Best Drysuit for Cold Water Diving
Christie Davis Aug 17, 2026
If you’re diving the Oregon coast, or anywhere the water sits in the 40s and 50s, a drysuit isn’t optional gear. It’s the difference between a dive you enjoy and one you’re counting the minutes through.
The question isn’t really “do I need a drysuit.” It’s “which kind.” Here’s how to think about it, and what we carry at the shop.
Neoprene or trilaminate: the real difference
Drysuits generally come in two materials, and each has a different personality.
Neoprene drysuits are made from the same material as a wetsuit, just built to keep water out entirely. They’re naturally insulating on their own, which means less bulk from undergarments, and the neoprene gives a bit of flex and a snugger, more streamlined feel in the water. The tradeoff is that neoprene absorbs some water over time and can lose a little insulating power with repeated compression at depth.
Trilaminate (or “shell”) drysuits are made from layered fabric with no inherent insulation. They’re lighter, dry fast between dives, and hold up well over years of regular use. But because the material itself doesn’t keep you warm, you’re relying entirely on the undergarment layers you wear beneath it.
Neither one is objectively “better.” It comes down to how you dive, how often, and how you like to layer. PADI has a solid breakdown if you want to go deeper on the tradeoffs.
What we carry at Astoria Scuba
We stock both types, from BARE, one of the most established names in cold-water gear.
BARE D6 HD Pro Dry is BARE’s neoprene option, built for divers who want that snug, insulated feel straight out of the suit. It comes in a wide range of sizes, including custom fit.
BARE Aqua-Trek 1 Pro Dry and Aqua-Trek 1 Tech Dry are BARE’s trilaminate suits, lighter and built for divers who want a shell they can layer to match conditions. Both come with an Ultrawarmth base layer included, and both are available in men’s and women’s sizing from XS to 3XL.
Whichever shell you choose, what you wear underneath matters just as much. We also carry Hollis’s AUG undergarment system, a modular base-layer setup you build in pieces (top and bottom, in different weights) rather than buying a single one-size suit. That means you can dial in exactly how much warmth you need for the water you’re actually diving, whether that’s a summer PNW dive or something colder.
Getting fitted
A drysuit is one of those things that’s worth trying on rather than guessing at online, especially with sizing that varies as much as it does across brands. Stop by the shop and we’ll get you into the right suit and undergarment combo for how and where you actually dive.
Browse what’s in stock now on our drysuits page, or give us a call at (503) 741-3070 if you want help picking between neoprene and trilaminate before you come in.
