Haha - there's some truth to that. Probably one of the main reasons I hesitated to try a drysuit for so long. I do like the two piece style of the newer drysuits though
08:08 My dad (who is an avid diver) once told me there are only two kinds of people. Those who pee in their wetsuit and those who lie. I really like the video. Just facts, no nonsense no flashy attentiongrabbing 👍 That's how information should be delivered.
peeing in a wetsuit can actually be a little challenging at times especially if the python is facing directly towards the neoprene. You gotta shift so it doesn't actually create blockage which btw hurts like hell til you 'shift' lol
Good job, Laurie and Yuri! You've covered very well all main differences between the 2 types of suits. A tip on ''burping' a drysuit - immesrse yourself in the water and let the air out throught the neck seal, works even with thick gloves on. Water pressure does a great job squeezing all the air out. I look forward to your next project... buoyancy aid/life jackets maybe? ;)
What a fully covered and perfectly presented guidance video. It was so clear that you were speaking from experience and that makes all the difference. Thank you. Paul (UK)
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I was thinking of getting a second wetsuit to alternate instead of putting on wet for day 2. A surfer once told me he brings a thermos of warm water to pour into his wetsuit so the first wet is warm not cold.
I'm now thinking maybe a 5mill FJ over a 3mm wetsuit jacket? Then the dry cag etc. Thinking this to aid piss breaks lol. I've no idea what it's like to take the top half off and get back on as I've not worn a wetsuit.
My drysuit is a made to measure... surface suit made by company ... that has contract for RNLI.... 😊 All seals are latex... drysuits must be washed in fresh water and dried.. then talc powder the latex seals before storage
I'm a sailor and would prefer a wetsuit, but it's too hot to sit in with the boat for 4 hours and too cold to sit in the 45 deg water of Puget Sound for an hour. A dry suit is the only sane choice. Of course mine is a 'might be in the water' situation, vs a will be in the water sort of situation. Wet suits aren't great with wind either, but if I was going to spend half my time in the water I'd prefer a wetsuit.
First of all, thank you for such amazing videos! I love how you actually wear what you are talking about, it's such a well done video!!! I have a quick question... how would you dress if it was a very warm day out, but the water was still freezing? Like early summer?
Thanks! Dressing for the swim is always the best way to go. That will vary from person to person, but we'd try and find something that would keep us warm enough if in the water swimming for a significant period of time.
Hello I bought this drysuit. How exactly do you wear the neck seal? Above or below the Adams apple? The tightness feels weird but different to me in both ways. Thanks
Honestly not sure it matters - we’d recommend wearing it whichever way feels more comfortable to you. The neck seal always feels weird at first but you get used to it pretty quickly.
Underneath is good enough, but years later I moved on too one with an insulated neoprene gasket (neck seal). I understand the hype, it is sooo much more around the neck,
great and informative video! thank you. Been in wetsuits literally my whole water life, but am looking at drysuits now for teaching and more specifically teaching from a boat/ rib. drysuit definitely the way to go for that!
Hi there, Great video again, thanks for your efforts producing it and sharing your thoughts. Are you wearing a real life west (inflatable?) or more a Kitesurfing floating best (They have typically something like 50 Newton floating power)?
Hello again, and thanks! :) Yuri wear a Neil Pryde vest, which isn't a 'real'/certified life jacket but it is better than nothing. I had a scary experience in deep water when I was learning, so I opt for something with more flotation than the NP high hook vest - I wear a Hyperlite wakeboarding life jacket. It offers more buoyancy/flotation but it is short so my waist harness fits nicely. The downside is that it is bulkier and limits flexibility!
I’m currently using the NP Highhook vest, it’s comfort is ok, but I think it’s not an ideal solution yet: when the harnest is moving up during a session, the vest ends also next to the ears. And I would prefer a bit more buyoancy. Thanks again and looking forward to your next videos 🤙🏼😎
I tried mustang dry suit once didn’t like it, I couldn’t move freely and the suit didn’t do what suppose to do. I was completely wet, pants filled with water, fortunately I stayed in the shallow. It was waste of money, I would stay away from the brand
For me i prefer a vey good quality wetsuit ( tailor made if possible ) more flexible , easy to swim , more comfortable , and in many cases , more warm then drysuits...
Ok so I’m from Cali I’m here because of the mil I’ve been looking for a good surfing/wetsuit for the waters out here I.........I’m used to Santa Cruz water/waves x
I've never used a drysuit, nore will, for the risk of it failing, i'm using a 5/4mm neil pryde hyper freak, does me in the coldest weather, really cold wind then a spray top, it's perfect.
Good for you, but 5/4 mm feels (to me) like wearing an armour, and the fun factor is comparable. Wearing a thinner wetsuit under the drysuit, in the very rare case of failing, allows you the benefit of both in really cold water and windy weather.
Thank you for the videos. I was on the fence about the drysuit and having been well informed by your videos, I can move forward with confidence. Thanks again.
hi nice video ,i got question ,is it possible to swim in dry suite ?? light easy recreational ? winter coming so reading wetsuit is wet so on end cold vs dry is my logic ,,is it real m logic or wrong ?
Nice to see how much time and effort you guys put into these video's and reviews.Only advise i could add is go as cheap as possible when you kite allot at places with oysters or other sharp objects cos i rip mine every 1 or 2 years due to that.
Thanks so much! Haha, yeah - that's good advice. Thankfully we have no oysters where kite, I'm sure Yuri would be pretty bummed if his pricey wetsuit ripped after a year or two! :D
4 yrs ago I switched from a drysuit (Ocean Rodeo Soul) to a 7/6 Billabong Hooded. This is a wetsuit for surfers, is very flexible and super warm. The suit is so warm that I hardly need to use gloves in 0 degrees Celcius.
@@OurKiteLife very flexible, my movement is not restricted. Another brand you should test is Patagnia check www.patagonia.com/shop/wetsuits?start=0&sz=24#tile-6
One important opinion you did not address is that while swimming in perfectly functional drysuit you will get really sweaty and will get cold much faster than in wet suite. I've heard that you would have no more than 30min in cold water while actively swimming in drysuit, while in wetsuit you would have at least twice as much time before you get cold.
Just got back from a kayaking class where the water temp was around 50 degrees. I wore a fleece onesie, wool socks, base layer, and a fleece vest under a (borrowed) dry suit. I did hate the seals big time, but I was quite warm. No problems with mobility. I totally agree with you that a PFD is a must with a dry suit. In fact, I’d strongly recommend it for any activity in cold water.
Great video.. I want to use my wetsuit when fishing in river during cold weather, so my question is how do I merge the wetsuit to wading boots. I assume I put the bottom of the wetsuit pants into neoprene booties or waterproof socks that then go into the wading boots. How do I use a wetsuit with wading boots and keep water out of the boots in cold weather? Thanks!!
12:59: "Similarly, a thick wetsuit can provide quite a bit of buoyancy; however, this is not an excuse to not use a lifejacket!" 13:06: "Watch me paddle in a wetsuit without a lifejacket on!" P.S. You never want to dry your suit in the sun! P.P.S. How mobile do you have to be when kitesurfing?
@@OurKiteLife :-) outside of winter, yes. Done it during winter: never again, cold shock reaction is real and you have to really work to make it, unless you are very close to shore.
Thank you for the video . I use a wetsuit in winter and find that one of the issues is the cold wind as I'm kiting. Do u recommend using a windblocking jacket on top?
One cannot dive in dry suits of this type as they don't have any air regulation. They are also likely not tough enough for some of the underwater environments such as ship wracks.
I am a Floridian and considering taking my jetski for a ride in january, water basically is around 67-70F. What will be the warmest wetsuit to not freeze the balls in case I fall into a freezing water? :) Will 3mm be sufficient?
I wear my full body thin fleece (ocean rodeo) under my NP 5/4 mm wetsuit and its works almost like the dry suit without the bulkiness. The fleece was intended for the drysuit but tried it under the wetsuit. I haven’t used the dry suit since. Also only my forearms and below knees get somewhat wet for some reason; everything is completely dry when I take it off.
@@OurKiteLife my wetsuit is not super tight and maybe that’s why it works for me, might get too tight of your wetsuit is already very tight. I like to wear a wetsuit just lightly tight so the neoprene stays thicker (it gets thinner when you stretch it) and also for more movement freedom. Hope that helps. The fleece onesie is the ocean rodeo one sort of thin
Regarding your comment that the life jacket is designed to keep your head above water:. Most of what we wear during sports activities are merely boyancy aids for when you are conscious and may or may not keep your head (your mouth and nose actually) out of the water if you are not conscious. That is why they are called personal flotation devices and not called "life jackets". This is from memory and I did not look it up so could be wrong.
I think you're correct. Since making this video, we have learned that a life jacket is different than a PFD. A life jacket should turn you onto your back, but a PFD won't.
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Finally a video that explains exactly what I was wanting to know. I just bought a Sea Doo and want to get out on the water in early spring and your explanation of the suits and under garments has helped immensely. Thank you. Subscribed!
While i have not had a chance to test my drysuit, im glad i bought one. They save lifes when your in water longer than you want to be. In a wetsuit, you don't have that luxury depending how cold the water is, but you certainly have less time to be rescued or get yourself out of a dangerous situation...just my humble opinion.
It really depends on what you’re wearing underneath your drysuit. If you’re dressed appropriately, then it could definitely buy you more time in an emergency situation. For regular use in cold water, personally I have found my sessions have doubled in time when wearing a drysuit
Awesome video. Love the channel. One minor correction worth noting is that you actually aren't wearing a life jacket while kiting but a buoyancy aid / personal floatation device. A life jacket is specifically designed to keep your head above water as you correctly note, but ALL life jackets are designed to roll you onto your back so you are face up with your head clear of the water. A PFD/buoyancy aid will only keep you afloat. The main design difference is that life jackets have the majority of the floatation on the chest and surround the neck where a PFD has floatation on the back and will not roll you face up nor support your neck. I work in the maritime industry and the difference is important because people falsely believe that a PFD and life jacket are the same. I'm not suggesting we all wear neck restricting life jackets while kiting, but it's also important to understand that someone in a PFD is still susceptible to drowning if they end up unconscious face down in the water. Again really love the channel and thanks for making these great videos!
Hey Ian, thanks for the information, we actually had no idea of this difference. Very good to know! We will make sure to add this information to our future videos! Thanks again and happy new year :)
Who else kayaks in cold water with a wetsuit? Here's my worry, I want to kayak in fall so it's gonna be about 50f outside. My main worry is cold water shock, as in when you flip in a kayak, you are submerged and if the cold shock happens you gasp with no control. Half people tell me a wetsuit doesn't help with that and the other half says it does.
Thanks for all your great videos, i enjoy your channel very much. One question, which lifejackets do you or most guys at your spot use, seems those jackets from NP are quite popular there? Are these more an impact vest or a real life vest? Which model is it? I am looking for a model which can be worn with a waist harness. Thanks and keep up the great work!
Thanks! The model most of us wear is the Neil Pryde High Hook. It fits comfortably with a waist harness - it has a strap that goes below the hook of your harness to keep it from riding up. It has enough padding to act as an impact vest. We like this one over an impact vest because it provides more floatation, and because by law we need to wear a life jacket here - although I don’t think it’s technically a certified PFD in North America but in Europe it is :)
I'm new to the sport and have been thinking about the intersection between wetsuit, life vest, and impact vest. When I took lessons, wetsuit and life vest were required, but life vest isn't required by law in NSW Australia. I have a life vest designed for kayaking, which I haven't tried with my harness but has enough padding that it would also function as an impact vest. My current harness is a seat harness, so my life vest should be fine with it. When I'm wearing my wetsuit, there's enough flotation that I don't feel like I need a life vest, though I could see in situations like unconsciousness a life vest would potentially keep your head above water (not all US models do this). When I took lessons, they didn't even talk about an impact vest (life vest functioning in that role), but as I've been looking at impact vests, the ones I saw didn't add flotation. Patagonia makes one, not specifically for kiting, that has flotation, though I don't think it's registered as a legal life vest. The shop told me it's designed to be worn *under* the wetsuit (??), but it seems that would make my wetsuit too tight. I feel like the padding of a wetsuit would also be useful for impact, though as with the flotation aspect, it's not as good or specific as a life vest or impact vest. This is an area of accessory clothing that could probably use some evolution.
Living in cape town ,I have never seen or been in snow before...just how cold does it get ? Does your head get sore if it go's underwater (ice cream headache) ? Cape towns water is really cold..bone aching at times...was just wondering how cold it is over there when the beach is covered in snow..does the snow make it worse ?
The snow isn’t so much of an issue. It’s the combination of cold air and cold water. Lake Ontario, the lake we kite on most often, can get as cold as 1-2*C in winter. With air temperature of -10*C, you won’t last long if you’re not dressed properly. If you dunk your head in, it’s a biting cold. A splash to the face is the same. Hands and feet get cold first, and quickly get achy and can go numb. I personally prefer the drysuit for these conditions, as you can dress warmly underneath and extend your session longer. I can kite for a couple hours in a drysuit in winter. With a thick wetsuit, I manage maybe an hour before I’m too cold, but that’s just my experience
I fly fish in cold weather water, 30 degrees outside. I hate wadders because i never keep warm. Looking to ditch the wadders and looking to get a wetsuit to keep warm. Any advice on wetsuit for cold water fishing.
As a dingy sailor I use a wetsuit and underneath a a first layer of polypropylene vest and leggings.On top of the wetsuit I use a splash vest which cuts down the wind chill.With good seals around neck,ankles,and wrists I stay warm when capsized.
I've been looking at a dry suit for paddle boarding here in Wales all year around. Base models from Gul are as little as £200 new making the decision easier.
Here's some ice diving tips for wetsuits in freezing conditions. Tape your boot and glove joints with duct tape. Wear a Polartec fleece dive skin underneath. Fill the wetsuit with warm water just before you get in. For drysuits, my experience is with neoprene rather than shell types. The neoprene drysuit will fit more like a wetsuit requiring less clothing underneath. The neoprene will take small punctures and reseal where a shell suit won't. As the fit is closer to a wetsuit you will be more streamlined in the water making swimming easier. Glideskin neoprene neck and wrist seals are much more durable than latex. Having a manual inflater is a plus for other sports. Also having an exhaust valve on the upper arm is useful for burping the suit. Buoyancy can run very high at 20-30 pounds freshwater and more if you add air. Only downsides are the cross shoulder zipper limiting motion of the arms, and the suit can get VERY warm very fast on the surface! My 1987 Harvey's Aqua Capsule drysuit would take about 5 minutes in ice water to cool down when you get too hot. My 2004 titanium Aqua Capsule would take almost 15 minutes to cool. Both were 7mm drysuits. The newer suit was too warm for Lake Superior. Do Aqua Seal the seams on the inside around the seat. I'll miss those Harvey's drysuits they really were good! There is a pee system available for drysuits. It's a catheter system for guys, and a glue on cup system for women. It does take some practice to use or you get wet.
One nice trick to pull on tight leg and arm seals is to first put a cheap plastic grocery bag over your hand and foot as you slide them on. I always keep a few in my suit bag. Also, triathletes will spray themselves with Pam or other cooking oil spray before putting on their swimming wet suits, in order to make it easier and faster to take off.
Do you think a dry suit could be used for surfing? I only have experience with wetsuits and have never seen anyone surfing on a ds, plus it may be uncumfortable, reduce movement and likely look pretty ridiculous. Any advice?
Haven't tried surfing in a drysuit, so unfortunately I can't provide much insight there. We do have a fair amount of winter surfers in Toronto, and I've yet to see any in a drysuit. I would imagine a wetsuit is preferable but interested to see if any surfers can comment.
Within wetsuit materials there's a difference in comfort too. Recently switched to Ride Engine which uses a more expensive quartz-based material which I've found warmer and more comfortable (soft) than previous neoprene suits (but again... personal preference). Their story is it uses less fossil fuels to make (not why I bought it).
@@OurKiteLife All good, I was using a suit with the hood attached and was getting flushed with the backzip... hmmm not sure what to recommend to my friend with 15 year old dreadlocks now.... Kite in the cold, or deadlock I suppose:-) Maybe invent the dreads suit... time will tell---->
I'm using Ion Element 5.5 wetsuit. For some reason it's labeled as semi-dry, and I have no idea why. But when I enter the water I feel no water flow at all, only in my shoes, because they ain't that water tight. Plus it has some membrane that goes from the back zipper up to the neck, preventing water to flow rapidly into the suit through the zipper. This suit is amazing and kept me warm during the autumn/spring sessions. But I'd say it's a bit restraining on the movement tho.
Great points! I've been using a wetsuit for years for coastal and whitewater SUP and have been considering a drysuit instead. After considering the points I feel a well made, flexible wetsuit is still better option for coastal use. The coast, unlike Lake Ontario, has the added hazard of the sharpest creatures on earth that can slice through the toughest fabric covering every rock. Worst case scenario is getting dragged across barnacle covered rocks and the added cushioning and functionality after tearing makes a wetsuit safer on the coast.
The video title is misleading. If you mention a wetsuit and a dry suit in the same sentence a scuba dry suit vs wetsuit comes to mind. That’s not what we are looking at here and it needs to be briefly discussed.
Can I wear wetsuit and wetsuit gloves and wetsuit hood and wetsuit boots for boogie boarding so my head and hands and feet don't get cold while boogie boarding while boogie boarding
I'm a white water kayaker and I've been thinking about getting a wetsuit for the early spring days where water temps aren't quite warm enough to go without a protective layer, especially to keep some of the wear and tear off the drysuit. Some people have recommended a dry top but that is a moot point if you take a swim. The video was very informative but the only thing I will say is that they do make drysuits for ladies that have a back hatch to allow them to pee as well. Its not a male default set up. You should look into some of those, they are the same price. Just some advice. Anyways, enjoy the winter water sports.
@@OurKiteLife yeah, if your looking for inexpensive versions, gul is a good option, typhoon is as well. If you want top of the line then I would go with kokatat or level 6. Only thing about the level 6 is they are more European style rear entry and that sucks to try and zip yourself. Kokatat is all front entry.
You should try wearing a Neoprene dry suit. They are even more comfortable! A 5mm Neoprene dry suit is very flexible and like most dry suits can be inflated to allow more insulation of Air and undergarments. Since they are not a plastic bag, they can effective allow you to wear less insulation material and still feel warm and comfortable to touch and wear on the bare skin! Additionally, there is no need for a life jacket with a neoprene dry suit as it is SO buoyant not just because of the neoprene, but because of the trapped air inside, and the large rubber boots that float!!! They also have the luxury of being warm even if you spring a leak, a quality which 'Shell' type suits (which are basically a polypropelene bag) can not offer! They also offer differing repair options from Shell suits, especially depending on where leaks may occur. Neoprene also can afford the wearer a small amount of knock protection absorbing bangs and knocks from other gear and mistakes, whereas a shell suit has no compression ability! Hope my experience helps your choices going forward! Oh and just another point us divers know. Put your wetsuit legs OVER the top of your booties, that why when your suit fills after a dunking and you have to stand up, the water inside your suit will drain out and NOT into your booties. You still get the same warm as there is the same covering of latex over your ankles.
@@OurKiteLife They are typically made for divers, but since you guys are wearing dry suits of the shell variety, you might as well consider these and option. They can also be set up with an inflatable bottle so you could ditch the cumbersome Life vest and have a small Bottle provide air. this would be good for emergencies, long/rough water immersions and when a long way from home awaiting rescue, not that you would need it as they are very bouyant anyway!
Burping a dry-suit is essential to safety. The last thing you want is to find yourself upside down with your feet being forced up by a big air pocket in the legs. There is also a third option, my personal favorite a neoprene dry-suit. I use a 3mm dry-suit with a thin insulating layer underneath. Neoprene suits don't breath but in practice I have found the breath-ability of gore-tex and the like to be inadequate if the suit is getting wet on the outside constantly.
Thanks for the insight! We've been hearing a lot about the neoprene drysuits. Haven't seen them on the beach before, but will look into it further online :)
@@OurKiteLife I have a Patagoina Neoprene dry suit which I modified to include a relief zipper. Its kind of form fitting like a wetsuit but has latex seals on the ankles and wrists and a neoprene seal on the neck (much more comfy than a latex neck seal) .Regrettably, they stopped making it and have gone back to the bag style suits made by folks like Kokatat and OR. Link to Patagonia suit. vimeo.com/84077616 The ION fuse is a current neoprene dry suit.
In my experience, for wind sports (ie: where the body is mainly above the water as opposed to in the water), a full smooth skin wet suit is much warmer that the same thickness wetsuit that has an external lining. Why ? Because that smooth skin does not absorb water and so there is much less evaporative heat loss. This is at the cost of reduced durability. I have wondered if a lined wetsuit could be turned in a poor man's smoothskin by spraying it with silicone water repellent.
@@OurKiteLife The Ion Quantum 4/3 'semi-dry' smooth skin wet suit has kept me the warmest of any wet suit I have tried to date. Mind you I am not hard core enough to attempt to go out when there is snow on the ground. That's in a whole different league. The Quantum is still a back zip but with a flap to catch and flush channel most of the water coming entering through the zip. The semi-dry designation means that you get more of a trickle of water ingress than a full fledged flush when submerging or thrown from the board. This model is a few years old now and appears to be discontinued: www.k66surfdivision.com/products/mens-ion-quantum-wetsuit-2015-4-3-mm-semidry-skin I also suspect that much of the benefit of the smooth skin could be gained, at least on the upper body, by wearing something like a dingy top, eg: www.gillmarine.com/dinghy-top/ over the wetsuit.
Thanks for sharing! We are always looking for the best wetsuit for kiting so it’s good to know what other kiters have tried and loved. Usually once there’s snow on the ground we stick to our drysuits :)
Well done. Thanks for posting. Thorough and informative. But... At 16:22 : "Keep in mind you'll still get cold very quickly in a wet suit when submerged in cold water for a prolonged period of time, although not as quickly as in a fully functional dry suit. In fact, in a dry suit, you can stay in cold water for a much longer period of time, not that you really need to." I am not a native English speaker but to me, these two successive sentences means exactly the opposite of each other and are mutually exclusive. And the bit "not that you really need to" ... well, you are discussing SAFETY, as announced at 12:21, so it's not really that you chose to spend time immersed, but maybe you have to because you are waiting for those nice and gentle SAR guys to reach you?
@@OurKiteLife Ok, so if we keep only the first sentence, you're claiming that a wetsuit is more efficient at keeping an immersed sea kayaker from cooling down in cold water than a "fully functional dry suit" is. But that's quite confusing, as well, since it would imply that the amount of insulating cloths under the drysuit has suddenly become irrelevant, although you state the very opposite earlier in your video (which I think makes sense by the way). I am not sure either what tests, if any, you are basing your statement on. Quantitative (for instance by monitoring limbs and core temperature) immersion gear testing focused on cooling rate and mild (let alone severe) hypothermia onset are difficult (and dangerous) to run with live subjects and I haven't found any standardized comparison study looking at both wetsuit and drysuit protection properties in cold water on a large enough cohort of subjects (we all respond very differently upon immersion in cold water). Do you have some reference to share? I am not being picky. Your report touches many interesting aspects of both types of immersion protection and most of your comments are spot on and very useful, but there is a need for hard data concerning the most important features of these toys: how efficient are they respectively at slowing down the incapacitating onset of hypothermia in the worst case scenario : having to wait for rescue while immersed? coldwaterbootcamp.com give some hints but we need more. Human physiology and sport medicine labs listening? PS: My guess is, the amount of insulating cloths you would have to wear under a drysuit to emulate a full 3-4 mm wetsuit insulating property in immersion conditions far exceeds what you would normally be able to wear in your cockpit without sweating like a snowman locked in a sauna. I have chosen to wear a wetsuit for safety while solo sea kayaking in the Pacific Northwest (9-12C water), but I may be mistaken.
Hey, watching this part of video again this morning and I believe the comments about “still getting cold in a wetsuit ... albeit not as quickly as a fully functional drysuit” were in reference to the point about wearing a wetsuit under a drysuit. Wording is admittedly a bit confusing, so sorry about that. It is correct that what you wear under your drysuit will determine if you are warmer or colder when submerged in water as compared to a wetsuit - as for exactly how many layers and how long, we don’t know. As mentioned numerous times in this video, the bigger point here is to not put yourself in a situation where you can be stuck in cold water for prolonged periods of time.
@@OurKiteLife " the bigger point here is to not put yourself in a situation where you can be stuck in cold water for prolonged periods of time." Ok fair enough, but that completely excludes sea kayaking per se from your risk assessment and gear review then (appart from the casual paddle 300' max from the beach, like playing in the surf zone for exemple). If you look at SAR sea kayaking accident reports, you will realize that sea kayakers involved in typical sea kayaking accidents are often immersed for "prolonged" periods of time before being pulled out, i.e. most of them are reached long after 30-45 min from initial distress call, in a more or less severe state of hypothermia at time of rescue (if alive). You don't need to go far ashore to kite surf but sea kayakers are often beyond 2 km from the shore. So risks and immersion gear choice will necessarily be different. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Be safe.
I am completly new to this and i have questions. I live in Switzerland were the water is only above 17°C for 3 months. I want to swim even if the water is only 10°C -16°C. Will i get wet in a Wetsuit (dumb question sry)? And are there shoes and gloves for wet suits as well?
If you’re swimming, yes - you’ll very likely get wet in a wetsuit. That being said, how wet will be determined by the fit and quality of the wetsuit and how much - if any - flushing there is. If there’s flushing (water coming in and out of the suit) you will get colder faster. There are neoprene gloves and booties - which will be essential for keeping warm in cold water. You can also get a hooded wetsuit or a separate hood if your wetsuit doesn’t have one. Hope that helps :)
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Key topics of this video:
0:23 - How a wetsuit works
1:00 - How a drysuit works
1:40 - Mobility
4:50 - Comfort
8:14 - Warmth
12:19 - Safety
13:25 - Gear failure
17:00 - Longevity & maintenance
19:45 - Pricing
Hello Mam...
Can you please share me ur website shopping link wetsuit so that I could buy it for me 😊
@@moapnr yes please.
Wetsuit makes you look like a Marvel superhero. Drysuit makes you look like your 50 year old uncle Rick on his trip to Wal-Mart.
Haha - there's some truth to that. Probably one of the main reasons I hesitated to try a drysuit for so long. I do like the two piece style of the newer drysuits though
ikr xD
Never heard truer words!
Hey!! I'm 50.
@@slabbyrider8665 Oof- Good for you.
08:08
My dad (who is an avid diver) once told me there are only two kinds of people. Those who pee in their wetsuit and those who lie.
I really like the video. Just facts, no nonsense no flashy attentiongrabbing 👍
That's how information should be delivered.
Buy a pissette.
Not more rotting neoprene from urine
peeing in a wetsuit can actually be a little challenging at times especially if the python is facing directly towards the neoprene. You gotta shift so it doesn't actually create blockage which btw hurts like hell til you 'shift' lol
I really don't. I used to when I was a kid but it really wrecks the neoprene. Also for some reason I don't have to pee while I'm in the water...
been surfing for over40 years , i dont pee in my wetty
@@jayhome2715 Only a worm can face directly into neoprene, pythons always lay along. Due to the size I guess :D
I’m a kayaker and I’m shocked watching y’all fly up in the air, looks terrifying lol
it's a lot of fun, and very addictive
Whitewater Kayaker thing having shorts over Dry suits protect it a little bit so you do not need to patch the back side
Good job, Laurie and Yuri! You've covered very well all main differences between the 2 types of suits.
A tip on ''burping' a drysuit - immesrse yourself in the water and let the air out throught the neck seal, works even with thick gloves on. Water pressure does a great job squeezing all the air out.
I look forward to your next project... buoyancy aid/life jackets maybe? ;)
Thanks Nickolay!
What a fully covered and perfectly presented guidance video. It was so clear that you were speaking from experience and that makes all the difference.
Thank you.
Paul (UK)
Custom diving services will professionally repair your all your zippers and seals on your dry suits.
This was really informative! Thank you!!
No problem :)
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Drysuits are definitely best, but they are EXPENSIVE.
And putting on a cold still wet wetsuit the next day after using it is the worst feeling.
Very true, the price tag can be hard to swallow. If you get 5+ years use plus more sessions in a year, it helps to justify the spend though
I was thinking of getting a second wetsuit to alternate instead of putting on wet for day 2. A surfer once told me he brings a thermos of warm water to pour into his wetsuit so the first wet is warm not cold.
I’ll try not to be a dink here but... smooth skin is the only kind of wetsuit for kiting.
Beyond 3mm go dry suit fir greater range of motion
Nice comprehensive review! Next time you’re in SoCal, go to the rip curl outlet and you’ll get a good wetsuit for less than $100.
Nice! We will keep that in mind for sure :)
Once in a while we get to use our 3/2 ...usually when we travel somewhere warmer
@@OurKiteLife what would you use in london 15/20 degrees summer? And 7 degree winter?
@@adamlegend8392 4/3 for summer, and 5 mm for winter, though, at that weather drysuit would also be incredibly convenient if you can afford it
love that place!
I used to wear a wetsuit under my drysuit 20 years ago 😂😂😂😂😂😂
hehe :D it isn't our preference, but people are still doing it
I have to say ion wetsuits are probably the best in my experience specifically for kiters. The calve drain holes also make a huge difference
Nice - the calf drain holes sound like a really smart & simple solution that would be great for kiting!
i need those, i prob add another 10 lbs through out the ride to my calves and they are always catching the water.
My favorite: 5 mill wetsuit and white water kayak jacket on top by freeze conditions
This is the combo I'm considering. A 5/4/3 wetsuit and a dry or semi dry top. Could even add another layer on my torso. Are you warm enough?
I'm now thinking maybe a 5mill FJ over a 3mm wetsuit jacket? Then the dry cag etc. Thinking this to aid piss breaks lol. I've no idea what it's like to take the top half off and get back on as I've not worn a wetsuit.
Great review, thank you! I do surfssports for nearly 40 years but learned new things. Great!
Thank you! Glad you liked it :)
My drysuit is a made to measure... surface suit made by company ... that has contract for RNLI.... 😊
All seals are latex... drysuits must be washed in fresh water and dried.. then talc powder the latex seals before storage
I have a ION fuse, drysuit, its made like a 5/4 wetsuit, with neopren, so it actually also isolated the heat aswell.
Nice - is that crushed neoprene? We've heard about that but haven't tried it ourselves. Sounds like the best of both worlds.
@@OurKiteLife I actually don't know, it feels and looks like my wetsuit.
If you have a change at a point, then try one.. It's an awesome feeling
I'm a sailor and would prefer a wetsuit, but it's too hot to sit in with the boat for 4 hours and too cold to sit in the 45 deg water of Puget Sound for an hour. A dry suit is the only sane choice. Of course mine is a 'might be in the water' situation, vs a will be in the water sort of situation. Wet suits aren't great with wind either, but if I was going to spend half my time in the water I'd prefer a wetsuit.
I fix drysuits as part of my job and biggest leaks come from seems being opened up by small stones and sometimes delamination.
Makes sense - even making this video, it was hard to get the little rocks and sand off of hands & feet when putting on/taking off the suit
If I looked as good in a wetsuit as she does, I would wear wetsuits exclusively just to look good.
First of all, thank you for such amazing videos! I love how you actually wear what you are talking about, it's such a well done video!!! I have a quick question... how would you dress if it was a very warm day out, but the water was still freezing? Like early summer?
Thanks! Dressing for the swim is always the best way to go. That will vary from person to person, but we'd try and find something that would keep us warm enough if in the water swimming for a significant period of time.
Hello I bought this drysuit. How exactly do you wear the neck seal? Above or below the Adams apple?
The tightness feels weird but different to me in both ways.
Thanks
Honestly not sure it matters - we’d recommend wearing it whichever way feels more comfortable to you. The neck seal always feels weird at first but you get used to it pretty quickly.
Underneath is good enough, but years later I moved on too one with an insulated neoprene gasket (neck seal). I understand the hype, it is sooo much more
around the neck,
can you combine wetsuit and drysuit?
great and informative video! thank you. Been in wetsuits literally my whole water life, but am looking at drysuits now for teaching and more specifically teaching from a boat/ rib. drysuit definitely the way to go for that!
2:36
*YEET*
Getting changed in the middle of winter from a wet suit isn't an issue......if you have a van 👍
Great video, very helpful. I use a drysuit for SUP, love it.
Hi there, Great video again, thanks for your efforts producing it and sharing your thoughts.
Are you wearing a real life west (inflatable?) or more a Kitesurfing floating best (They have typically something like 50 Newton floating power)?
Hello again, and thanks! :) Yuri wear a Neil Pryde vest, which isn't a 'real'/certified life jacket but it is better than nothing. I had a scary experience in deep water when I was learning, so I opt for something with more flotation than the NP high hook vest - I wear a Hyperlite wakeboarding life jacket. It offers more buoyancy/flotation but it is short so my waist harness fits nicely. The downside is that it is bulkier and limits flexibility!
I’m currently using the NP Highhook vest, it’s comfort is ok, but I think it’s not an ideal solution yet: when the harnest is moving up during a session, the vest ends also next to the ears. And I would prefer a bit more buyoancy.
Thanks again and looking forward to your next videos 🤙🏼😎
@@OurKiteLife check this out: ua-cam.com/video/reVv8S0MvxA/v-deo.html
I've had them try it on with a waist kite harness and it looks quite OK!
I tried mustang dry suit once didn’t like it, I couldn’t move freely and the suit didn’t do what suppose to do. I was completely wet, pants filled with water, fortunately I stayed in the shallow. It was waste of money, I would stay away from the brand
Yikes! Sorry to here that happened, but thanks for sharing your experience
For me i prefer a vey good quality wetsuit ( tailor made if possible ) more flexible , easy to swim , more comfortable , and in many cases , more warm then drysuits...
A tailor made wetsuit sounds like it would be ideal, but how much does something like that cost to make?
Our Kite Life 400 euros
Ok so I’m from Cali I’m here because of the mil I’ve been looking for a good surfing/wetsuit for the waters out here I.........I’m used to Santa Cruz water/waves x
Incredibly professional and top notch presentation !!!! thank you very much for all those precious info
I've never used a drysuit, nore will, for the risk of it failing, i'm using a 5/4mm neil pryde hyper freak, does me in the coldest weather, really cold wind then a spray top, it's perfect.
Good for you, but 5/4 mm feels (to me) like wearing an armour, and the fun factor is comparable. Wearing a thinner wetsuit under the drysuit, in the very rare case of failing, allows you the benefit of both in really cold water and windy weather.
You gotta get a pee-valve installed and use the she-p!
Thank you for the videos. I was on the fence about the drysuit and having been well informed by your videos, I can move forward with confidence. Thanks again.
We love our drysuits - for us it’s the difference between kiting an hour or two in a wetsuit vs all day in a drysuit in winter :)
hi nice video ,i got question ,is it possible to swim in dry suite ?? light easy recreational ? winter coming so reading wetsuit is wet so on end cold vs dry is my logic ,,is it real m logic or wrong ?
It is possible, not sure it is enjoyable. We have seen many winter swimmers in Toronto and not one swims in a drysuit.
Nice to see how much time and effort you guys put into these video's and reviews.Only advise i could add is go as cheap as possible when you kite allot at places with oysters or other sharp objects cos i rip mine every 1 or 2 years due to that.
Thanks so much! Haha, yeah - that's good advice. Thankfully we have no oysters where kite, I'm sure Yuri would be pretty bummed if his pricey wetsuit ripped after a year or two! :D
The Adelio-suit wet is the best it has flotation capabilities.
Haven't heard of it - we'll check it out, thanks!
I like it wet. Dry suit is an oxymoron,
4 yrs ago I switched from a drysuit (Ocean Rodeo Soul) to a 7/6 Billabong Hooded. This is a wetsuit for surfers, is very flexible and super warm. The suit is so warm that I hardly need to use gloves in 0 degrees Celcius.
7/6mm sounds super warm! How flexible is it? I find movement is restricted in my 5mm, which is why I haven't ventured into a thicker wetsuit (yet)
@@OurKiteLife very flexible, my movement is not restricted. Another brand you should test is Patagnia check www.patagonia.com/shop/wetsuits?start=0&sz=24#tile-6
Nice, thanks for the link. Will definitely keep both those brands in mind when it's time to buy a new cold water kiting wetsuit.
10:46 WTF???perfect shot:)
watching this 4 years later, still the best wetsuit vs drysuit video for kiters.
One important opinion you did not address is that while swimming in perfectly functional drysuit you will get really sweaty and will get cold much faster than in wet suite. I've heard that you would have no more than 30min in cold water while actively swimming in drysuit, while in wetsuit you would have at least twice as much time before you get cold.
Good point - thanks for sharing!
Just got back from a kayaking class where the water temp was around 50 degrees. I wore a fleece onesie, wool socks, base layer, and a fleece vest under a (borrowed) dry suit. I did hate the seals big time, but I was quite warm. No problems with mobility. I totally agree with you that a PFD is a must with a dry suit. In fact, I’d strongly recommend it for any activity in cold water.
Great video.. I want to use my wetsuit when fishing in river during cold weather, so my question is how do I merge the wetsuit to wading boots. I assume I put the bottom of the wetsuit pants into neoprene booties or waterproof socks that then go into the wading boots. How do I use a wetsuit with wading boots and keep water out of the boots in cold weather? Thanks!!
Thank you for all the information. My daughter is into this adventure program and I like to know all about it.
12:59: "Similarly, a thick wetsuit can provide quite a bit of buoyancy; however, this is not an excuse to not use a lifejacket!"
13:06: "Watch me paddle in a wetsuit without a lifejacket on!"
P.S. You never want to dry your suit in the sun!
P.P.S. How mobile do you have to be when kitesurfing?
Very good video! I combine my wetsuit with a paddling jacket when kayaking in cold conditions
Sounds like a good combination to stay warm!
@@OurKiteLife :-) outside of winter, yes. Done it during winter: never again, cold shock reaction is real and you have to really work to make it, unless you are very close to shore.
You should try semi dry wetsuit! And do a comparison to your wetsuit 🤙👍
That's what we've heard! We will definitely look into it :) Thanks!
Thank you for the video . I use a wetsuit in winter and find that one of the issues is the cold wind as I'm kiting. Do u recommend using a windblocking jacket on top?
Yes - a wind blocking jacket will help. Another popular option is a neoprene hoody
One cannot dive in dry suits of this type as they don't have any air regulation. They are also likely not tough enough for some of the underwater environments such as ship wracks.
Thanks for the comment. As mentioned in this video, this comparison is not meant for diving.
I am a Floridian and considering taking my jetski for a ride in january, water basically is around 67-70F. What will be the warmest wetsuit to not freeze the balls in case I fall into a freezing water? :) Will 3mm be sufficient?
Never have a hot shower in a wetsuit it can melt the seal in it and damage it
who tf would shower in a wetsuit
If you watched the video you would know stupid
I wear my full body thin fleece (ocean rodeo) under my NP 5/4 mm wetsuit and its works almost like the dry suit without the bulkiness. The fleece was intended for the drysuit but tried it under the wetsuit. I haven’t used the dry suit since. Also only my forearms and below knees get somewhat wet for some reason; everything is completely dry when I take it off.
Interesting - we haven’t heard of anyone doing that before. May have to give it a shot ourselves this winter
Very interesting and thanks for sharing. I will try it very soon, before the water gets close to freezing:-)
@@OurKiteLife my wetsuit is not super tight and maybe that’s why it works for me, might get too tight of your wetsuit is already very tight. I like to wear a wetsuit just lightly tight so the neoprene stays thicker (it gets thinner when you stretch it) and also for more movement freedom. Hope that helps. The fleece onesie is the ocean rodeo one sort of thin
👍 Great video. Sometimes if I don't go when ia cold I don't kite. So far I'm using 3mm with another short suit inside.
Thanks! Nothing wrong with passing on a cold kite session. It's all about having fun, not suffering/forcing yourself to go in uncomfortable conditions
Regarding your comment that the life jacket is designed to keep your head above water:. Most of what we wear during sports activities are merely boyancy aids for when you are conscious and may or may not keep your head (your mouth and nose actually) out of the water if you are not conscious. That is why they are called personal flotation devices and not called "life jackets". This is from memory and I did not look it up so could be wrong.
I think you're correct. Since making this video, we have learned that a life jacket is different than a PFD. A life jacket should turn you onto your back, but a PFD won't.
Very informative video, very well planned, great speaking ability, and good looks 😀👍
This is all really great info and I appreciate your tone and candor as you explain things too!
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Thank you so much!
Finally a video that explains exactly what I was wanting to know.
I just bought a Sea Doo and want to get out on the water in early spring and your explanation of the suits and under garments has helped immensely. Thank you.
Subscribed!
Glad to hear it was helpful! Thanks for the subscribe :)
While i have not had a chance to test my drysuit, im glad i bought one. They save lifes when your in water longer than you want to be. In a wetsuit, you don't have that luxury depending how cold the water is, but you certainly have less time to be rescued or get yourself out of a dangerous situation...just my humble opinion.
It really depends on what you’re wearing underneath your drysuit. If you’re dressed appropriately, then it could definitely buy you more time in an emergency situation. For regular use in cold water, personally I have found my sessions have doubled in time when wearing a drysuit
Awesome video. Love the channel. One minor correction worth noting is that you actually aren't wearing a life jacket while kiting but a buoyancy aid / personal floatation device. A life jacket is specifically designed to keep your head above water as you correctly note, but ALL life jackets are designed to roll you onto your back so you are face up with your head clear of the water. A PFD/buoyancy aid will only keep you afloat. The main design difference is that life jackets have the majority of the floatation on the chest and surround the neck where a PFD has floatation on the back and will not roll you face up nor support your neck. I work in the maritime industry and the difference is important because people falsely believe that a PFD and life jacket are the same. I'm not suggesting we all wear neck restricting life jackets while kiting, but it's also important to understand that someone in a PFD is still susceptible to drowning if they end up unconscious face down in the water. Again really love the channel and thanks for making these great videos!
Hey Ian, thanks for the information, we actually had no idea of this difference. Very good to know! We will make sure to add this information to our future videos! Thanks again and happy new year :)
Who else kayaks in cold water with a wetsuit? Here's my worry, I want to kayak in fall so it's gonna be about 50f outside. My main worry is cold water shock, as in when you flip in a kayak, you are submerged and if the cold shock happens you gasp with no control. Half people tell me a wetsuit doesn't help with that and the other half says it does.
Thanks for all your great videos, i enjoy your channel very much. One question, which lifejackets do you or most guys at your spot use, seems those jackets from NP are quite popular there? Are these more an impact vest or a real life vest? Which model is it? I am looking for a model which can be worn with a waist harness. Thanks and keep up the great work!
Thanks! The model most of us wear is the Neil Pryde High Hook. It fits comfortably with a waist harness - it has a strap that goes below the hook of your harness to keep it from riding up. It has enough padding to act as an impact vest. We like this one over an impact vest because it provides more floatation, and because by law we need to wear a life jacket here - although I don’t think it’s technically a certified PFD in North America but in Europe it is :)
Alright thanks, i will check it out :)
I'm new to the sport and have been thinking about the intersection between wetsuit, life vest, and impact vest. When I took lessons, wetsuit and life vest were required, but life vest isn't required by law in NSW Australia. I have a life vest designed for kayaking, which I haven't tried with my harness but has enough padding that it would also function as an impact vest. My current harness is a seat harness, so my life vest should be fine with it. When I'm wearing my wetsuit, there's enough flotation that I don't feel like I need a life vest, though I could see in situations like unconsciousness a life vest would potentially keep your head above water (not all US models do this). When I took lessons, they didn't even talk about an impact vest (life vest functioning in that role), but as I've been looking at impact vests, the ones I saw didn't add flotation. Patagonia makes one, not specifically for kiting, that has flotation, though I don't think it's registered as a legal life vest. The shop told me it's designed to be worn *under* the wetsuit (??), but it seems that would make my wetsuit too tight. I feel like the padding of a wetsuit would also be useful for impact, though as with the flotation aspect, it's not as good or specific as a life vest or impact vest. This is an area of accessory clothing that could probably use some evolution.
Not sure about kite drysuits but they make women's white water drysuits that have a butt zip for peeing
nice - thanks for the tip, we'll look into it!
thinking man
now yer thinking man!
Living in cape town ,I have never seen or been in snow before...just how cold does it get ? Does your head get sore if it go's underwater (ice cream headache) ? Cape towns water is really cold..bone aching at times...was just wondering how cold it is over there when the beach is covered in snow..does the snow make it worse ?
The snow isn’t so much of an issue. It’s the combination of cold air and cold water. Lake Ontario, the lake we kite on most often, can get as cold as 1-2*C in winter. With air temperature of -10*C, you won’t last long if you’re not dressed properly. If you dunk your head in, it’s a biting cold. A splash to the face is the same. Hands and feet get cold first, and quickly get achy and can go numb. I personally prefer the drysuit for these conditions, as you can dress warmly underneath and extend your session longer. I can kite for a couple hours in a drysuit in winter. With a thick wetsuit, I manage maybe an hour before I’m too cold, but that’s just my experience
You are so cute!
haha thanks!
I fly fish in cold weather water, 30 degrees outside. I hate wadders because i never keep warm. Looking to ditch the wadders and looking to get a wetsuit to keep warm. Any advice on wetsuit for cold water fishing.
Thanks! Great info.
As a dingy sailor I use a wetsuit and underneath a a first layer of polypropylene vest and leggings.On top of the wetsuit I use a splash vest which cuts down the wind chill.With good seals around neck,ankles,and wrists I stay warm when capsized.
Sounds like you've figured out a great solution for keeping warm on/in the water!
I've been looking at a dry suit for paddle boarding here in Wales all year around. Base models from Gul are as little as £200 new making the decision easier.
That’s a great price!
When you are using a dry suite without socks, like the SOUL, what do you use for footwear, just thick neoprene booties that sit over the ankle seal?
Yes - usually thick neoprene booties (6mm+) over the ankle seal, or neoprene socks (~1mm) + neoprene booties (5mm)
Here's some ice diving tips for wetsuits in freezing conditions.
Tape your boot and glove joints with duct tape.
Wear a Polartec fleece dive skin underneath.
Fill the wetsuit with warm water just before you get in.
For drysuits, my experience is with neoprene rather than shell types. The neoprene drysuit will fit more like a wetsuit requiring less clothing underneath. The neoprene will take small punctures and reseal where a shell suit won't. As the fit is closer to a wetsuit you will be more streamlined in the water making swimming easier. Glideskin neoprene neck and wrist seals are much more durable than latex. Having a manual inflater is a plus for other sports. Also having an exhaust valve on the upper arm is useful for burping the suit. Buoyancy can run very high at 20-30 pounds freshwater and more if you add air. Only downsides are the cross shoulder zipper limiting motion of the arms, and the suit can get VERY warm very fast on the surface! My 1987 Harvey's Aqua Capsule drysuit would take about 5 minutes in ice water to cool down when you get too hot. My 2004 titanium Aqua Capsule would take almost 15 minutes to cool. Both were 7mm drysuits. The newer suit was too warm for Lake Superior. Do Aqua Seal the seams on the inside around the seat. I'll miss those Harvey's drysuits they really were good!
There is a pee system available for drysuits. It's a catheter system for guys, and a glue on cup system for women. It does take some practice to use or you get wet.
Would you recommend a neoprene dry suit or a neoprene wetsuit for swimming?
@@nathaliejk3696 For swimming, go with a wetsuit. The triathlon wetsuits work best for that.
One nice trick to pull on tight leg and arm seals is to first put a cheap plastic grocery bag over your hand and foot as you slide them on. I always keep a few in my suit bag. Also, triathletes will spray themselves with Pam or other cooking oil spray before putting on their swimming wet suits, in order to make it easier and faster to take off.
or use a clean sock !
It comes down to preference? Who the hell prefers a wetsuit over a drysuit? They’re better in every way. Except you gotta spend 5x the money.
Do you think a dry suit could be used for surfing? I only have experience with wetsuits and have never seen anyone surfing on a ds, plus it may be uncumfortable, reduce movement and likely look pretty ridiculous. Any advice?
Haven't tried surfing in a drysuit, so unfortunately I can't provide much insight there. We do have a fair amount of winter surfers in Toronto, and I've yet to see any in a drysuit. I would imagine a wetsuit is preferable but interested to see if any surfers can comment.
Within wetsuit materials there's a difference in comfort too. Recently switched to Ride Engine which uses a more expensive quartz-based material which I've found warmer and more comfortable (soft) than previous neoprene suits (but again... personal preference). Their story is it uses less fossil fuels to make (not why I bought it).
Interesting! Haven’t seen the Ride Engine suits yet but will check them out
If your wearing a 6,5,4 or 5,4,3 with a hood, I would highly recommend a front Zipper..
There are Women Urination Device Cups, usable for dry-suits ..:-)
I’ll eventually come around to a front zip suit I’m sure, just find it uncomfortable putting on/taking off, especially with long hair
Yaaa.... not sure I’ll ever use one of those! Haha
@@OurKiteLife All good, I was using a suit with the hood attached and was getting flushed with the backzip... hmmm not sure what to recommend to my friend with 15 year old dreadlocks now.... Kite in the cold, or deadlock I suppose:-) Maybe invent the dreads suit... time will tell---->
I'm using Ion Element 5.5 wetsuit. For some reason it's labeled as semi-dry, and I have no idea why. But when I enter the water I feel no water flow at all, only in my shoes, because they ain't that water tight. Plus it has some membrane that goes from the back zipper up to the neck, preventing water to flow rapidly into the suit through the zipper. This suit is amazing and kept me warm during the autumn/spring sessions. But I'd say it's a bit restraining on the movement tho.
Interesting about the semi-dry feature! Haven't tried that wetsuit before, but will look into it
Can you just put wetsuit underneath your dry suit It’s sound stupid but I’m serious 😂
I guess you could? Ha I can’t imagine it being remotely comfortable
In cold weather, i wear a wetsuit with a drysuit on top 😂
😂😂😂
@@OurKiteLife I do not even joking 😂😂
Great points! I've been using a wetsuit for years for coastal and whitewater SUP and have been considering a drysuit instead. After considering the points I feel a well made, flexible wetsuit is still better option for coastal use. The coast, unlike Lake Ontario, has the added hazard of the sharpest creatures on earth that can slice through the toughest fabric covering every rock. Worst case scenario is getting dragged across barnacle covered rocks and the added cushioning and functionality after tearing makes a wetsuit safer on the coast.
Sounds like a good call!
Thanks for putting this together! Much easier than keeping the local watersports person on the phone for 28 minutes while I ask exploratory questions.
Glad you found it useful!
The video title is misleading. If you mention a wetsuit and a dry suit in the same sentence a scuba dry suit vs wetsuit comes to mind. That’s not what we are looking at here and it needs to be briefly discussed.
Can I wear wetsuit and wetsuit gloves and wetsuit hood and wetsuit boots for boogie boarding so my head and hands and feet don't get cold while boogie boarding while boogie boarding
I'm a white water kayaker and I've been thinking about getting a wetsuit for the early spring days where water temps aren't quite warm enough to go without a protective layer, especially to keep some of the wear and tear off the drysuit. Some people have recommended a dry top but that is a moot point if you take a swim. The video was very informative but the only thing I will say is that they do make drysuits for ladies that have a back hatch to allow them to pee as well. Its not a male default set up. You should look into some of those, they are the same price. Just some advice. Anyways, enjoy the winter water sports.
Thanks for the comment - I’ll have a look for female versions!
@@OurKiteLife yeah, if your looking for inexpensive versions, gul is a good option, typhoon is as well. If you want top of the line then I would go with kokatat or level 6. Only thing about the level 6 is they are more European style rear entry and that sucks to try and zip yourself. Kokatat is all front entry.
I would put the wetsuit above the shoes otherwise u have the pee inside ur shoes, but as u already mentioned it’s all about personal preference;)
Do you burp the drysuit before you go out??? You need to open the neck seal then squat while hugging your chest.
You should try wearing a Neoprene dry suit. They are even more comfortable! A 5mm Neoprene dry suit is very flexible and like most dry suits can be inflated to allow more insulation of Air and undergarments. Since they are not a plastic bag, they can effective allow you to wear less insulation material and still feel warm and comfortable to touch and wear on the bare skin! Additionally, there is no need for a life jacket with a neoprene dry suit as it is SO buoyant not just because of the neoprene, but because of the trapped air inside, and the large rubber boots that float!!! They also have the luxury of being warm even if you spring a leak, a quality which 'Shell' type suits (which are basically a polypropelene bag) can not offer! They also offer differing repair options from Shell suits, especially depending on where leaks may occur. Neoprene also can afford the wearer a small amount of knock protection absorbing bangs and knocks from other gear and mistakes, whereas a shell suit has no compression ability! Hope my experience helps your choices going forward! Oh and just another point us divers know. Put your wetsuit legs OVER the top of your booties, that why when your suit fills after a dunking and you have to stand up, the water inside your suit will drain out and NOT into your booties. You still get the same warm as there is the same covering of latex over your ankles.
Thanks for the info - we will definitely look into it! Can't say we've ever seen one on the beach, but sounds like a solid option!
@@OurKiteLife They are typically made for divers, but since you guys are wearing dry suits of the shell variety, you might as well consider these and option. They can also be set up with an inflatable bottle so you could ditch the cumbersome Life vest and have a small Bottle provide air. this would be good for emergencies, long/rough water immersions and when a long way from home awaiting rescue, not that you would need it as they are very bouyant anyway!
You can add sevral layers of wet suits. I have one 3/2 and one 5/3, and if needed I wear both.
Burping a dry-suit is essential to safety. The last thing you want is to find yourself upside down with your feet being forced up by a big air pocket in the legs. There is also a third option, my personal favorite a neoprene dry-suit. I use a 3mm dry-suit with a thin insulating layer underneath. Neoprene suits don't breath but in practice I have found the breath-ability of gore-tex and the like to be inadequate if the suit is getting wet on the outside constantly.
Thanks for the insight! We've been hearing a lot about the neoprene drysuits. Haven't seen them on the beach before, but will look into it further online :)
@@OurKiteLife I have a Patagoina Neoprene dry suit which I modified to include a relief zipper. Its kind of form fitting like a wetsuit but has latex seals on the ankles and wrists and a neoprene seal on the neck (much more comfy than a latex neck seal) .Regrettably, they stopped making it and have gone back to the bag style suits made by folks like Kokatat and OR. Link to Patagonia suit. vimeo.com/84077616 The ION fuse is a current neoprene dry suit.
Dry suit pretty good for jet skis
I cant live without my OR Soul. -5c 40 knots and still toasty warm!
This was incredibly educational. As a novice scuba diver this is very helpful. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
In my experience, for wind sports (ie: where the body is mainly above the water as opposed to in the water), a full smooth skin wet suit is much warmer that the same thickness wetsuit that has an external lining. Why ? Because that smooth skin does not absorb water and so there is much less evaporative heat loss. This is at the cost of reduced durability.
I have wondered if a lined wetsuit could be turned in a poor man's smoothskin by spraying it with silicone water repellent.
Are there any brands or particular smooth skin wetsuits you would recommend?
@@OurKiteLife The Ion Quantum 4/3 'semi-dry' smooth skin wet suit has kept me the warmest of any wet suit I have tried to date. Mind you I am not hard core enough to attempt to go out when there is snow on the ground. That's in a whole different league.
The Quantum is still a back zip but with a flap to catch and flush channel most of the water coming entering through the zip. The semi-dry designation means that you get more of a trickle of water ingress than a full fledged flush when submerging or thrown from the board.
This model is a few years old now and appears to be discontinued:
www.k66surfdivision.com/products/mens-ion-quantum-wetsuit-2015-4-3-mm-semidry-skin
I also suspect that much of the benefit of the smooth skin could be gained, at least on the upper body, by wearing something like a dingy top, eg: www.gillmarine.com/dinghy-top/ over the wetsuit.
Thanks for sharing! We are always looking for the best wetsuit for kiting so it’s good to know what other kiters have tried and loved. Usually once there’s snow on the ground we stick to our drysuits :)
put a straw in the wrist when putting the drysuit on, it'll remove the need for 'burping'.
Well done. Thanks for posting. Thorough and informative. But...
At 16:22 :
"Keep in mind you'll still get cold very quickly in a wet suit when submerged in cold water for a prolonged period of time, although not as quickly as in a fully functional dry suit. In fact, in a dry suit, you can stay in cold water for a much longer period of time, not that you really need to."
I am not a native English speaker but to me, these two successive sentences means exactly the opposite of each other and are mutually exclusive.
And the bit "not that you really need to" ... well, you are discussing SAFETY, as announced at 12:21, so it's not really that you chose to spend time immersed, but maybe you have to because you are waiting for those nice and gentle SAR guys to reach you?
@@OurKiteLife Ok, so if we keep only the first sentence, you're claiming that a wetsuit is more efficient at keeping an immersed sea kayaker from cooling down in cold water than a "fully functional dry suit" is. But that's quite confusing, as well, since it would imply that the amount of insulating cloths under the drysuit has suddenly become irrelevant, although you state the very opposite earlier in your video (which I think makes sense by the way).
I am not sure either what tests, if any, you are basing your statement on. Quantitative (for instance by monitoring limbs and core temperature) immersion gear testing focused on cooling rate and mild (let alone severe) hypothermia onset are difficult (and dangerous) to run with live subjects and I haven't found any standardized comparison study looking at both wetsuit and drysuit protection properties in cold water on a large enough cohort of subjects (we all respond very differently upon immersion in cold water). Do you have some reference to share?
I am not being picky. Your report touches many interesting aspects of both types of immersion protection and most of your comments are spot on and very useful, but there is a need for hard data concerning the most important features of these toys: how efficient are they respectively at slowing down the incapacitating onset of hypothermia in the worst case scenario : having to wait for rescue while immersed? coldwaterbootcamp.com give some hints but we need more. Human physiology and sport medicine labs listening?
PS: My guess is, the amount of insulating cloths you would have to wear under a drysuit to emulate a full 3-4 mm wetsuit insulating property in immersion conditions far exceeds what you would normally be able to wear in your cockpit without sweating like a snowman locked in a sauna. I have chosen to wear a wetsuit for safety while solo sea kayaking in the Pacific Northwest (9-12C water), but I may be mistaken.
Hey, watching this part of video again this morning and I believe the comments about “still getting cold in a wetsuit ... albeit not as quickly as a fully functional drysuit” were in reference to the point about wearing a wetsuit under a drysuit.
Wording is admittedly a bit confusing, so sorry about that.
It is correct that what you wear under your drysuit will determine if you are warmer or colder when submerged in water as compared to a wetsuit - as for exactly how many layers and how long, we don’t know.
As mentioned numerous times in this video, the bigger point here is to not put yourself in a situation where you can be stuck in cold water for prolonged periods of time.
@@OurKiteLife " the bigger point here is to not put yourself in a situation where you can be stuck in cold water for prolonged periods of time."
Ok fair enough, but that completely excludes sea kayaking per se from your risk assessment and gear review then (appart from the casual paddle 300' max from the beach, like playing in the surf zone for exemple). If you look at SAR sea kayaking accident reports, you will realize that sea kayakers involved in typical sea kayaking accidents are often immersed for "prolonged" periods of time before being pulled out, i.e. most of them are reached long after 30-45 min from initial distress call, in a more or less severe state of hypothermia at time of rescue (if alive). You don't need to go far ashore to kite surf but sea kayakers are often beyond 2 km from the shore. So risks and immersion gear choice will necessarily be different. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Be safe.
No, you are not going to be able to dive in a dry suit, unless its a scuba dry suit with an air supply connection.
I am completly new to this and i have questions. I live in Switzerland were the water is only above 17°C for 3 months. I want to swim even if the water is only 10°C -16°C. Will i get wet in a Wetsuit (dumb question sry)? And are there shoes and gloves for wet suits as well?
If you’re swimming, yes - you’ll very likely get wet in a wetsuit. That being said, how wet will be determined by the fit and quality of the wetsuit and how much - if any - flushing there is. If there’s flushing (water coming in and out of the suit) you will get colder faster. There are neoprene gloves and booties - which will be essential for keeping warm in cold water. You can also get a hooded wetsuit or a separate hood if your wetsuit doesn’t have one. Hope that helps :)