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This article is from the Scuba Diving FAQ, by njs@scifi.maid.com (Nick Simicich) with numerous contributions by others.

09 What are the different types of drysuits available and what are thepros and cons of each type of suit?

Drysuits fall into 4 main categories: foam neoprene suits, nylon or
tri-laminate shell suits, vulcanized rubber suits, and crushed
neoprene.

Foam Neoprene Suits:
These suits are very similar to wetsuits in they are made out of
neoprene with the seams sealed. Even flooded, they will retain much of
their insulating ability and buoyancy. At shallow depths, they are
probably the warmest suits and will require the least amount of
undergarment thermal protection. However, like wetsuits, at depth, the
neoprene is compressed causing a reduction in both thermal protection
as well as buoyancy. Also, they take a long time to dry, and can be
very difficult to repair. Like neoprene wet suits, foam neoprene dry
suits have a useful life of somewhere around 300 dives before the suit
no longer retains sufficient thermal protection.

Nylon or Tri-laminate (Shell) Suits:
Shell suits are made out of various types of nylon. There is a wide
range in the durability and resistance to abrasions of these suits.
The advantages of these suits are that they are very light, easy to
pack, dry very quickly, and are easy to don. They do not stretch so
they must be large and baggy enough to allow freedom of movement. This
can make them higher drag while swimming. They provide no thermal
protection themselves, so appropriate undergarments must be worn. They
are easy to repair in most cases.

Vulcanized Rubber Suits:
These suits have many of the same advantages and disadvantages as the
nylon suits. They are relatively easy to don, they dry quickly, and
repairs are easy. Depending on the thickness of the rubber will
determine how durable the suits are and how resistant to abrasions.
The most durables will be very expensive and the less expensive suits
tend to need repairs often. The drag with vulcanized rubber suits
tends to be high. These suits are often best for diving in
contaminated water (with additional equipment and training of course).

Crushed Neoprene Suits:
These suits are neoprene suits which have been compressed. This means
the suits themselves do not compress at depth so they do not lose
buoyancy or insulation at various depths. The material is extremely
durable and is very resistant to abrasions. The suits are somewhat
heavier than nylon suits and take longer to dry (about 24 hours).
Repairs can be more time-consuming because you must wait for the suit
to be completely dry before doing the repair. The suits are very
flexible, so they are easy to don and are meant to be form-fitting
which reduces drag while swimming. They provide some thermal
protection so you can generally wear less undergarments than with a
shell or vulcanized suit. These suits tend to be the more expensive
types of suits along with the heavy duty vulcanized rubber suits.
Also, as of this year, crushed neoprene suits are available in women's
sizes.

 

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