DIR- GUE Fundies on rental gear?

[Dann0]

I am going to be doing my fundies course in January with an emphasis on leaning towards a tech pass. I want to start toward Cave 1 late in 2020 and am slowly beginning to put my gear together. So far I have everything I need sans primary light and drysuit.

My question is, is renting a drysuit and primary light acceptable for the course? I will eventually be purchasing these but with upcoming wedding costs its just not in the budget.

Thanks!

 

[tbone1004]

light yes, but drysuit I would tend to say no. Having an ill-fitting drysuit is going to make your life miserable. If you are lucky enough to fit stock sizes, then contacting someone like Scubaforce USA, EE, etc. that rent high quality drysuits would be an option, but I would try to get up to cave country ASAP and try them all on now. If you find one that fits really well, then rent it and learn to dive it a bit before fundies. If however you find that they don't have any that fit really well, you'll really want to buy one before the course if you're committed to this. If you do it now, it leaves you 6 ish weeks before Black Friday. Also remember Santi and DUI drysuits are REALLY overpriced for what they are and this is not a case of you get what you pay for.

 

[Jack Hammer]

You can use a rented suit. The course will be easier if it fits well and you are comfortable in it.

 

[rvojr]

I was recommended Santi as well and almost fell over when I saw how much they were. Is there a trilaminated suit brand that will hold up but isn't breaking the bank expensive?

 

[Nirvana]

I think it is possible, but you have to be careful with the fitting.

When I did my full cave course in Florida, on the very first dive of the course I discovered a leak in the zipper. I had to send my suit for repair, and I rented another one. For the most part, the rental worked very well, except that the foot pockets were larger than my feet, trapping some air and preventing me from really connecting with the fins. I wouldn't want to learn proper kick techniques like that.

As for the light, I don't see any problem at all.

 

[rddvet]

Agree with everybody, light is ok, but drysuit is a bad idea. Luckily you live close to cave country. If you really want to use a rental suit, call Kyle at EE and set up a time to have someone find the size that works for you. They will also tell you the pros and cons of the suit's fit and let you make decisions. I would then rent the suit a few times and get comfortable in it and figure out what undergarments you want. EE has a ton of Santis to rent and can often get one straight from Santi if they don't have the right size in the shop. That being said, that still won't be as good an idea as having your own suit. You're adding an additional source of buoyancy with a drysuit. If you don't have a good bit of drysuit experience, fundies isn't the place to pick it up if your intent is to pick up a tech pass. I would either by your own suit and dive the hell out of it before class or dive a westuit if that's what you're used to.

 

[tbone1004]

I was recommended Santi as well and almost fell over when I saw how much they were. Is there a trilaminated suit brand that will hold up but isn't breaking the bank expensive?

SF Tech, Rofos, Otter, etc. They will hold up better than the Santi...

 

[rddvet]

I almost got an SF tech instead of my FLX and wish I had. Those SF techs are always cut perfectly. My wife just got a new suit and went santi. I think Santi's a very good suit, but aren't the toughest in the world. I think alot of it is a matter of what you want. For my wife and I replaceable seals are a must and made up for being slightly less tough. We do almost as much diving outside of the US as we do here and often in places where a ripped seal makes for a sucky trip. That was one of the main things that led her to Santi. That and my horrible experience getting my FLX from DUI (as a multiple return customer) and the high price tag on SFTechs (which was my recommendation).

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

During my fundies, my zipper failed on my DUI dry suit. I was loaned a Santi that fit me even better, and I completed the course.

Just make sure it fits.

 

[rddvet]

I guess an important question for the OP is if you already have experience in a drysuit and are comfortable. I made the assumption you don't currently have comfort in diving a drysuit. Maybe you do and you just don't own a drysuit?