posted by pierdive on Jun 30
Exposure suits can make or break a dive. Living in the North East we rely mostly on wetsuits and drysuits to keep us warm while diving but an abrasion suit can be very helpful when snorkeling. Abrasion suits are normally made of thin lycra and while they do not provide much in the way of warmth they will keep you from getting cuts and scrapes and protect you from sunburns on your back.
Wetsuits help to preserve body heat by trapping water that has been warmed by body heat so it cannot escape and take the heat with it. A wetsuit must be fit to the user because if there is too much of a gap the water will escape and you will be cold. Wetsuits come in a variety of thicknesses and styles; one-piece vs. two, shorty vs. steamer ((half sleeve/half pant vs. full-length). What you need depends on where you plan to dive most often.
Drysuits provide passive thermal protection to the wearer while immersed in water. They protect you from neck to wrist to ankle and are most often used where water temperatures dip below 15°C (60°F) or a diver plans to be in the water for long periods of time. Drysuits are designed to prevent all water from reaching the wearer’s skin and since air is a better insulator you will be warmer.