Drysuit vs wetsuit

[sourra]

I can tell you all about it as I am torn between the pros/cons of a drysuit (Pyro) and a wetsuit. Let’s go:

1) Yes, for sure. I have been using my drysuit when it’s been close to zero with just two layers of long underwear underneath – The first layer is a standard one used for skiing etc and the second one is made out of thin fleece. Strengths of the dry suit: I) You can adjust how warm you want the suit to be by adding/removing layers of underwear II) You are dry during the whole session III) You don’t have to stand and balance on one leg in you birthday suit while changing in the blistering cold hard winds – just step out of the dry suit and into the car and IV) you will remain warm while taking a break on the beach. Main drawbacks: I) Hard to open/close the zipper on your own II) When you are in the water, you are not as limber as you are with a wetsuit III) In case your suit rips for some strange reason, you will be cold and heavy and IV) the gaskets around hands, feet and neck are sensitive but it’s not a problem as long as you are careful.

2) You can use a drysuit over the whole range. Make sure you get one that’s breathing (like the new mystic) so you don’t get so sweaty when surfing in the upper part of the range. However, I’d say that when it get’s warm enough to use a 3/2 or a shorty – do so.

3) If you are referring to kite specific drysuits for women, I’d say they are unisex. Wetsuits can of course be found with extra room for hips and knockers but the drysuits are quite generous when it comes to space. Just follow the size charts and you’ll be fine.

4) Speaking out of own experience – the Pyro is nice. Speaking out of others experiences – the Mystic is nice, especially for 2009 when it is breathing all over.

[skotten]

maui magic make womens suits… : ) (mystic womens department)

Looks like me talking english in here has pushed the google stats up a little?

Sourra pretty much sums up all that denotes the practical differences between the two.. I have just used a wetsuit all winter in the south of sweden though. The gulfstream means that the water is normally warmer back home (scotland) than it is here. Its a bit more cumbersome to have a drysuit, but the euphoria of watching everyone else freeze while getting changed is maybe worthit : )

Surferlove.

[milkman]

Have a look at the Hybrid suite from Pro-Limit, looks wierd but works great for kiting. No use for a female dry-suite unless colors are a factor. Dry-suite part (Torso) is fully breathable and here in Sweden it competes well on price as well.
There is a picture of it here: http://www.surfbussen.nu/post/Varpremiaren-avklarad.aspx

[sourra]

Why go half dry? Then you still have to stand there with a bare ass in the freezing cold and you might as well go for a full wetsuit.

[telekiter]

The other guys sums it up pretty good. BUT:

I must say that I feel LESS restricted with my GUL Infra drysuit then my 3 mm full wet suit now that I switched from a size L to XL (´m 90 kg and 185 cm), hence get the right size drysuit and be sure to remove all extra air from inside the suit (crunch down holding the neck gasket open)!

Regarding the seals ripping the GUL suits have smoothskin neoprene wrist and neck seals MUCH less likely to ripp and easy to glue toghether if they do. These seals are however not as tight as latex seals but nothing that bothers me. Not even en extra cup of water during a whole session in total, so no biggie.

GUL has women specific suits (check http://www.surfline.dk).

GUL has suits with or without latex socks, take your pick realy. There are pros and cons with either.

The GUL suits are not that hard to put on by yourself as the zipper runs down on the front. The zipper does feel a bit bulky but when ones out on the water you forget about it.

Regarding temp: when it´s to warm using the drysuit (only shorts and a T-shirt underneeth) then you can go for a 3/2 shorty or 3 mm full suit.

I will not use a thick wetsuit ever again as long as I can afford a drysuit, never, never.

/Urban.

[yann]

Going straight from a drysuit to a shortie? You got to be kidding med. Riding in a 4/3 or 3/2 barefooted is the next best thing from boardies and you don’t want to miss that. I can see the point choosing a dry suit over a 6/4 wettie but as soon as it’s time for a 4/3 (that’s now) everyone riding dry suits should pack the them away for the season.

Here are a few more cons I see with a dry suit:

You get about the same bouyancy as your board when riding waves (much easier to get hit).
You can’t surf in a dry suit (too buoyant for duck dives).
Not easy to swim with when ripped and full of water.
If you rip your dry suit in freezing temps you turn into a popsicle.
They are ugly.
You don’t get the sensation of being in the water and might as well go snowboarding.

[telekiter]

Yann;543249 wrote:

They are ugly……..

and you expect to get any credability with that statement?

I´m using my drysuit with one pair of long johns and one polyester shirt then when it to warm for that I go for my full 3mm wetsuit, perfect combo. Don´t have a shortie (would only use it maybe 3 time/season in our waters anyway). I´m just trying to point out that a drysuit does have a very large ”Temp range” which was unexpected for me when i first bought it.

/Urban.

[yann]

Telekiter;543277 wrote:

and you expect to get any credability with that statement?

No, that’s my personal opinion. I’m not in here for credability.

[telekiter]

So your only in it for getting your name up on the board then? I didn´t know there was a contest for ”most forum post”.

Just answer the original Q.

/U.

[dadil]

Telekiter;543287 wrote:

and you expect to get any credability with that statement?

….

So your only in it for getting your name up on the board then? I didn´t know there was a contest for ”most forum post”.

Just answer the original Q.

/U.

what?!

[telekiter]

Well, ”Yann” had a lot of just ridiculus claims, that was not even asked for by kay09 who started the thread. If you just check his reply and compare to the questions one must conclude that it is just for getting on the board.

I mean ”duck dive when surfing”. Did kay09 ask for surfing related stuff?
and then bla bla bla snowboarding. Where I´m at there is deffinatelly no snowboarding now and wayyyy of any 4mm wetsuit weather, so should I then stay of the water because I´m not ”hipp” enough in my ”Ugly” drysuit?

and yes, I´m in a bad mood today…. 😉

/U.

[nic]

Telekiter;543328 wrote:

Well, ”Yann” had a lot of just ridiculus claims, that was not even asked for by kay09 who started the thread. If you just check his reply and compare to the questions one must conclude that it is just for getting on the board.

I mean ”duck dive when surfing”. Did kay09 ask for surfing related stuff?
and then bla bla bla snowboarding. Where I´m at there is deffinatelly no snowboarding now and wayyyy of any 4mm wetsuit weather, so should I then stay of the water because I´m not ”hipp” enough in my ”Ugly” drysuit?

and yes, I´m in a bad mood today…. 😉

/U.

haha! I guess steffo is just steffo no matter what language we would do it in…
My prediction is you going to spend at least 1 or more posts defending your position against off topic posts. And I bet yann dropped this by now…

nic

[nundy]

I havent tried drysuits myself but the ones surfing at my homespots uses it. They say its a big difference in flexibility.. instead of using a hooded vest under my 5/3 and feeling like a stuffed turkey I will definately buy one to next season for the flexibility and comfortness dressing/undressing in close to 0 degrees weather.
Another negative thing they have mentioned is that the bodydragging isnt as good as with wetsuits…. more resistance in the water!

Yes, it might be a bit ugly… but who is on the water to look pretty?? Then you can dress up and stay on the beach.

[sourra]

Let me know if you are looking for a Pyro (Ltd. edition w camo). Now that I have got me a surfer van, I am back to wetsuits.

[yann]

Sorry nic, I just couldn’t let this one pass…

The day I find myself staying home instead of going surfing in sub zero degrees is the day I buy myself a dry suit. It has nothing to do with looks, I just think they compromise too much of the surf feeling.

Telekiter, no need to quote my name. It’s my real one. You are welcome to put me on your ignore list if you don’t like what I write. It’s as simple as that. Sorry if I stepped on your toes but I can’t promise I won’t do it again so you might as well go ahead and ignore me. For all I care you can kite in a mankini if that is what you like. As long as you don’t force me to think it’s good looking. As for my other cons I honestly thought it could be some valuable input to some of the people in here considering a dry suit. There are lots of people here that both kitesurf and surf or want to get into it. For me kitesurf is higly surf related. I really hope you get some surf soon so you can stop being the self acclaimed moderator you’re trying to be.