Been busy diving

[Marie13]

Undies aren't cheap. I bought a full set of Fourth Element, there is another $1k right there.

This is a custom DUI DuoTherm 300 one piece. Made to measure undersuit, vest, and socks were $565. Vest and socks were stock sizes. Didn’t wear vest today.

I can’t tell you how lovely it is to have undies that FIT.

 

[abnfrog]

was there harnesses and lines used on the dives ?

 

[Marie13]

Yes.

 

[Marie13]

Closed out my season at the mine in the hinterlands of SW WI today. Gorgeous day although stiff winds had me fighting the steering wheel on the entire 3.5 hour drive each way. Great 50 minute dive. I was too beat from not sleeping well last night and last week being the first week at a new job, complete with commute, which I’ve not had in a year. Didn’t rats nest my reel, which was nice. Last mine dive in January was 35 minutes long, so the longer dove was nice.

It was really weird being at the mine with NO snow!

 

[Marie13]

On to SM deco bottle wrangling adventures! Last weekend, a 40 rigged with a standard Dive Rite stage kit, was not successful with a standard D ring on my belt. Changed to a Franken rigged bottle. Top is standard. Bottom is thicker bungee for the leash. Sort of Mexican cave style. Now also using the Dive Rite drop D rings. Had the drop D ring too far back today to be able to reach it when pushing primary tank up all the way after I had dropped the bottle underwater. Ended up clipping it to the "door handle" on my butt plate (where primary gets clipped) just to reattach it to exit the water. Moving it much more forward should do the trick.

 

[Rose Robinson]

On to SM deco bottle wrangling adventures! Last weekend, a 40 rigged with a standard Dive Rite stage kit, was not successful with a standard D ring on my belt. Changed to a Franken rigged bottle. Top is standard. Bottom is thicker bungee for the leash. Sort of Mexican cave style. Now also using the Dive Rite drop D rings. Had the drop D ring too far back today to be able to reach it when pushing primary tank up all the way after I had dropped the bottle underwater. Ended up clipping it to the "door handle" on my butt place (where primary gets clipped) just to reattach it to exit the water. Moving it much more forward should do the trick.

Hi Marie,

You're ongoing adventure sounds like a lot of fun, and I'm so glad you've been able to make the best of being able to dive during the pandemic.

I dive dry full time, northern Pacific, and have been a DUI very satisfied customer for years. I have two DUI CF 200 Signature series suits, one is quite new, 2019, the other is a 2000, which DUI recently refurbished for me, and is still my ''go to''.

To me DUI is the best of the best, and the folks in San Diego are a pleasure to deal with!

All the very best, looking forward to your progression posts.

LOL,

Rose.

 

[Marie13]

Hi Marie,

You're ongoing adventure sounds like a lot of fun, and I'm so glad you've been able to make the best of being able to dive during the pandemic.

I dive dry full time, northern Pacific, and have been a DUI very satisfied customer for years. I have two DUI CF 200 Signature series suits, one is quite new, 2019, the other is a 2000, which DUI recently refurbished for me, and is still my ''go to''.

To me DUI is the best of the best, and the folks in San Diego are a pleasure to deal with!

All the very best, looking forward to your progression posts.

LOL,

Rose.

Thanks! My instructor told me to conquer deco bottle handling, then we’ll talk about scheduling AN/Helitrox (Deco Procedures is covered under Helitrox, but no separate DP card is issued). Need to pull out my books to review. Homework done last winter.

Full cave is going to be next winter with same instructor. Had hoped to do half in FL cave country, but being at a new job put the kobosh on that. So it will be the WI mine and MO caves. I’ll be limited in what MO caves I can do as I’m told some access is very challenging and I’m not going to risk my knees. Roubidoux and Mine LaMotte are two I know I can access.

My new suit is still going well. I got VERY wet two weekends in a row, including a SM tech workshop. Turns out my neck Zip seal had come undone in a small section. Fixed that and I didn’t get wet yesterday. I’ve switched to Kubi system for drygloves but having issues getting the Showa 720 gloves on the rings. Not enough stretch and I don’t have a ton of hand strength. Have the gloves and O rings stretched over jars and will try again later today. They’ll have been stretched for 24 hours. I ended up diving for 30 min yesterday in 49 degree water water with 3mm FE wet gloves. Not too bad, fingers just slightly chilly at the end.

EDIT: can’t get the 720s on. Back to the Kubi gloves.

 

[Rose Robinson]

Thanks! My instructor told me to conquer deco bottle handling, then we’ll talk about scheduling AN/Helitrox (Deco Procedures is covered under Helitrox, but no separate DP card is issued). Need to pull out my books to review. Homework done last winter.

Full cave is going to be next winter with same instructor. Had hoped to do half in FL cave country, but being at a new job had out a kobosh on that. So it will be the WI mine and MO caves. I’ll be limited in what MO caves I can do as I’m told some access is very challenging and I’m not going to risk my knees. Roubidoux and Mine LaMotte are two I know I can access.

My new suit is still going well. I got VERY wet two weekends in a row, including a SM tech workshop. Turns out my neck Zip seal had come undone in a small section. Fixed that and I didn’t get wet yesterday. I’ve switched to Kubi system for drygloves but having issues getting the Showa 720 gloves on the rings. Not enough stretch and I don’t have a ton of hand strength. Have the gloves and O rings stretched over jars and will try again later today. They’ll have been stretched for 24 hours. I ended up diving for 30 min yesterday in 49 degree water water with 3mm FE wet gloves. Not too bad, fingers just slightly chilly at the end.

Hi Marie,

Both of my suits have sock feet, with neoprene seals, reliable, robust, warm. When my old suit was refurbished, the work included new wrist/neck seals, new lower legs from the knees to the socks, and a full leak test. the suit still had the original seals when refurbished in 2019.

I wear 5mm Waterproof five finger gloves, what Waterproof refers to as semi dry gloves, fit nice and snug, back of wrist zipper.

Fingers get slightly wet, but stay nice and warm, with enough dexterity to make computer button adjustments.

I'm tec trained, have been for quite a while. my instructor was based in Seattle.

I limit my depth to 150 ft. I'm comfortable and confident at that range, and I'm always mindful of the fact that 40 people depend on me for their livelihoods.

All the very best with your cave training, sounds exciting, and challenging.

Rose.

 

[Marie13]

How cold does the water get there? 39-40 not uncommon here.

I have the Ultra Flex boots on my suit. Very comfortable. Previous two suits had socks and separate boots. Not a fan.

 

[Rose Robinson]

How cold does the water get there? 39-40 not uncommon here.

I have the Ultra Flex boots on my suit. Very comfortable. Previous two suits had socks and separate boots. Not a fan.

We get that here

How cold does the water get there? 39-40 not uncommon here.

I have the Ultra Flex boots on my suit. Very comfortable. Previous two suits had socks and separate boots. Not a fan.

Hi Marie,

Those temps are common, especially at 150+ ft. and considering most of our diving is done in the winter, that's when the water's the clearest, makes a huge difference on the wrecks.

I have two Weezle Extreme + undergarment sets, both one piece. I swear by them, the only undergarment brand I have ever owned. Hand made in the UK, and like DUI, fabulous folks to deal with.

I wash them on a gentle cycle, and fluff dry.

When I tec trained, I really lucked out with my instructor. At the time, he had been diving for approx. 50 years, and had made all the ''gear mistakes''. I followed his recommendations for gear selection, for just about everything, and with only a couple of very minor changes, still do. We lost him last year, natural causes, I miss him very much.

I like sock feet on my dry-suit worn with DUI rock boots, simply because the sock feet allow me to completely turn my suit inside out, for easy washing and drying. I have a heated double garage, along with a heated multi purpose room adjoining the garage. my dive gear lives there.

Looking forward to reading how your cave training is progressing.

Rose.