Advice for a drysuit newbie? (I took your advice and got the Whites Fusion!)

[Scuba Christine]

My first drysuit class is this Sunday (7/15). I bough the Whites Fusion and upgraded to the SLT silicone seals. I have Hollis 200 gram thermals + a pair of expedition weight camping thermals I can add for really cold water. I'm using my old 5/7 hood, gloves and a pair of Chucks until can make an informed choice on the hood and boots. The Chucks fit in my batfins ok.

So, now that I have my outfit picked out, I find that I'm still in need of your sage advice in order to dress myself and to go play! Because of my super fun corn allergy, I get to clean all my gear from the mfrg. chemicals before I put it on, so it is coming disassembled.

:tmi2: Also, because of this fun allergy I can't rent or borrow gear. So this will be my first time to put on a drysuit, except for trying on a used one for a few min and having a reaction. I swear I'm not a germaphobe or completely mad (yet!) -- dirt is fine, I just really, really hate having my throat swell shut from corn derived chemicals. Not a fun day for anyone. But underwater, in my own gear with my own air is the safest place for me!

I have a few questions:


Q 1: Advice on putting the Fusion suit together properly? (They are sending the suit with the valves off because they can be tough to open.)

Q 2: Advice on putting the silicone neck and wrist seals on? Also, what do you use on your seals?
[I'm a bit leery of talc because of the possibility of cornstarch, I do have pure liquid silicone that is ok for me]

Q 3: Recommended cleaning agents?
[ I have organic dishwashing liquid, very gentle laundry detergent (Charlie's soap), baking soda and organic apple cider vinegar as my cleaning agents. I've carefully used both the dishwashing liquid and the Charlie's soap on gear with no problems so far.]

:balloons:--- now the fun questions ---

Q 4: What do you need to know (other than what is in the videos) to put on a fusion suit properly?

Q 5: What do you wish someone had told you BEFORE you got in the water for the first time in your drysuit?

Q 6: Instructors, AIs, TAs, DMs etc, what do you wish your drysuit students would stop doing / what would you like to tell them but are just too polite to say out loud?

Q 7: Why do I feel nervous, is this normal? My instructor ROCKS and I'm not normally nervous.

Q 8: Anything else I should do while I count the days till my suit gets here? (reading, watching videos now)!

I have a LOT of questions. Answers to one, some, all or any other thought about drysuit diving will be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Christine

 

[MADiveGirl]

Hardly an expert, but I just got a dry suit in March, so went through many of these questions myself not too long ago!

I can't answer many, but will address the questions that I can.

Q 5: What do you wish someone had told you BEFORE you got in the water for the first time in your drysuit?

I likely knew this going in, but I guess reinforcement would have been helpful. It's weird. It's different than a wetsuit, very different. You now have this other THING to think about - air in the suit, when to add, when/how to vent, etc. Assume your first in water session will be RIDICULOUS. Then, when it is ridiculous and you find yourself staring at your feet, wondering how the hell you are going to get yourself flipped around, you can laugh, remembering that yeah, this was going to be ridiculous!

Q 7: Why do I feel nervous, is this normal?

I was nervous even though I studied my class materials and my suit provided instructions like crazy. I knew the theory. I got it. But actually doing it, especially as a VERY new diver (my dry suit class was my first dive as a certified diver - I was as new as it got!), made me crazy nervous. It's ok, you'll be fine. Just remember, it will likely be ridiculous the first day.

My training day went well overall, although I didn't feel all that great about my abilities at the end of the day. My subsequent dives in the suit however have been FABULOUS. I am by no means an expert, but the air in my suit does not manhandle me, I use IT. I am venting subconsciously when I need to by lifting my shoulder - it's on auto pilot for the most part now. I still absolutely need more and more time in it to feel REALLY great, but I love my drysuit. LOVE IT.

Enjoy! I have heard good things about the Fusion and looked at it myself when I was shopping. It seemed very comfortable.

 

[Scuba Christine]

Hi MADiveGirl,
That is really helpful! I'm looking forward to amusing everyone else!
My buddy that got a suit this summer says he's amazed at how awful he felt his first day, but by dive 5, all was well.
Thanks!
-c

 

[decompression]

Tons of advice will follow, I'm sure, but if I may......outside of your training dives, when you are just experience diving, plan your dive so that the drysuit is your main focus. This way you won't be distracted and can focus on the feel, air in, air out, shifting, positive buoyancy, suit squeeze.....if you can work on these things at the beginning the learning curve is shortened. Best of luck and enjoy the Fusion......for what it's worth, one of my former students is a manager at Whites.

 

[Scuba Christine]

Thanks Deco,
My instructor is amazing so I'm really pleased that the first time I even fool around with the suit I'll be getting in the water with him!

I've done my homework -- video, book, extra reading ... But none of it beats real life experience!
I get in 2 drysuit dives and then we are heading to the ocean -- I'll be diving wet so I can just enjoy the sites on vacation and look out for the great whites (heading to MA).

Ive been working with Debbie at DRIS and she went to Whites with some of my crazier allergy related questions -- they both have been great!

I appreciate the advice!
-c

 

[shoredivr]

In terms of the silicone seals, they seem less sturdy than latex or neoprene (have had two buddies tear silicone wrist seals), so use your lubricant and take the time to stretch them slowly over your hands and head.

I have been diving a Fusion for 2.5 years now and really enjoy it. I went back to my old trilam last weekend as the Fusion was having new wrist seals put in, and I really didn't enjoy all the work involved in venting then Aquaflex suit...the Fusion just vents itself.

Have fun!

 

[TSandM]

Q 1: Advice on putting the Fusion suit together properly? (They are sending the suit with the valves off because they can be tough to open.)
​

IIRC, Mike has a pretty good video on the DRIS site on doing this. I have found that putting the dry core on and then putting the skin on while wearing it works pretty well. Be aware that you won't be able to get the fuzzy edge down on the Velcro on the dry core without wrinkles. Or at least, I can't.

Whites is using Apex valves now, and they are a major PITA to get screwed down on the suit until they don't leak. Using a tip from another SB member, I made a "removulator" by taking a bamboo spatula and drilling holes in it and putting small bolts through the holes, arranged so that they would engage the holes in the bottom of the valves. This gives you a nice, long lever arm for tightening. Be aware that you have to depress the center button of the dump valve while you tighten it. For me, that's a two person project.

Q 2: Advice on putting the silicone neck and wrist seals on? Also, what do you use on your seals?
[I'm a bit leery of talc because of the possibility of cornstarch, I do have pure liquid silicone that is ok for me]
​

I use Seal Saver on my latex seals. It should work fine on the silicone ones, too. But if you are asking how to mount the seals on the suit, again, Mike has some pretty good videos on the DRIS site. The neck seal takes a little bit of work (I've found some creative profanity helps) but once you get it started, it goes pretty smoothly. Mounting the wrist seals is easy -- it's taking them off to change them that can be a challenge, and the right tool helps.

Q 3: Recommended cleaning agents?
[ I have organic dishwashing liquid, very gentle laundry detergent (Charlie's soap), baking soda and organic apple cider vinegar as my cleaning agents. I've carefully used both the dishwashing liquid and the Charlie's soap on gear with no problems so far.

As far as I know, none of those should be a problem.
​

:balloons:

--- now the fun questions ---

Q 4: What do you need to know (other than what is in the videos) to put on a fusion suit properly?
​

Patience. Getting the legs pulled well up from the inside helps. Think of it like putting on pantyhose. Fix the feet and legs before you pull up the torso.

Q 5: What do you wish someone had told you BEFORE you got in the water for the first time in your drysuit?

The key to dry suit buoyancy is anticipation. Dry suits vent slower than BCs, so you have to THINK -- if I'm getting shallower, I'd better be moving some air up and getting it out of the suit! The Fusion actually makes this easier than some other suits, because the gentle compression helps the air move where you need it.

Also, everybody buying a dry suit should know that totally dry dives are rare. If you use wet gloves, you're going to get seepage through your wrist seals. And dry suits leak (although the Fusion rarely leaks through the suit -- but the valves leak, the seals leak. You're always fixing something on a dry suit). Which reminds me -- don't dial the Apeks dump valve all the way open, because they leak if you do. Closing it about three clicks will reduce that.

Q 6: Instructors, AIs, TAs, DMs etc, what do you wish your drysuit students would stop doing / what would you like to tell them but are just too polite to say out loud?

Not drag their seals through the sand, and not curl their fingers when they're stretching seals to put them on. That makes me cringe.

Q 7: Why do I feel nervous, is this normal? My instructor ROCKS and I'm not normally nervous.
​

I'm always a little nervous when I'm going to try out something new . . .

Q 8: Anything else I should do while I count the days till my suit gets here? (reading, watching videos now)!

Enjoy the anticipation!​

 

[Scuba Christine]

Wow! Thank you! That us just the type of info I need to hear.

On Q6: Don't curl your fingers when stretching seals to put them on -- why is that? . Noob assumption would be that it is safer to turn your fingernails in so you don't snag anything. Does it make your hand too wide? So much to learn!

 

[TSandM]

Think about it -- when you stretch a neck seal, your palms are TOWARD the seal, because that's the way your arms and wrists work. If you curl your fingers, your nails are pointing at the seal . . .

 

[Scuba Christine]

Doh! I was thinking curl under (knuckles up) so there would be no nail contact! I've already cut mine very short in prep.

---------- Post Merged at 12:57 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 11:42 AM ----------

Thanks Shoredivr!
I'm paranoid about the seals! Hope that means I'll be careful enough.

Im glad to hear how happy you are with the fusion. That makes me feel even better about my choice!
-c