KAYAK DIVERS > GEAR > DIVING SUITS

Overview:- The key thing with regards to what you wear is freedom of movement. If you're diving off a kayak you need to be able to move around easily and not suffer any restriction when paddling. Pushing into wind can be hard enough without fighting against your suit as well. The easier it is to paddle the further you can go. Wetsuits:- A good combination is to have a one-peice 7mm suit which can be used on its own with a separate hood with an optional 4.5mm shortie with or without a hood that you can wear over the top for colder dives. This is a much more versatile than having a sleeveless long-john and over-jacket that have to be used together all the time. Good modern suits are remarkably warm, easy to move in, and they're hydrodynamic reducing workload and gas consumption. Dives that traditionally we were doing in drysuits with a 10L or pair of 7's are now being done in a wetsuit with a single 6L or a pair of 3's. GOOD: Simple, less lead needed, easy to paddle in and hydrodynamic in the water (reducing gas usage). BAD: Not as warm as a good drysuit in the depths of winter. REMEMBER: If you haven't dived in one for a while they're warmer than you remember. Drysuits:- Neoprene drysuits are tough and warm but are cumbersome and bouyant, paddling is harder work, more lead is required, finning is harder and gas consumption is increased. Membrane suits are more flexible and easier to paddle in but require more insulation to be worn underneath increasing bouyancy and the need for yet more ballast. So... don't wear a drysuit unless it's so cold that you really have to. GOOD: In cold conditions. BAD: Cumbersome and bouyant so you'll need more lead. Less hydrodynamic than a wetsuit so you'll use more gas. REMEMBER: Those wetsuit divers aren't as cold as you think.