I say drysuit all the way.I use wetsuits in a very limited water temp. window,and then it's a long john with a spray top.
I have a Kokotat dry suit that I've used in 4 Worrell 1000s, 2 Tybee 500s,1 OBX 500, and a couple dozen 100-150 mile races. I just had to have 2 pinhole leaks repaired. They let in a small amount of water ,just enough to be uncomfortable. If you get a durable well built suit(absolutely has to be breathable) the worry of compromising it shouldn't be there. Plus you can blow warm air into you neck seal and add buoyancy and extra warmth in an emergency situation.
My problem with wet-suits is they are great in the water (surfing) but the evaporative cooling from the wind across the deck of your boat makes the suit cool down. A wetsuit just uses your body temp. to heat the water that's trapped in between, as that gets flushed out it has to be re-heated. In a long term emergence as your core temp drops so does the re-heating ability.
I also feel I have better mobility in a drysuit.I start with polypro and then add fleece also, but I'd have probably added some fleece pants also, I hate being cold.
Todd
"I said, now, I said ,pay attention boy!"
The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea
Isak Dinesen
If a man is to be obsessed by something.... I suppose a boat is as good as anything... perhaps a bit better than most.
E. B. White
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