Florida, aka the Sunshine State, usually conjures visions of palm trees and white sand beaches. It’s not a place often associated with drysuit diving. But that didn’t deter some 100 divers from gathering at Manatee Springs, a popular Chiefland, Florida, spring basin in full drysuit regalia.

The event was a DUI DOG Rally & Demo Tour — part demo day, part reunion. The events, held at more than a dozen locations around the country (dui-online.com), provide divers with an opportunity to try before buying — or to simply sample the drysuit experience.

I wasn’t surprised by the turnout, as North Florida is home to more drysuit divers than one might expect; it is the North American epicenter of cave diving — a subset of the sport that typically involves long submersions in 72 degree spring water. And, as cavers soon learn, the same artesian pools that provide a refreshing dip for swimmers can create bone-chilling decompressions for scuba spelunkers lacking adequate thermal protection during two-hour dives.

Less expected at the Rally were the participants who had no intention of delving into submerged caves, and were considering dry suits for other reasons. Some were underwater hunters looking to take the chill out of surface intervals during winter cold fronts, others were aspiring tech enthusiasts involved in deep offshore exploration, and others simply felt a drysuit could enhance their diving comfort.

Comfort isn’t a phrase I would have associated with drysuits a couple of decades ago, and their use certainly requires more effort than slipping into a wetsuit. But the drysuit universe has undergone a significant evolution in recent years. New self-donning designs facilitate dressing, while advanced patterns and materials provide form-fitting comfort that sometimes borders on sleek. Modular designs allow seals to be changed or replaced in minutes, and undergarments have evolved, offering a superior combination of moisture wicking and thermal regulation. In short, drysuits aren’t just for the lands of polar bears and penguins, and anyone who dives in temperate waters might want to weigh the potential advantages of diving dry.

Anyone considering a drysuit might want to ponder the following points:

Choose your Comfort
Level A drysuit works as advertised: it keeps you dry. Depending on the material, it may or may not provide insulating warmth — that’s primarily a function of the undergarments. And this is one of the major advantages of a drysuit system. Unlike wetsuits, which offer a finite level of insulation, dry divers can choose a level of thermal protection that matches their metabolism and the local conditions. The same suit that wards off modest chills in a Florida spring could be dressed out for a plunge under Arctic ice. Another advantage drysuits hold over wetsuits is the ability to maintain consistent insulation regardless of depth. Even the best 7 mm wetsuit will lose a significant portion of it’s insulation value when compressed during a 100-foot dive, while a quick squirt of air into a drysuit keeps undergarments uncompressed and maintains a toasty equilibrium.

Skill Sets and Equipment Complexity
Admittedly, donning a drysuit will never be as easy as slipping into a sleek 5 mm wetsuit — but the differences are less significant when one goes for a full 7 mm rig with a thick hood and gloves. Drysuits do have more critical seals and zippers to contend with, all of which involve a learning curve. But once the basics are mastered, a well-fitted drysuit is surprisingly comfortable to wear — especially during surface intervals where wet neoprene can create significant evaporative cooling. One of the greatest anxieties among drysuit neophytes is the need to monitor additional buoyancy variables and manage two inflators and deflators. But adjustable automatic overpressure valves have taken much of the hassle out of venting on ascent, and most people master suit inflation after a handful of dives.

**Weighty Matters
** It may take a good deal of ballast to sink a drysuit when a diver is kitted up for cold water, but the same holds true for thick wetsuits. In temperate waters, dry divers may not need much more ballast than their wet-suited brethren. Over time, most dry divers are able to shed some lead as they learn to maintain optimum suit inflation, and unlike wet divers, they won’t have to add copious quantities of air to their BCS to offset suit compression at depth. Choosing the right BC can greatly enhance stability and comfort, as can adding a separate harness that balances the load and keeps if around the diver’s center mass rather than suspended in bulging BC pockets.

A Number One Concern
To put it delicately, divers who have long considered the word wetsuit to be a verb as well as a noun may wonder how they will take care of number one if the urge arises. Fortunately, the physiological response generated by the body’s immersion in water is less noted when only the head and hands are wet, and for those who stay down for the duration there are certain aftermarket devices that allow for discreet overboard discharge — at least for the gentlemen diver. Sorry ladies, you version is still in the works.

A Long Term Investment
One of ther common obstacles to drysuit ownership is cost. Whereas a decent coldwater wetsuit might set you back several hundred dollars, a quality drysuit system can easily pass the $2,000 mark. It seems like quite a difference in the short term, but less so when you consider that even the best wetsuits have a limited life span, while drysuits can easily last 20 years or more if properly maintained. Wetsuits must be replaced; drysuits can be repaired, and upgraded as needed. Spread the cost over a ten-year period and a drysuit becomes a much better investment.

When It Makes Sense
The more fanatic among the drysuit community will tell you that diving dry makes sense in almost all situation. There are even specialty drysuits make for tropical conditions. But in reality, most of us will continue to slip into form-fitting neoprene in lower latitudes and higher water temperatures. But many of the world’s best underwater experiences aren’t found at tropical resorts, and adding a drysuit to your diving wardrobe will open up a whole new realm of possibilities, providing customizable comfort to ward off multi-dive chills, and enjoy adventures ranging from California kelp beds and Cape Hatteras war wrecks to drifting with hammerheads in the Galapagos or watching orcas in Queen Charlotte Sound.