Get trained
This page explains what training agencies, standards bodies and diving medicine bodies publish. It is not a substitute for training and certification from a recognised agency, and it does not replace medical advice.
How a dry suit differs from a wetsuit
PADI describes the dry suit as sealing at the wrists and neck to keep water out, for use in cooler water. Because the diver stays dry, warmth comes from what is worn underneath, the suit's own material, or both. DAN's Alert Diver ("Get Wet, Dive Dry", Michael Menduno, 2012) is clear that dry-suit diving takes training and practice, and cautions against using a dry suit in place of a buoyancy compensator.
Two families of suit
| Family | Materials DAN names | How DAN describes it |
|---|---|---|
| Shell (membrane) suits | Coated nylon, vulcanised rubber, crushed neoprene, trilaminate (nylon and butyl rubber) | Provide little insulation themselves; warmth comes from undergarments. |
| Foam neoprene suits | Foam neoprene | Insulate in themselves and need fewer undergarments, but, like wetsuits, lose insulation at depth. Durable, and often used by commercial divers and instructors. |
DAN adds that technical divers often favour trilaminate shells, while wreck divers often prefer the heavier crushed neoprene.
Seals
The seals at wrist and neck are what keep the water out. DAN (2012) compares the two main materials:
- Latex: stretches further and usually seals better, but wears out sooner.
- Neoprene: more durable, but harder to fit.
Some makers offer seal systems that can be replaced in the field, according to DAN. The PADI store page lists basic repairs and care among its dry suit course topics; this page does not describe seal repair.
Valves
DAN says a dry suit has a manual inflator and an exhaust valve. Some suits also add a P-valve, a relief valve. How these are used is a core part of dry suit training and is not described here.
Undergarments
DAN (2012) says undergarments should be rated for the water temperature and should keep insulating when wet, in case the suit leaks. Synthetic fleeces are the typical choice, according to DAN.
Dry suit training, agency by agency
PADI, SSI, SDI, GUE and BSAC each publish a dry suit course. The ages and limits below are each agency's own statement, and several sources disagree.
| Agency and course | What it publishes |
|---|---|
| SSI, Dry Suit Diving | Training standard (SSI's 2024 standards pages): minimum age 10; prerequisite Referral Diver or equivalent; at least one pool or confined water session, which must come before open water; at least two open water training dives; maximum open water depth 30 m, or 18 m for ages 10 to 14; in-water ratio 4:1. |
| PADI, Dry Suit Diver | PADI's undated course page, seen only in a search summary because it returned an error, gives minimum age 10 and says one dry suit dive after Open Water certification earns the speciality. The PADI store page says the course covers controlling air in the suit and buoyancy, suit types, and basic repairs and care. |
| SDI, dry suit speciality | Minimum age 12 (SDI's course page, undated). |
| GUE, Drysuit primer | A separate primer course that does not require GUE Fundamentals. |
| BSAC, Drysuit Training | A one-day skill development course, or evening sessions plus an open water dive, with theory and sheltered and open water practicals covering how suits work, buying and upkeep, and handling over-inflation and rescue situations. The student brings a dry suit and undergarments. |
Where the sources disagree
- PADI course length: PADI's page (search summary) says one dive beyond Open Water, while dive-shop listings describe two open water dives.
- PADI minimum age: PADI's page gives 10; dive-shop listings give 10, 12 or 15.
- SSI minimum age: SSI's standard gives 10, but one snapshot of SSI's public course page showed 12 with Open Water Diver as the prerequisite, while another showed 10.
The agency or dive centre running a course can say which version applies to it.
Why the card matters when renting
BSAC says completing its course lets a diver apply for a Drysuit Diver Workshop Qualification Card, and that without it, resorts and dive centres may refuse to rent a dry suit. For the wider question of renting, see renting or owning. PADI notes that dry-suit divers may benefit from combining a BCD weight system with a belt to spread the weight; the systems are described on weights, and how much to carry is decided in training.
Sources
- PADI, wetsuits (dry suit section)
- DAN Alert Diver, Get Wet, Dive Dry (Michael Menduno, Q1 2012)
- SSI, Dry Suit Diving training standard
- SSI, Dry Suit Diving course page
- PADI, Dry Suit Diver course page (search summary)
- PADI store, Dry Suit Diver
- Dive-centre listing, PADI Dry Suit Diver course (operator statement)
- SDI, Advanced Adventure Diver
- GUE, Fundamentals
- BSAC, Drysuit Training
- PADI, weights