Learning the Drysuit. How was it for you?

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I got certified in a dry suit . . . and I still think diving in a thin wetsuit is cheating.

I started out using my BC for buoyancy and suit only for squeeze, but over the years, I've migrated to "as much gas in the dry suit as possible" for maximal warmth. I leave the valve open (unless they're Apeks valves, which have to be clicked a couple of clicks closed, or they leak). If my trim is good, I can compensate for up to an HP 100 with just the suit (doubles requires the use of the wing as well).

I also vote in favor of dry gloves. Not only are they warmer, but they're MUCH easier to get on and off.

It's funny -- once you get accustomed to the dry suit, it doesn't bug you as much. Over the last seven years, I've gone from diving wet in a thin suit in warm water, to a thick suit and hooded vest, and finally, I've just gone dry. I'm so used to the suit that the differences just don't matter any more, and I love being warm.
I'm glad you said this about dry gloves. I've been wondering about them. Having never actually even seen dry gloves ( everybody I know with a drysuit uses wet gloves) so I wasn't sure if dry gloves are more trouble than their worth.I know if I was doing longer dives they would certainly be necessary.
I've been thinking about getting some for my drysuit because I hate wet gloves but my fingers haven't really ever been cold with the wet gloves ( even when i used to dive Puget Sound wet) so I wasn't sure if it was worth it.
Are there any good references that have good pictures and explanations of how dry gloves actually work?

---------- Post Merged at 10:37 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 10:25 AM ----------

I can emphasize with the OP's drysuit learning experience. It is also my most expensive dive gear purchase to date. I don't own a scooter, yet, so the drysuit is the most expensive gear I own. :D

I struggled with my HUGE drysuit learning curve for over two dozen dives. I mistakenly thought I could handle a doubles class and a new drysuit at the same time and ended up with the instructor spending more time stopping my "sudden" ascents than teaching the class. Talk about an ego crushing weekend of doubles class. If not for the patience of my instructor or my wonderful classmate who was also my regular dive buddy at the time, I would have sold the damn drysuit and remained a wet suit diver after that horrible doubles class.

I spent the remainder of that year diving dry whenever possible to get use to the gas movement through the suit and anticipate when to vent. Everyone who dove with me that first year I was learning in my drysuit deserves some kind of humanitarian award for putting up with my sudden ascents. It was painful for me but more so for my patient buddies.

I knew I wanted to take cave training so had to get comfortable diving a drysuit. I also knew there were many more cold water destinations I wanted to dive. I successfully took a cave class in my drysuit the following year, a feat I never would have imagined possible a year earlier when I was yo-yo diving and turtling underwater in my drysuit.

I just returned from a trip where I was lucky enough to dive Vancouver Island and the Seattle-area sites. I cannot imagine doing those long cold dives wet as it would have compromised the dives for my buddy/buddies and I. Still hate my blue Smurf gloves because of the reduced dexterity but love them for the warmth they provide.

I do not use my drysuit for buoyancy. I only add gas to take the squeeze out of the suit. I am in the "always open vent" camp.
I wonder if it's better to learn diving dry early in a dive career? Less frustrating, at least? Seems like I felt a lot like you and still have a ways to go.
Unfortunately, until the air temperatures get a little bit below 105, I simply can't stand to practice in my drysuit. I don't tolerate heat, at all. I've had several heat injuries and really don't need to add any more.
This winter, though, hoping to spend a lot of time on my drysuit skills in the pool and lake.
How bad is the pool chlorine for the drysuit?
 
I taught myself to dive dry and I never felt the suit was a problem. Different yes, but it's just a different peice of equipment to operate. The best advice I was given (here on SB IIRC) was to squat and burp the suit, then go down about 6 feet. That is the amount of "squeeze" you should dive the suit. It's snug but not constrictive and you have a very small bubble to manage. Of course if you are little shy on the thermals you can bump a bit more air if needed.

I've never felt a problem from letting my feet go up for any reason. Just tuck in your knees and roll back a bit and the bubble comes out. If gas going into the feet is a problem, you probably have too much in the suit.

Use the BC for "bouyancy control" and keep just enough air in the suit to keep the squeeze off.
 
Are there any good references that have good pictures and explanations of how dry gloves actually work?

My only experience with dry gloves is the DUI zip seal system. The dry gloves or the wrist seals attach to the sleeve of the dry suit like a ziplock bag type of closure. My buddy took some pics of me last week. See post #1 of his thread for some pics of my blue Smurf gloves.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/western-canada/428533-return-barkley-sound.html


I wonder if it's better to learn diving dry early in a dive career? Less frustrating, at least? Seems like I felt a lot like you and still have a ways to go.
Unfortunately, until the air temperatures get a little bit below 105, I simply can't stand to practice in my drysuit. I don't tolerate heat, at all. I've had several heat injuries and really don't need to add any more.
This winter, though, hoping to spend a lot of time on my drysuit skills in the pool and lake.
How bad is the pool chlorine for the drysuit?

Not sure if it's better to learn dry early in a dive career. I think some people learn or pick up stuff faster than others, I just happen to be in the others camp. :depressed:

I have never taken my gear or drysuit into a pool so can't comment on it. I'm sure it's fine if you give it a good rinse after.

I've had to put my drysuit and undergarments on in 90+ degree air temps in cave country and at our local quarry, and it's not fun. I start out the dive damp cause I've been sweating as I gear up. :shakehead: The reward of the cold water makes the suffering as I gear up almost worth it. :)

I rarely dive in a dry suit if the air temps are over 90+ degrees but if I do, I try to time it so everything is ready to go before I jump into my undies and drysuit. If there is an air conditioned changing room or bath house, like in our local quarry, I dress in there and quickly put my gear on once I'm outside. Some of my buddies dunk themselves in the water after getting dressed, come out, and then put their gear on. Heat injury is no joke!
 
My only experience with dry gloves is the DUI zip seal system. The dry gloves or the wrist seals attach to the sleeve of the dry suit like a ziplock bag type of closure. My buddy took some pics of me last week. See post #1 of his thread for some pics of my blue Smurf gloves.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/western-canada/428533-return-barkley-sound.html




Not sure if it's better to learn dry early in a dive career. I think some people learn or pick up stuff faster than others, I just happen to be in the others camp. :depressed:

I have never taken my gear or drysuit into a pool so can't comment on it. I'm sure it's fine if you give it a good rinse after.

I've had to put my drysuit and undergarments on in 90+ degree air temps in cave country and at our local quarry, and it's not fun. I start out the dive damp cause I've been sweating as I gear up. :shakehead: The reward of the cold water makes the suffering as I gear up almost worth it. :)

I rarely dive in a dry suit if the air temps are over 90+ degrees but if I do, I try to time it so everything is ready to go before I jump into my undies and drysuit. If there is an air conditioned changing room or bath house, like in our local quarry, I dress in there and quickly put my gear on once I'm outside. Some of my buddies dunk themselves in the water after getting dressed, come out, and then put their gear on. Heat injury is no joke!
Thanks!
We'll be down to 90 by about October. Blech! But, I could handle gearing up at 90, I think. It's the 105-110 or more that gets miserable. Especially now, in our monsoon season, when we actually have humidity and don't even cool off much at night.
Barkley Sound looks awesome! I've always wanted to go to Vancouver or somewhere up there. I loved diving Puget sound. My whole first year of diving was on the shores of PS.
 
Wart -- interesting post -- especially from an instructor. Probably 30% of my OW students learn in a dry suit and it just makes the class "interesting."

So how was it for me to learn? It took a while. I started in a full neoprene suit which is designed to be inflated only for squeeze (or so I was told) so I used both suit and BCD. After the necessary 50 dives, I was pretty comfortable -- and when I changed to a compressed neoprene suit, it only took maybe 20 dives to become comfortable. When I changed to a Fusion (shell suit), maybe only 15 dives. Now I find I can switch back and forth with no particular problem -- but that's after 600+ dives dry. Oh, and now I use my drysuit only for buoyancy, valve open unless I'm shooting pictures in an "unusual attitude" and then it's closed until I'm back flat.

Wart, welcome to our world!
 
Hi Tracy,

I never ever put my drysuit in the pool...but that is my personal preference. Don't want to risk any chlorine damage.

First drysuit experience was terrible, but not really the diving part, that part just felt a bit weird but no real issues. The choking sensation out of the water part is what freaked me out at first. I remember my first trip (confesion, didn't even take it in the pool prior) with it and I was DM'ing. We had to have it zipped in case we had to go in the water. I took bow watch because I was about to freak out and wanted to do it away from the customers. Looking out at the beautiful ocean and I kept going back and forth from..."cool, sun sparkling on ocean looks neat" to " this suit sucks...I hate it". Tears started to welll up and next thing I know, I heard someone on the bow behind me...turned and it was Marty Snyderman! He saw the tears and said.."new drysuit?" Hands pulling at neck seal probably gave it away :) He gave me some tips and told me it will get better and not to throw it away. That was nice of him.

Have been diving dry almost exclusively ever since, but I did get a different suit a few years later which made a ton of difference.
 
... Probably 30% of my OW students learn in a dry suit and it just makes the class "interesting."
....

This year we are seeing the majority of students doing their OW dives locally are choosing to do them in a dry suit.
 
This year we are seeing the majority of students doing their OW dives locally are choosing to do them in a dry suit.

That's because it's bloody cold to do the OW dives wet :) Anyone who does them wet is a real trooper.

I also did not take a course per say, but was given instruction in a pool by my OW instructor, and then my wife did the same with a different instructor in lake okanagan a few weeks later that I joined her for. I would agree that the fusion is a good training suit. I used a rental fusion for my first ~6 or so dives before getting my own crushed neoprene and the biggest issue was getting the damn thing on. Getting the new suit, that's where I found it difficult, however I am "lucky" enough to have a 41f crystal clear 15' deep pond to practice in, so I dove it over and over till I got the bouyancy down pat. Practicing in shallow water makes a huge difference because even minor depth variations cause gas to expand and forcing you to practice proper venting. When single tank diving I also use drysuit almost exclusivly for bouyancy. More air = warmer dive. Vent closed on the surface to keep the water out, opened on descent and left open for the dive.

Dives 1-3 were good but then I started to gradually go deeper and it was then that I realized that my dump valve vented VERY sloooooooowly in relation to the amount of air that is in my drysuit (big drysuit = lots of air). I have that under control now but am still working on venting while in trim. Small amounts I can vent without going too far out of trim but if I am ascending, I find I have to almost stand up to get the air out of my suit quickly

Steve, have you checked your exhaust valve to ensure its not clogged? I borrowed a drysuit from a family member when I travelled to New Zealand. First dive I tried to vent and nothing (maybe a few small bubbles). I thought through it, and ended up having to vent from my neck seal (that was cold). When I checked the drysuit out on the boat (after remvoving the ocean from the drysuit), the exhaust was completly clogged with fibers from the woolies. Also, I have heard that putting duct tape over the woolies where your exhaust valve is can help to keep the area clear and allow for easier venting.
 
I'm pushing about 45 dives in my drysuit now and haven't worn my 7mm all year (and I'm not missing it). But it definitely took me a bit to get used to the drysuit. While buoyancy was a bit of a mystery, the biggest ordeal was the weight. I went from 12 to 14 pounds in a wet suit to 26. I'm down to 14 to 16 now which isn't killing my knees and has made my experience all the better. Beyond that, the first 10 dives were hard - I began to wonder if I'd ever "get" it. Then something amazing happened and I fell in love. I embraced it. It was as if everything, during a single dive, just clicked.

I'm not a fussy person about the vent (it's usually wide opeN) but I notice that when I shoot photos, it's best to keep it closed or partially closed or I will dump air just by moving oddly (you must take a picture of a snail standing on your head, of course). I also never did the whole ankle-weights which seems to help many dry divers.

Like most, I started out in the shallows in an area I knew well and worked my way up (actually down if you think about it). But whatever you do, don't give up. The first dives are like learning to dive all over again. It takes time and patience.
 
It's a setback for everyone but it need not be prolonged.

As others have said run with the valve open. Latter when you're polished you want to close it a little at depth to permit a little more insulating air.

For me it was 70% configuration and 30% practice. Be sure to observe how things work on every dive and continuously make small adjustments to get weight, trim and gear placement where it needs to be. Log it all.

Once you get over the hump it quite liberating to know you can be the cold wetness. Don't get me wrong, in reasonable conditions (55F+) I'm likely to dive wet.

Pete
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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