Dry suit vs. wetsuit for cold water dives in Puget Sound last month

I'm a deckhand on a salvage crew. Had to pick dry suit or wetsuit for a 45 minute job in 48 degree water. Picked dry suit. Regulator froze after 20 minutes. Had to abort. My buddy used a thick wetsuit and was fine. What do you guys run for temps under 50?

3 comments

3 Comments

dixon.james1mo ago

48 degree water for 45 minutes is a long time in a dry suit if you don't have your gas management dialed in. What regulator setup were you using, and did you have any kind of heated air injection or just standard dry suit inflation from your tank? I've seen first stage freeze ups happen more with certain models that don't have a dry chamber or adequate cold water protection, and a lot of guys around here swear by the Haskel or the old Poseidon units for that reason.

irisowens1mo ago

Haskel or Poseidon? Yeah, those are the old reliables for cold water. Seems like a no-brainer if you're staying down that long in 48 degrees.

shane_clark1mo ago

You mentioned "standard dry suit inflation from your tank" and I used to think that was fine for anything. But after my regulator froze up mid dive, I'm starting to agree with the folks who say you need a dedicated cold water setup down there. Makes me wonder if my old reg just isn't built for that kind of cold.