer of air and are fully sealed to prevent water from entering.
2.Drysuits are traditionally more expensive than wetsuits due to their complex construction and technology. Also, the drysuits have longer lifespan than wetsuits.
3.No matter for drysuit or wetsuit, the undergarments can be used inside to further increase thermal insulation. Normally, the drysuits have loose fit while wetsuits have tight fit.
