Dry Suit Costs

Making the Purchase

A dry suit will be one of your largest investments as diver. You can get into a decent entry level suit for around $1500 (USD). This may not cover the cost of an undergarment, so make sure to ask your sales person what accessories are included with the suit and which ones you will need to add to the overall cost. Oddly, not all manufacturers include the same accessories when you purchase a suit. This can be very confusing when comparing prices.

If you are now thinking that a dry suit is out of reach, remember that most dive centers like Aquatic Adventures have financing that can be as low as 0% interest for up to 12 months. A good way of thinking about purchasing a dry suit is to think of it a bit like buying a car. Very few people can walk into a car dealership and drop the cash for a car on the counter. No one expects that of you when you buy a dry suit either. A dry suit is an investment. Expect the purchase to take some time and make sure you get exactly what you want.

Remember that the cost of a dry suit increases based on the type of material you select and the brand you choose. In the end, most suits come out costing about the same on a per dive basis. If you expect to only dive dry occasionally, an entry level suit can probably get you through about 100 to 500 dives. Some of the suits made of better materials and higher quality valves can get you through 500 to 1000 or more dives, but those suits will cost at least 3 times as much.

Eventually every suit will wear out, so depending on how heavy you intend to use the suit, you will probably want to base your purchasing decision on how long or how hard you intend to use the suit. If you are a Divemaster or Instructor, you will need a high quality, durable suit. Otherwise, you will be lucky to get through one or two seasons before you will be looking for another one.

Maintenance

Like a regulator, a dry suit requires regular maintenance. While you can repair minor leaks with AquaSeal and similar products, major repairs will require a visit to your local dive center. Replacement of seals and zippers requires a knowledgeable professional, as will replacement of worn or damaged valves. You can reduce the need for costly service by making sure to lubricate zippers before every use and dusting seals prior to donning and when storing your suit.

However, no amount of preventive maintenance will eliminate the need for occasional service. This is why you will want to make your dry suit purchase from a reliable dry suit dealer. Remember that this is an investment like a car. You will need to visit the dealer again, so make sure they will be there for you when you need them. Remember too that zipper repairs and seal repairs can be very expensive. If a repair requires your suit be sent back to the manufacturer, you may be without your suit for several weeks. For that reason, you may want to proactively send your suit in for repairs during the off season.

On a Budget

One of the options I never had when I started dry suit diving was renting a suit. If you only need a dry suit once or twice a year, the best option is to find a dive center like Aquatic Adventures that rents suits. Usually, you can rent the suit, undergarment, boots, regulator (or inflator hose), and large fins for one low package price. See our Rental page for current dry suit rental prices at Aquatic Adventures.

If you find the undergarments you are renting do not keep you warm enough, consider buying just a warm undergarment and rent the rest of the package. This way you can stay warm on that one or two dives a year you do in really cold water or on a really cold day. Just remember that every reputable dive center will require you to have a dry suit specialty certification to rent their equipment.