Scuba diving dry suits are for diving in cold water settings and they only come in one type of style: full length arms and legs. The only difference among the different brands of dry suits on the market are in the materials used to create the suit and the placement of the zippers.

Dry suits maintain warmth by surrounding the scuba diver with a layer of warm air trapped in the clothing worn under the dry suit. As the scuba diver decends in the water, the air that is in the suit compresses, but the pressure can be equalized by the use of a low pressure hose connected to the divers air supply.

So as the diver ascends, air that was added to the suit must now be vented by use of a deflation valve.

The material used to make dry suits can be either neoprene, crushed neoprene or some other kind of lightweight fabric that is reinforced with a waterproof material such as vulcanized rubber.

Scuba diving dry suits are the only way to go if you are in cold water (50 degrees or less). Their negatives are as follows:

• They are a maintennance hassle
• They are rather bulky
• Dry scuba diving suits are expensive
• There is a learning curve to using them