Quest for a drysuit

[El Orans]

Looks like it's finally going to happen...

The Halcyon/DUI Demo Days Benelux will be taking place next weekend in the Galderse Meren. On the menu: Halcyon Wings, Doubles, DUI drysuits (TLS350) and Gavin scooters.

Another candidate is the Whites Fusion (Tech Skin).

Last but not least, the Seemann Extender will also get a testdive.

 

[El Orans]

Today was the first day of the DUI/Halcyon Demo Days Benelux in the Galderse Meren.

The amount of gear on display was impressive. Gavins, DUI's undergarments, gloves, fins, the works. Too bad that they couldn't fit El Zee with a standard suit size, which meant that she could only play with a Halcyon Eclipse 30 lbs BP/W set-up. They did offer to measure her for a custom suit though and will have a look at other the other available suits to see whether that would be a match for her.

I was looking for a Explorer but unfortunately they didn't have one with Rock Boots. So, I dove a regular TLS350.

First they presented me with several zipseals (neck and wrist) to get the right size. Then I was given a DUI (of course) 300 g undergarment, socks and the suit itself. Not to mention some instructions how to put it on. Last but not least, they fitted my first stage with an extra hose.

Since neither of us had any experience with drysuits, they offered us the services of a DM to watch over us.

Trying to get the fins on proved to be a lot more difficult then before. My XL Jet Fins barely fitted my Rock Boots (size 9). I'll probably need some Turtle fins or Jet Fins XXL. Size 9 wasn't too bad while diving but on land they didn't agree with me.

First thing I noticed when submerging was that I was terrible overweighted, 12KG/26 Lbs. I sank like a brick, creating the first of many silt storms... :blush:

While descending I kept wondering why I couldn't move as much as before. Oh right, it does help if you add some air to your suit to reduce squeeze.

At depth, I did have floaty feet a couple of times but it didn't prove too difficult to correct that. Dumping air was a bit odd, I couldn't see the dump valve so I wasn't sure whether I did dump enough air, creating yet another silt storm.

Ascending was easy, being stationary at the safety stop too (being overweighted helps).

I was able to reach the first stage (not as easy as in my wetsuit though).

Getting out of the suit was not made easier by not undoing the crotch strap.

We'll do another dive tomorrow with XXL Jet Fins and less lead. That should definitely be an improvement.

To be continued...

 

[Tomeck]

Congratulations for your first dive with drysuit! You could come to dive in Switzerland to see splendid cliffs.

 

[nereas]

You have discovered that weighting is different in a new suit. Bravo.

That is why it is a good idea to do your testing in a pool. Then you can easily adjust your weight by the poolside. Then if you simply add 6 lbs (3 kilos) to your pool weight for the sea, you would not have wasted a dive finding this out.

For the North Sea (Netherlands), any trilam suit should be fine for you. I have found that the thicker material of a trilam does not tear as easily as the thinner ones. Therefore I would check to see if you are getting "trilam" versus something thinner and cheaper.

If your feet float, you may need heavier fins, such as ScubaPro Jetfins or Turtle fins. The thin, plastic, light weight fins that seem to be popular everywhere with recreational divers work better together with wetsuits than with drysuits. Thus the floatie fee problem.

Save your plastic fins for your Mediterranean trips!

You will also need to get yourself a "drysuit" hood, which does not have the excess material around the neck that your present wetsuit hood has.

Have fun!

 

[Belmont]

Nice bit of info, I'm waiting for my first drysuit, TLS 350.
It certainly will be a new learning curve,
sheesh...always something new to master.

 

[Belmont]

BTW, what is that red thing on your right shoulder?

 

[El Orans]

BTW, what is that red thing on your right shoulder?

It's not red, it's pink.

 

[El Orans]

You have discovered that weighting is different in a new suit. Bravo.

That is why it is a good idea to do your testing in a pool. Then you can easily adjust your weight by the poolside. Then if you simply add 6 lbs (3 kilos) to your pool weight for the sea, you would not have wasted a dive finding this out.

No dive is ever wasted by having a bit too much weight. They recommended using an additional 6-8 KG. I used 7, next dive I'll be using 5 or 6.

For the North Sea (Netherlands), any trilam suit should be fine for you. I have found that the thicker material of a trilam does not tear as easily as the thinner ones. Therefore I would check to see if you are getting "trilam" versus something thinner and cheaper.

Two of the suits I'm considering are trilam suits. Only one (Whites Fusion) isn't.

If your feet float, you may need heavier fins, such as ScubaPro Jetfins or Turtle fins. The thin, plastic, light weight fins that seem to be popular everywhere with recreational divers work better together with wetsuits than with drysuits. Thus the floatie fee problem.

Save your plastic fins for your Mediterranean trips!

The only fins I have are ScubaPro Jet Fins...

IYou will also need to get yourself a "drysuit" hood, which does not have the excess material around the neck that your present wetsuit hood has.

This actually was a DUI hood. I just didn't put the rest of the hood under the suit.

 

[300bar]

Darn EL.I just hope you don't learn a thing
Otherwise there's no more for me left.

As for the floating feet,don't add weight just learn to dive.
Adding weight(ankle or heavier fins) is just a bandaid.
If you can dive a DS,you can dive it with any fin,without weights.
If you need them,get some more dives under your belt.

 

[El Orans]

As for the floating feet,don't add weight just learn to dive.
Adding weight(ankle or havier fins) is just a bandaid.

The XXL Jet Fins should fix my fin problem just right. Not because they're heavier, just because they should fit my feet better.