Unpopular opinion: dry suits are way overhyped for warm water work

I was on a job in Key West last month where the water was 82 degrees and the supervisor insisted everyone wear dry suits for a 2 hour hull cleaning. We all ended up sweaty and miserable, and one guy nearly passed out from overheating by lunch. Am I the only one who thinks dry suits are a liability when the water is above 75?

2 comments

2 Comments

charles5081d ago

One guy nearly passed out from overheating by lunch" - that's the part that gets me. Was the supervisor out there sweating with everyone, or did they just stand on the dock giving orders? I'm curious if this was a safety thing gone wrong or just someone following a company policy that makes zero sense for warm water. Like, did they actually discuss what happens when a dry suit turns into a slow cooker on a 90 degree day? Because that seems like a pretty basic question to answer before you make the whole crew suit up.

hannahh531d ago

Used to think management always had good reasons for these rules, but yeah, making guys suit up in 90 degree heat without testing it first is just asking for trouble. Your point about the supervisor not suiting up himself really sealed it for me.