Per Brian Nystrom:
I've never heard of anyone dieing due to water in their dry suit. Unless
you paddle in conditions where you frequently tear up your clothing and
end up with water in it, it's simply not a realistic concern.

I've read of one dying and a couple almost dying - and I don't go
looking for that kind of stuff.

The guy who died was local. Went out without enough under the
suit, fell in just beyond the surf line and perished before the
eyes of people on the beach.

The near misses were a couple of guys on a Hobie 16.

Repeated attempts to right the Hobie caused their suits to ship
water in small increments (make a fist and observe the little
tunnels that open up between the tendons.... same thing with the
neck).

They had taken on enough water that the PolarTec under the suits
had become so heavy that they could no longer climb up on the
Hobie's hull. Their account was that they would have died if a
power boat hadn't happened along in time.

Balancing the insulating layer under a bag suit is a game that
everybody has to play: too much and you overheat from paddling,
too little and you lose heat too quickly when immersed.

After every cold-water sesh in my bag suit I try to flop into
neck-deep water and fool around with the boat for awhile until
the chill starts to penetrate.

Call me a slow learner, but I am always surprised at how short a
time that is.
--
PeteCresswell