Converting from Wet to Dry - Who did the Training?

[Melicertes]

How many here switched over from wetsuit to drysuit and did the training course; how many of you just went the DIY route? I'm still waiting for mine to arrive which should be any time now and I'm all stoked to get it on for a test drive. I'm pretty confident that I'll be fine with it after having already reviewed the regular training materials and read some posts on the board here. I have pretty good buoyancy control so, although I expect it to take a bit of getting used to, I do not expect it to be a major mission to get the hang of it, literally, so to speak.

I'm just curious as to how many of you found the transition easy enough to deal with as I am about to go through the same learning curve in the next few weeks.

 

[rickyd]

I switched from wet to dry after only 1 year of diving ( about 60 dives ). I did have a few hours training, in my pool, by the LDS owner at no additional cost. I found it valuable, at least for the basics and some emergency drills. If I had many years experiance diving before I switched to dry, I may have passed.

 

[Ed Hatfield]

I went from wet to dry without any course and had no difficulty. The one thing I learned from other drysuit divers was: just put enough air in the suit to feel comfortable and rely on your BC for bouyancy control. I also keep the vent valve fully open the whole die and elevate the shoulder during ascents. Best of luck.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

After about 80 dives with a wetsuit, I purchased a drysuit. I felt more comfortable taking a drysuit class, since I wanted to gain competency as quickly as possible. Fortunately, the instructor was good...and he even trimmed my latex neck/wrist seals for me. If I remember correctly, the class consisted of one pool dive and 2 open water dives. Was the class worth the $100+? Maybe. In the end, I ended up filling out the paperwork for a "drysuit diver" certification card. Although I have yet to use it, I feel better knowing that if I'm on vacation doing some cold water diving and my drysuit gets jacked up...I can still rent a drysuit from a shop without any problems. I have heard that dive shops in the Pacific Northwest won't rent a drysuit to a diver unless he has a drysuit cert card. You may want to take this into consideration when deciding whether you want to get the formal certification.

Another thing to consider is that some drysuits may have a steeper learning curve than others. If the suit is bulky and traps air, your transition may be a little more challenging. I own a Bare Nex-Gen Pro that fits me well but lacks the slimmer cut that a DUI custom suit would have. Having test-dived the Whites Fusion drysuit (the one with a lycra covering that pulls in the excess underlying material), I know that any wetsuit diver going dry with the Fusion will adjust very quickly. Diving the Fusion was very much like diving in a wetsuit.

Good luck. Have fun and be safe.

 

[divemastercpas]

with the number of dives you have logged, i don't think you'll have any problems.
you just have one more hose to manage.
i dive dry as soon as i don't feel comfortable in my 7 mm.
i never took any courses, my instructor just showed me the basics for a few moments.
never had any problems.
good luck.

 

[theundertow]

while not absolutely necessary, the training is valuable and its definitely worth a practice session in the pool anyway. practicing a tuck & roll out of a feet first ascent and getting weighting & trim right (ankle weights, leg wraps etc) are important components to getting comfortable in the suit. you may need new fins too, maybe bigger and/or heavier ones.

many shops will offer a free session in the pool & possibly a cert course with the purchase of a drysuit, thats what i did. you may also get the chance to try different accessories they offer like undergarments, dry gloves, hoods etc.

 

[cinder4320]

I voted switched with no concern for training but I think thats misleading. My idea of training was me working out the kinks in my own pool. I wouldn't suggest donning the suit and doing an advanced dive but hanging out in my ten foot pool and getting used to things before doing a dive I'm familiar with was perfect.

Miranda

 

[1_T_Submariner]

I switched did some dives and was catching on fine. Realized I couldn't get service at LDS without taking the class. I learned some things in the class (trimming seals, drysuit care, zipper maintenance)

 

[Ed Hatfield]

In my previous post I said that I had no difficulty adjusting to the drysuit. I should mention that I did 5 dives in a quarry and was fairly comfortable with the bouancy before attempting a fresh water cold temp wreck dive. I wasn't suggesting that anyone should dive dry until they have a couple of controlled environment dives under their belt. If you don't have the chance to dive in a quarry or similar environment with divers you kow and trust to 'keep an eye on you' then by all means Take The Course.

 

[Steve_Dives]

I'm on the learning curve for a drysuit now. I sought tips and pointers from dive buddies, and I found a drysuit diving video. I have not taken the formal class. Seems like learning to dive all over again.

Getting the air to an awkward dump valve is my struggle.

Still working on getting my air consumption back down. I'm fighting the suit a little bit.