Wetsuit vs. Drysuit: What’s Best for Diving in the Pacific Northwest?

By Maxwel Hohn | Underwater Cinematographer, Commercial Diver & Filmmaker

If you're planning to go scuba diving on Vancouver Island or anywhere in the Pacific Northwest, one of the biggest decisions you'll face is whether to dive in a wetsuit or a drysuit. Both have their advantages, and choosing the right one can make a huge difference in your comfort, safety, and overall experience underwater.

I've spent much of my life underwater, from working as a recreational scuba diving instructor in tropical destinations to commercial diving in British Columbia and filming wildlife in some of the coldest waters on the planet. Over the past 20 years, I've completed thousands of dives, working in everything from warm tropical reefs to the icy waters of the Arctic and Antarctic.

As an underwater cinematographer, my dives can be quite different from those of a recreational scuba diver. Sometimes I'm spending hours underwater waiting for a particular animal behaviour, filming sequences for natural history documentaries, or working through multiple dives in a single day. Staying warm isn't just about comfort. It can make the difference between getting the shot and having to end a dive early.

So, when it comes to wetsuit vs. drysuit diving, which do I prefer? For most of my diving, especially around Vancouver Island, the answer is pretty simple. A drysuit.

Wetsuit vs. Drysuit: What's the Difference?

Before getting into the advantages and disadvantages, it's worth understanding how each suit works.

A wetsuit is made from neoprene and allows a thin layer of water between your skin and the suit. Your body warms this water, while the neoprene provides insulation to slow heat loss. A properly fitted wetsuit is important because excess water flushing through the suit will continually remove heat from your body.

A drysuit, on the other hand, is designed to keep water out entirely. Instead of relying on neoprene alone, many drysuits use insulating undergarments to keep you warm. A shell drysuit allows you to change your thermal layers depending on the conditions, making it a versatile option for year-round diving in British Columbia.

Both suits have their place, but the colder the water and the longer the dive, the more important your choice becomes.

Why I Prefer Diving in a Drysuit

After spending so many years diving in cold water, wearing a drysuit has become second nature to me. I'm so accustomed to it that I generally find it more comfortable than a wetsuit, particularly on longer dives.

The biggest advantage is warmth. When I'm filming underwater, I don't want to be thinking about how cold I'm getting. I want to concentrate on the wildlife, camera settings, composition, and what's happening around me.

I've also become very comfortable controlling my buoyancy in a drysuit. Having a layer of air around my body helps me maintain my position and trim underwater, although this really comes down to personal preference and experience. Proper drysuit training is important because managing that additional air space introduces skills that aren't required with a wetsuit.

For me, a drysuit is simply the most practical option for the type of underwater cinematography I do.

Diving in the Pacific Northwest: Why Water Temperature Matters

One thing that surprises divers visiting Vancouver Island from warmer climates is just how cold the water can be, even in the middle of summer.

Depending on the location, depth, and season, ocean temperatures around Vancouver Island can be around 7°C, sometimes colder. While these waters are home to some of the most incredible marine life in the world, they also present challenges that divers need to prepare for.

During my commercial diving career, I worked as a seafood harvester in British Columbia. Some of those days involved spending up to eight hours in the water. At temperatures around 7°C, that simply wouldn't have been practical for me in a conventional wetsuit.

Having the right drysuit, proper thermal undergarments, and appropriate commercial diving support made those long working days possible.

For recreational scuba divers, exposure protection is equally important, even if you're only planning a 30- or 45-minute dive. Cold water affects your comfort, dexterity, and ability to concentrate, all of which become increasingly important when managing equipment underwater.

When Would I Choose a Wetsuit Instead?

Despite my preference for drysuits, there are definitely situations where I'll choose a wetsuit.

One of the biggest advantages of wetsuits is mobility and portability. They're generally less bulky, often require less additional weight, and make it easier to access remote diving locations.

During the summer, I often choose a wetsuit when diving in rivers around Vancouver Island. Some of these locations require hiking through forests, climbing over rocks, or navigating difficult access points. Carrying a wetsuit instead of a drysuit, heavy thermal layers, and additional weights can make the whole experience much easier.

Freediving is another situation where I'll almost always choose a wetsuit, particularly an open-cell freediving suit. These are designed for flexibility, insulation, and breath-hold diving.

A good example was filming orcas in Norway, where water temperatures were around 2°C. Despite the extremely cold water, I chose a wetsuit because being able to enter and exit the boat quickly was essential. Having the freedom to dive down on a single breath also made a huge difference.

Those types of shoots involve a trade-off between warmth and mobility, and require careful planning around exposure time, conditions, and safety.

How Does Your Exposure Suit Affect Underwater Cinematography?

When you're filming underwater, staying warm can have a direct impact on the footage you're able to capture.

Wildlife doesn't work on a schedule. You might spend an entire dive waiting for a sea otter, octopus, or fish to exhibit a particular behaviour, only to have the action happen in the final few minutes.

The last thing you want is to be so cold that you're struggling to operate your camera or thinking about ending the dive.

I've certainly made the mistake of choosing a wetsuit when I should have worn a drysuit. Sometimes a dive that was only supposed to last a short time turns into something much longer because the conditions are good or the wildlife is cooperating.

For longer underwater cinematography shoots, particularly when I'm spending extended periods relatively motionless behind a camera, a drysuit is almost always my first choice.

Being comfortable underwater allows me to focus on what I'm there to do: capture natural animal behaviour without unnecessary disturbance.

Comfort, Mobility, and Buoyancy Control

One of the most important factors with either suit is proper fit.

I've spent so much time wearing both wetsuits and drysuits that I'm comfortable working in either for extended periods. But an improperly fitted suit can quickly make diving uncomfortable.

With a wetsuit, a snug fit is essential. If the suit is too loose, water continually flushes through it, taking away the warmth your body has generated.

With a drysuit, you need enough room for your thermal undergarments and freedom of movement, without having excessive material that makes the suit difficult to manage.

Buoyancy control is another consideration. Personally, I find it easier to maintain good trim in a drysuit, but that's largely because I've spent so much of my diving career wearing one.

Drysuit divers need to understand how air moves within the suit, how to manage suit inflation and exhaust, and how to use their buoyancy compensator appropriately. These skills become second nature with practice, but they're important to learn properly.

Is Drysuit Diving Harder to Learn?

A lot of new scuba divers begin their training in wetsuits because they're relatively straightforward to use. Drysuits can seem intimidating because they introduce additional equipment and skills.

But I wouldn't let that discourage anyone.

You can actually begin learning to dive in a drysuit during your Open Water Diver course, provided you're receiving the appropriate training.

From my experience teaching scuba diving, I'd say it takes many students around six to ten dives to start feeling genuinely comfortable managing a drysuit. Everyone learns at a different pace, but the more time you spend underwater, the more natural it becomes.

If you're planning to dive regularly around Vancouver Island, learning to use a drysuit early in your diving career can be a great investment.

Drysuit Maintenance: Protecting Your Investment

Drysuits are generally more expensive than wetsuits, and there's more to consider than just the initial purchase price.

A good drysuit can last for years if it's properly maintained, but neglecting it can lead to expensive repairs and some very uncomfortable dives.

After diving, I make a point of rinsing my equipment with fresh water, especially after saltwater dives. I also regularly inspect the inflation and exhaust valves, check the seals for damage, and maintain the zipper according to the manufacturer's recommendations.

Drying and storage are equally important. A drysuit should be thoroughly dried and stored in a suitable, well-ventilated environment away from excessive heat and direct sunlight.

Zippers, seals, and valves will eventually require servicing or replacement. These ongoing costs are worth considering when purchasing a drysuit.

For anyone diving frequently in cold water, I'd still consider it money well spent.

What Drysuit Do I Use for Cold Water Diving?

For much of my diving, I prefer a shell-style drysuit, such as the BARE X-Mission.

The biggest advantage of a shell drysuit is being able to adjust the insulation underneath depending on where I'm diving.

On a relatively mild day around Vancouver Island, I might use lighter thermal layers. For extremely cold water, I'll switch to much heavier insulation.

The coldest water I've personally dived in was around 1°C in the Arctic. For that expedition, I wore a BARE Sentry Tech drysuit, with a thick, one-piece insulated undergarment underneath.

That combination helped me stay warm enough to work in conditions where maintaining body temperature was absolutely essential.

No matter how good your drysuit is, the layers underneath play a huge role in keeping you warm. It's important to choose suitable insulation for the temperature, duration, and type of diving you're doing.

How to Stay Warm While Scuba Diving in Cold Water

My biggest piece of advice for anyone diving in the Pacific Northwest is to take staying warm seriously.

Having the right equipment is the starting point, but small things can make a difference.

When I'm filming and remaining stationary for long periods, I often gently flex my fingers and toes or make small movements to help maintain circulation. This can be useful when you're holding a camera in one position for an extended period.

However, movement is no substitute for proper thermal protection. If you're getting cold, losing dexterity, or struggling to concentrate, it's time to end the dive safely rather than trying to push through.

One of the biggest lessons I've learned over thousands of dives is that being comfortable underwater makes you a better diver. You're more relaxed, more aware of your surroundings, and better able to focus on the experience.

Should Beginners Buy a Wetsuit or Drysuit for Vancouver Island?

If you're just getting into scuba diving on Vancouver Island, my recommendation is to try both before making a big investment.

Start with an Open Water Diver course or additional training through a reputable local dive shop. Many courses offer rental equipment, which gives you the opportunity to experience different configurations without purchasing everything immediately.

If you're only planning to dive occasionally during the warmer months, a suitable cold-water wetsuit might be enough for shorter dives.

But if you're serious about diving year-round in British Columbia, I'd strongly consider investing in a drysuit and the training needed to use it safely.

The biggest question is how often you plan to dive. If you're only getting underwater a handful of times each year, renting equipment might make more sense than purchasing your own.

Quick Choices: Wetsuit or Drysuit?

People often ask which suit I'd choose for different types of diving around Vancouver Island.

• Summer shore dive: Drysuit.

• Winter boat dive: Drysuit.

• Long underwater cinematography dive: Definitely drysuit.

• Multiple dives in a single day: Drysuit.

You can probably see a pattern here!

That's not to say a wetsuit can't work in these situations, but after years of diving in cold water, I know what works best for me.

Final Thoughts: Wetsuit vs. Drysuit for Pacific Northwest Diving

The Pacific Northwest is one of my favourite places in the world to dive. The waters around Vancouver Island are home to incredible marine life, from giant Pacific octopuses and wolf eels to sea lions, colourful anemones, and vast kelp forests.

But it's also an environment that demands respect and preparation.

Choosing between a wetsuit and a drysuit comes down to water temperature, dive duration, mobility, experience, and personal preference. Both have advantages, and both can be excellent tools when used in the right conditions.

For me, after spending much of my life working as a commercial diver and underwater cinematographer, a drysuit is the clear winner for most cold-water diving.

The ability to stay warm, comfortable, and focused underwater is incredibly valuable, especially when you're spending hours waiting for those unforgettable wildlife encounters.

My advice is simple: get properly trained, invest in equipment that fits, and never underestimate the importance of staying warm.

Because the more comfortable you are underwater, the more time and attention you can devote to enjoying everything this incredible environment has to offer.

Maxwel Hohn is an Emmy Award-winning underwater cinematographer and wildlife filmmaker based on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. His work includes natural history productions for Netflix, National Geographic, Disney+, and other international broadcasters. With more than 20 years of professional diving experience, his work has taken him underwater across all seven continents.