WOMEN AND DRYSUITS
WOMEN AND DRYSUITS – A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN!
Our body temperature must be kept at 98.6°. What this means is diving in any water temperature below that will, sooner or later, cool us off. While there are great variations in how individuals respond to water temperatures, most women tend to feel cold sooner and continue to feel colder longer than men in the same water temperatures. The main difference between the genders is in the rate of onset and level of vasoconstriction that takes place. Vasoconstriction is the phenomenon by which blood vessels near the surface of the skin constrict to minimize heat loss. Women experience vasoconstriction sooner, and to a higher degree, so we feel the cold sooner, particularly in the extremities and on the surface of the skin. In addition, we generally are smaller than men which means we have more surface area over which to lose heat. While we usually have a higher percentage of fatty tissue (which preserves body heat), we also have a corresponding lower amount of muscle mass and do not create as much body heat during normal diving activities.
DUI drysuits are perfect for women divers. With all these factors working against us, no wonder women seem to be less enthusiastic about diving than men. After all, this sport is supposed to be about having fun, not seeing who can tough it out. When was the last time you had fun and froze? And how can you have fun knowing that you’re going to be freezing at the end of the dive? Or the fact that you can’t make a second dive because you are still warming up from the first one. With a drysuit and the appropriate thermal insulation, a woman can dive warm and comfortable no matter what the water temperature is.
DUI makes more custom drysuits with more colors and options than anyone. We can fit any diver. Design and build your perfect DUI drysuit today.
