What distinguishes a dry suit from a wet suit?

A dry suit is designed to keep the diver completely dry, which is achieved through the use of seals on the cuffs and neck. This feature prevents water from entering the suit, allowing the diver to stay warm and dry in a variety of water temperatures. In contrast to wet suits, which are made of neoprene and rely on a layer of water between the suit and the skin to provide insulation, dry suits are typically used in colder conditions where maintaining body heat is crucial.

The seals on a dry suit play a vital role in ensuring no water enters the suit, which is essential for environmental protection and thermal insulation. The ability of the dry suit to maintain a watertight seal is what fundamentally sets it apart from wet suits, making it the correct choice in this context.

While wet suits can provide insulation by trapping a small amount of water that warms up with body heat, they do not keep the diver dry nor are they suitable in extremely cold or hazardous environments where getting wet can be dangerous. The notion of weight and mobility in dry suits can vary based on the design, but the key distinguishing feature remains their capacity to keep the diver completely dry through effective sealing.