Failed Open Water Dive Update

[seattlepaul1975]

I am in the middle of my OW program now and doing a dry suit class tonight (Being in Seattle). I went out and got a 3mm Wetsuit just for the pool side being I wanted to see the "feel" of it when I dive where warmer and would be wearing a 3mm shortie. 3mm in the pool has always been comfy.....warm but never to point of being hot. Curious to see how a dry suit is tonight.

 

[RJHinPDX]

Where are you located? Maybe I may be of service

I'm in Portland, Oregon. Very kind of you.

 

[smokin3000gt]

RJHinPDX,

Personally I think the shop you went to has let you down.

I think the shop is amateurish. I get the feeling that they just can't be bothered and that finding another instructor would be a better course of action for you to take - an action I see that you are prepared to take.

Don't be discouraged by this - a competent instructor will get you over this.

This. I don't think this the dive shop for you.

Also FWIW the LDS here made sure everyone in class had a wetsuit available to them and one that fit for pool sessions. No issues here. (SW FL)

 

[TSandM]

I really think people should realize there is a difference between "wetsuit", as in simple 3, 5 or even 7 mil suit, and "wetsuit" for PNW diving, which is a 7 mil suit with a 7 mil corewarmer, or 14 mm of neoprene on the core, and at least at our shop, an attached, integrated hood. It's not easy to flush those suits with water -- they're rather designed to avoid it.

Could a student spend a few minutes in the pool in such an outfit? I would imagine of course. Would it be long enough to make a difference? I don't know. Would it be hard on the gear? After watching my wetsuit booties disintegrate from just the occasional pool sessions I do in them, I would imagine so. Is it expensive for a shop to replace that much neoprene? Yeah.

As much as I think it would do some students good to dive their heavy exposure protection before going to cold water, I do totally respect the reasons the shop chooses not to allow them to do it. I do tell people it's a good idea to put their wetsuit and BC on, with weights in, the night before the OW dives, so that at least the process of getting into it, and how much it all weighs, will not come as an unpleasant surprise the next morning. I don't think many people bother, though.

 

[LowDrag]

I am not sure either why your LDS would not let you in the pool with at least half of your Farmer Jane. We went in with the top half of our rental suits for OW class (No integrated hood). The water inside my suit would run out really warm when I would get out of the pool but it was not anything unbearable. If I got warm while in the pool I would just open my zipper as others have said they would do and let some water in.

RJH, I am sending you a PM also.

 

[ScubaSteve]

I cannot speak for what a PNW wetsuit is. The OP did not indicate if he was training in a 7mil wetsuit or a 7mil PNW wetsuit. Perhaps they could clarify so that if it is in fact the latter, those of us that lack the equipment knowledge can retract our statements. I will however still come back to the fact that I have done many dives 80°+ in my drysuit wearing Arctic undies as well as my regular 2pc John/Jane 6.5mil wetsuit (=13mil from thighs to upper chest) that was used for years to cold water dive and never come close to overheating IMO. Is a 7mil PNW wetsuit with corewarmer really warmer than a drysuit with arctic undies? I know what curiosity did to the cat but I need to know if I got jipped when I bought my drysuit for warmer dives.

I really think people should realize there is a difference between "wetsuit", as in simple 3, 5 or even 7 mil suit, and "wetsuit" for PNW diving, which is a 7 mil suit with a 7 mil corewarmer, or 14 mm of neoprene on the core, and at least at our shop, an attached, integrated hood. It's not easy to flush those suits with water -- they're rather designed to avoid it.

Could a student spend a few minutes in the pool in such an outfit? I would imagine of course. Would it be long enough to make a difference? I don't know. Would it be hard on the gear? After watching my wetsuit booties disintegrate from just the occasional pool sessions I do in them, I would imagine so. Is it expensive for a shop to replace that much neoprene? Yeah.

As much as I think it would do some students good to dive their heavy exposure protection before going to cold water, I do totally respect the reasons the shop chooses not to allow them to do it. I do tell people it's a good idea to put their wetsuit and BC on, with weights in, the night before the OW dives, so that at least the process of getting into it, and how much it all weighs, will not come as an unpleasant surprise the next morning. I don't think many people bother, though.

 

[flots am]

As much as I think it would do some students good to dive their heavy exposure protection before going to cold water, I do totally respect the reasons the shop chooses not to allow them to do it.

I don't. The students should have at least some training using the same exposure protection they'll be using in OW.

If the shop can't manage to do this, maybe they should stick to tropical referrals. It's not fair to the student to have them play in a pool in a bathing suit, then have them show up at OW dives and dress them like The Michelin Man.

SCUBA Training is about training the student, not making it convenient for the training facility.

flots.

 

[Hawkwood]

We don't put students in the pool in 2-layer 7 mil wetsuits. Of the students I have taught in Open Water, I have yet to see a student have the issues the OP described, with respect to the exposure protection they were wearing. I consider where I teach a cold water environment. It's not a universal issue with all students.

___________

edit: As an instructor, if you have a student with a particular difficulty, you have to suck it up and work with that student, not dismiss their issues.

Herb-alaska reminded me of a time I had a 12 year old who was uncomfortable in the open water setting. He was fine in the pool where he could see and had no encumbrances (so, I was mistaken in my initial post above) - in the lake, he was spooked. It finally donned on me after he sat out the dive to take him back in the water and have him snorkel around for a while. Still didn't help him though, and so he waited until the family went to Maui to do his referral.

 

[Herb-alaska]

Why not just rent the wet suit for the day forget scuba and go snorkel in cold water to get used to the cold water and the constriction of that much neoprene and then take your bcd and weights home and get used to getting in your rig and walking around in it. Scuba can get heavy and you need to get used to the weight so that your not stressed before you even get in the water

or forget diving cold wet. pay for a dry suit class and do your ow dives in comfort. When I was first ow certified my lds did everyone dry all the dry

 

[MrPfeffer]

When I did my OW pool sessions were in a 3mm shorty and its warm enough for a pool I wouldnt imagine doing 3+ hours in a 7mm suit for a pool. NE diving is similar to PNW diving Ild assume as the water is cold and dark so you need at least a 7mm suit if not core warmer etc.. Snorkling in your 7mm suit may work, but your not going to feel the compression of the suit which is what you really need underwater to make it all the more easy. I would not suggest a drysuit to an OW student personally seems like if bouyancy is an issue in a pool a drysuit will only compound the issue.