Dry suits

Dry suits and wetsuits serve a similar purpose – keeping you warm in chilly water. The main difference between the two is that dry suits keep you fully dry, while wetsuits use a thin layer of water against the skin to keep you warm in cold water. If you really don’t want to (or simply can’t) get wet, dry suits are the move.

Dry suits insulate by storing a layer of air between your body and the dry suit. This layer of air makes for a looser fit, so you can wear a cozy fleece jacket or insulating layers under the dry suit.

Just like wetsuits, dry suits are made from neoprene (sometimes nylon and other rubbers too). Neoprene is a synthetic rubber that is both durable and waterproof, making your dry suit tough to withstand rocky rivers and free from any water soaking through.

To really drive home the waterproofing of a dry suit, they are fully seam-sealed, topped off with neck and wrist gaskets and waterproof zippers. To make sure your dry suit is always on its waterproof A-game, check out dry suit care for replacement gaskets and repair adhesive.

Decided on a dry suit over a wetsuit? See dry suits from brands like Kokatat, NRS and Level Six.