BARE Trilam Pro Dry

Fabric drysuits, made mostly of bilaminate or trilaminate materials, are lightweight, have no inherent buoyancy and don’t compress at depth, plus they dry quickly and fold compactly for transport. They don’t tend to stretch much though, so built-in features like telescoping torsos and expandable gussets are huge design plusses when it comes to range of motion versus a snug fit. Fabric suits are often referred to as “shell” suits because they don’t contribute to keeping you warm — their only job is to keep water out. Fabric suit divers rely solely on undergarments for their thermal protection.

LIGHT-DUTY OR HEAVY-DUTY

With today’s shell suits you can choose from a range of durability levels, depending on how much and what kind of diving you do. Hardcore divers who are constantly in the water hunting down among the rocks, exploring caves or working on scientific projects, should probably look at suits constructed of heavy-duty materials with extra layers of abrasion protection in the high-wear areas. More casual divers who are not in the water quite as much and who tend to do mostly sightseeing might not need to be encased in such rugged armor. Light-duty suits weigh less and are quite comfortable. They aren’t designed to stand up to lots of abuse, but they don’t cost as much as the heavy-duty suits either.

REAR ZIP OR FRONT ZIP

The standard rear-entry drysuit has a zipper that runs horizontally along the shoulders. These are normally less expensive than front zip designs. They also are easy to don and doff, but they require the help of a buddy to zip up.

Front-entry designs, with a zipper that runs either diagonally across the chest and hips or horizontally across the chest or the waist, are also sometimes referred to as “self-donning” suits. While this is technically true, in reality not all divers can self-don a self-donning suit. If you don’t have the range of motion in your arms and shoulders, fully zipping the suit or climbing out after a dive without assistance might not be doable. So if the self-donning feature is the primary reason you’re buying a suit, before laying down a pile of cash make sure you can actually self-don it. (Note: a couple of drysuit makers have come up with rear zippers that can be self-zipped with a little practice but, again, try before you buy.)

SOFT SOCKS OR ATTACHED BOOTS

Soft socks allow you to choose from a variety of drysuit overboots touting different lace-up designs and tread patterns to suit different diving styles. Soft socks also enable you to turn the suit completely inside-out for cleaning/drying/airing after a day of diving. Attached boots, on the other hand, are really convenient because they simplify the donning process and eliminate having to deal with extra gear. However, they range from flimsy latex to rugged vulcanized rubber offering lots of foot support and aggressive tread. Each has its own place, but the boot you choose must be able to handle the type of diving you do. Otherwise, you’ve created a weak link in your drysuit system where there doesn’t need to be one.

LATEX OR SILICONE SEALS

Latex seals come in either cone-shaped or bell-shaped styles. Cone–shaped seals allow for trimming to fine-tune fit, bell-shaped seals provide more surface sealing area. There’s an ongoing debate among drysuit makers over which provides a better seal, although both styles have proven track records for keeping water out. The thickness of latex varies; thinner latex is much easier to work with, but is more susceptible to tearing. Thicker latex is tougher, but is harder to work with and can be less comfortable.

Some drysuit divers are allergic to latex. That’s where silicone comes in. Similar in appearance to the latex variety, silicone drysuit seals offer more resistance to both ozone and UV rays, they are extremely pliable, and they are very easy to put on and take off. Some drysuit manufacturers offer their latex and silicone seals in replaceable systems that enable you to change torn seals on the spot without having to interrupt your dive day.

VALVE POSITIONING

The vast majority of modern drysuits use a dual valve system: one inflate valve positioned on the chest for pumping air into the suit, and one exhaust valve, usually located on the upper left arm, for venting air out of the suit. While this just-below-the-shoulder exhaust valve position tends to be the highest spot on your body while in a heads-up diving attitude, it sometimes can be difficult to reach when fully geared up, and it can also be hard to see. For these reasons some drysuit makers will place the primary exhaust valve, or add a secondary exhaust valve, on the lower left arm, about midway between elbow and wrist. This can be a huge benefit when controlling a suit’s airflow because you can easily see it and reach it, and to bleed air you simply raise your arm. Some makers also offer ankle valves designed to bleed air in a heads-down position. All exhaust valves work either manually by pushing a button, or automatically by dialing the valve from a full open to a full closed position.

DRYSUIT EXTRAS

These are the add-ons, the goodies, the icing on the proverbial cake. You probably don’t actually need any of this stuff, but you’re probably going to want all of it.

Some enticing examples: Suspenders — they not only rein in a drysuit while diving, but just as important, between dives suspenders allow you to drop the top half of the suit without everything falling around your ankles. Then there are cargo pockets for stashing gear, tools or treasures, neoprene neck warmers on drysuits with latex neck seals to provide a little thermal protection where there is none, and, guys, don’t forget the crotch-level relief valve that lets you take care of business without having to take the suit completely off. These and myriad other accessories make the drysuit diving experience just that much more enjoyable.

Buying a new drysuit? Check out the results from ScubaLab's Drysuit Review.