Need for drysuit speciality?
- Thread starter ScubaBB
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
LouieLouie
Contributor
Do the specialty if you don't know anyone who can teach you the basics. Don't try to figure it out on your own unless you find the idea of an upside-down uncontrolled ascent appealing. I'd prefer doing a few dives with an experienced drysuit diver.
you have a lot of diving experience already. The specialty can shorten your learning curve but you would probably get along fine with a thorough explanation and a couple of dives to get used to it.
If you do decide to take the specialty then make sure the shop gives it to you for free as part of the deal for buying the suit. Don't pay extra for the course.
R..
If you do decide to take the specialty then make sure the shop gives it to you for free as part of the deal for buying the suit. Don't pay extra for the course.
R..
You do not necessarily need to take a course before buying a drysuit (unless you plan to rent & it is required for rental). However, it may not be a bad idea to take a course or to get with someone who has a lot of experience in a drysuit to help mentor you in the suit's use, when you do get one. For the most part diving a drysuit isn't rocket science, but it is another air space to manage. You need to learn how to control the air space, how to handle situations when the air goes to places you don't want (air to the feet), suit squeeze, unintentional inflation, flooding & a whole bunch of other things that can happen. Can you learn to dive a drysuit without formal instruction? Yes, it is possible, but getting with someone who knows the ropes, can save you a lot of frustration & a few scary moments.
The dirty little secret about the drysuit specialty is that 2/3 of the course is about buying the drysuit. That said, unless you have already done your homework there is real value in doing it up front. Not only will you learn about suits, you will get to try at least one style and get some sense of "if it's for you".
A common tactic is to negotiate a free course with the purchase and that's tough to do with the course ahead of the purchase.
Pete
A common tactic is to negotiate a free course with the purchase and that's tough to do with the course ahead of the purchase.
Pete
ScubaSteve
Wow.....what a DB
This is what my shop did and boy am I glad. It is not worth paying for it separately but if included with the suit is well worth it. I just had to pay extra if I wanted a certification card ($20 bucks or something like that) which I did just in case I ever wanted to rent a drysuit. I think I am likely at about 60 drysuit dives now and am still learning/improving.
Everything in the course could have easily been taught by a mentor but it is nice to get it all delivered in quick progression and then have it reconfirmed by a mentor.
TartanFrog
Contributor
I recently went through the drysuit certification. I will say that I am very glad I did not buy a drysuit and learn on my own. For me, there is a significant difference in how buoyancy is maintained and I struggled with that. It was not a pretty sight! Yeah that whole upside down with air in the feet is not really quite as fun when you aren't trying to intentionally achieve that position.
Similar threads
