Old timer told me to ditch my drysuit in warm dirty water

Early in my career I was doing bridge inspection in the Gulf and always wore my drysuit no matter what. One of the senior guys pulled me aside and said I was wasting time and overheating myself for no reason. He pointed out that in 80 degree water with no real cold hazard, a wetsuit or even a rash guard would let me work longer and safer. Has anyone else gotten advice like that that totally changed their gear choices?

2 comments

2 Comments

robin_wright2d ago

Totally agree. I had a similar wake up call when a dive buddy finally convinced me to ditch my thick wetsuit for summer pier work and I couldn't believe how much longer I could stay in the water.

the_tara2d ago

Couldn't believe how much longer I could stay in the water" - that really got me. Wait, are you saying the thick wetsuit was actually making you colder or more tired without you realizing it? I always thought thicker was better for staying warm, but now I'm wondering if I've been doing it wrong this whole time.