martinwoolwich
New member
In the context of water skiiing, what's the difference between a wet suit and a dry suit. (I'm assuming I need one?)
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Wet/Dry Suit
- Thread starter martinwoolwich
- Start date
AJW
New member
Errm, wiva wet suit you get wet and wiv a dry suit you don't?!
I believe that they are recommended for watersking if for no other reason than to avoid possibility of 20mph enema!!!
Wetsuit - neoprene, close fitting, you do get wet but layer of water heats up and provides insulation (along with the neoprene). Dry suit is looser fitting but has neck and wrist seals that keeps water out. You wear clothes underneath to give thermal insulation.
Friends waterski in both. Wetsuit fine for the summer but drysuit preferred for late or early season. Drysuit needs to be lightweight & flexible. I have one for Ribbing (don't waterski) from Ravenspring. Wore it all the way around Britain for 10days at a stretch and can't recommend em highly enough!
AJ
<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by AJW on 12/07/2004 11:00 (server time).</FONT></P>
I believe that they are recommended for watersking if for no other reason than to avoid possibility of 20mph enema!!!
Wetsuit - neoprene, close fitting, you do get wet but layer of water heats up and provides insulation (along with the neoprene). Dry suit is looser fitting but has neck and wrist seals that keeps water out. You wear clothes underneath to give thermal insulation.
Friends waterski in both. Wetsuit fine for the summer but drysuit preferred for late or early season. Drysuit needs to be lightweight & flexible. I have one for Ribbing (don't waterski) from Ravenspring. Wore it all the way around Britain for 10days at a stretch and can't recommend em highly enough!
AJ
<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by AJW on 12/07/2004 11:00 (server time).</FONT></P>
Nick2
New member
This has got to be seen....
Are you selling tickets for this Martin?
Nick
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Are you selling tickets for this Martin?
Nick
<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://arweb.co.uk/argallery/Nick2>http://arweb.co.uk/argallery/Nick2</A>
BrendanS
Well-known member
Yep, I've a Ravenspring dry suit, and after purchasing mine several years ago, several other people took the leap, and are delighted with them.
PS Martin - can't wait to see the photos of someone waterskiing behind the Fleming! - that would beat Matt's pic!
<hr width=100% size=1>Me transmitte sursum, caledoni
PS Martin - can't wait to see the photos of someone waterskiing behind the Fleming! - that would beat Matt's pic!
<hr width=100% size=1>Me transmitte sursum, caledoni
Talbot
Active member
There is another important difference as well :
Wet suit - the suit absorbs some water, which when immersed helps with the insulation, but when you are skiing or in a rib, the wind helps to create evaporation from the neoprene, and as any schoolboy should know, this effect cools the inside of the wet suit.
Dry suit - there are 2 types of dry suit, the rubber membrane, and the neoprene. For diving a compressed neoprene is IMHO the best, but this will still suffer from the same problem as the wet suit (but you can add air inside the suit, so it is much better. The rubber membrane on the other hand does not have this problem, it is also much more flexible, but you will need to wear much more under it for the same insulation effect, so the overall flexibility of the suit is about the same as the compressed neoprene.
My recommendation would be to use a rubber membrane type dry suit with a thinsulate undergarment. I would also have a means of letting air into the suit for comfort (add air when hot to cool off). But you need to be aware of dry suit idioisyncracies. If you get inverted in a drysuit and it is loose fitting in the leg, the air in suit will fill the legs, and it will be VERY difficult to get your body above your legs. Try this under controlled circumstances, otherwise you could drown! A lot of divers have ankle weights (including myself) to prevent this.
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Wet suit - the suit absorbs some water, which when immersed helps with the insulation, but when you are skiing or in a rib, the wind helps to create evaporation from the neoprene, and as any schoolboy should know, this effect cools the inside of the wet suit.
Dry suit - there are 2 types of dry suit, the rubber membrane, and the neoprene. For diving a compressed neoprene is IMHO the best, but this will still suffer from the same problem as the wet suit (but you can add air inside the suit, so it is much better. The rubber membrane on the other hand does not have this problem, it is also much more flexible, but you will need to wear much more under it for the same insulation effect, so the overall flexibility of the suit is about the same as the compressed neoprene.
My recommendation would be to use a rubber membrane type dry suit with a thinsulate undergarment. I would also have a means of letting air into the suit for comfort (add air when hot to cool off). But you need to be aware of dry suit idioisyncracies. If you get inverted in a drysuit and it is loose fitting in the leg, the air in suit will fill the legs, and it will be VERY difficult to get your body above your legs. Try this under controlled circumstances, otherwise you could drown! A lot of divers have ankle weights (including myself) to prevent this.
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PhilF
New member
Or ski abroad in the sunshine.
Why is everything that we do in UK have to be such a performance?
PhilF
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Why is everything that we do in UK have to be such a performance?
PhilF
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theguvnor
Active member
Whch is the easiest to get off?
I cause huge mirth getting the trousers off (especially once when I forgot to put on trunks first - thought I`d had a sex change !)
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I cause huge mirth getting the trousers off (especially once when I forgot to put on trunks first - thought I`d had a sex change !)
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gjgm
Active member
but theres lots of different types and standard of wetsuit. From stitch type, windproof panels to prevent chill from wind, summer ones, winter ones. So when and where do you want to waterski? Guess thats the question. But a specialist stockist will be able to help you choose the right one. But it will be the right one, not the cheapest one , of course !
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Talbot
Active member
asking which is easiest to get off is such an open ended question that it is impossible to answer. A wet suit that is wet and is body hugging can be very difficult. dry suits come with a back zip, that is almost impossible to do on your own, but is more secure than the diagonal zip, which is easier to get into.
Neck seals can also be dificult, depending on style.
However, the most important point about ease of removal is that the suit needs to fit properly. Too loose will be horrible in the water, to tight will be difficult to remove.
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Neck seals can also be dificult, depending on style.
However, the most important point about ease of removal is that the suit needs to fit properly. Too loose will be horrible in the water, to tight will be difficult to remove.
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jimi
Well-known member
There are two types of wetsuit. One is designed for full imersion virtually all the time and as such users will suffer from cooling by evaporation when not immersed eg wetsuits worn by surfers. The other type have a smooth skin outside to stop this evaporation eg wetsuits worn by windsurfers.
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