Question Dealing with Dry Suit Floods on Liveaboard

[rootshell73]

For context, in the next couple months I will be headed to Cairns to dive the Great Barrier Reef on a 5 day liveaboard where water temperatures are expected to be low 70s. The liveaboard recommends a 5mm wetsuit for the average diver during that season. The liveaboard offers rental gear free with the cost of the Booking, but I tend to find that due to my size I am better of buying my own gear for best fit and comfort. I own a 3mm full wetsuit and a trilam drysuit (quick change seals), and I tend to run cold. Doing 4 dives a day I think I will be most comfortable and happy in my dry suit.

There are a few good threads on here regarding traveling with dry suits (even on liveaboards), and I decided I will give it a go. What I feel is missing from those threads is how suit failures have affected people in these situations. For example, if you had a seal failure how long until you were able to get back in the water? Did your suit dry quickly? Did you have to miss a day of dives? Do you wish you had spare undergarments to switch out while the others dry? Did you just switch to wetsuit instead? Worst case I can fall back to an ill fitting 5m rental suit, but I would like to be prepared to quickly rectify a suit leak if I can.

 

[Still Kicking]

I did a california three day trip and ripped a wrist seal, first dive. It was a glue-in seal so no replacement option.

I duct taped the seal and made every dive. Wrist and forearm were damp but it kept me diving. I turned the suit inside out at night to dry and put the undergarment in the clothes drier.

It turned out to not be a big deal but having a wetsuit backup plan is a great option.

 

[coldwaterglutton]

Not the question you asked, but I used to live in Australia and dove GBR a number of times in winter. It's personal preference but I found it always dove warm. Very sunny and dry at this time of year and that makes the difference.

But to your question: bring your 3mm and you can use that as a backup if you have a drysuit malfunction. A 3-5mm hood will make a lot of difference.

 

[rootshell73]

Not the question you asked, but I used to live in Australia and dove GBR a number of times in winter. It's personal preference but I found it always dove warm. Very sunny and dry at this time of year and that makes the difference.

But to your question: bring your 3mm and you can use that as a backup if you have a drysuit malfunction. A 3-5mm hood will make a lot of difference.

I appreciate the insight. For what it’s worth I live in Texas, and was doing my rescue diver class today in 93 degree air and 70 degree water. The class is mostly at the surface with a few minutes underwater here and there. In order to not add difficulty to the class I used my 3m. I was mostly fine at the surface, but did a 20 minute dive after and was sufficiently cold. I’m not sure I would do 4 dives of that per day, but GBR may prove me wrong.

 

[rootshell73]

I did a california three day trip and ripped a wrist seal, first dive. It was a glue-in seal so no replacement option.

I duct taped the seal and made every dive. Wrist and forearm were damp but it kept me diving. I turned the suit inside out at night to dry and put the undergarment in the clothes drier.

It turned out to not be a big deal but having a wetsuit backup plan is a great option.

Yeah, I don’t think clothes dryer is an option on a liveaboard (wouldn’t know, this will be my first). That’s why I’m considering a second pair of undergarments.

 

[Still Kicking]

Yeah, I don’t think clothes dryer is an option on a liveaboard (wouldn’t know, this will be my first). That’s why I’m considering a second pair of undundergarments

Some boats might have laundry for linens, crew uniforms etc. Whether you can throw in your undies is another matter.

 

[happy-diver]

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[Searcaigh]

The most I've done using a drysuit is three days and I normally change the undergarments after two as they get a bit smelly especially when surface temperatures are high enough to make you sweat which condenses on the undergarments once you hit cold water.

Personally I'd bring spare seals too assuming they are self changeable. A flooded drysuit should be able to dry in about 12 hours if turned inside out, but if it has boots instead of socks it may take longer.

 

[Edward3c]

W

For context, in the next couple months I will be headed to Cairns to dive the Great Barrier Reef on a 5 day liveaboard where water temperatures are expected to be low 70s. The liveaboard recommends a 5mm wetsuit for the average diver during that season. The liveaboard offers rental gear free with the cost of the Booking, but I tend to find that due to my size I am better of buying my own gear for best fit and comfort. I own a 3mm full wetsuit and a trilam drysuit (quick change seals), and I tend to run cold. Doing 4 dives a day I think I will be most comfortable and happy in my dry suit.

There are a few good threads on here regarding traveling with dry suits (even on liveaboards), and I decided I will give it a go. What I feel is missing from those threads is how suit failures have affected people in these situations. For example, if you had a seal failure how long until you were able to get back in the water? Did your suit dry quickly? Did you have to miss a day of dives? Do you wish you had spare undergarments to switch out while the others dry? Did you just switch to wetsuit instead? Worst case I can fall back to an ill fitting 5m rental suit, but I would like to be prepared to quickly rectify a suit leak if I can.

We has one girl on a Scottish weeks diving who wear a wetsuit under the drysuit as it leaked so much.the wetsuit provided the thermal protection and the drysuit stopped the flushing.

 

[DanBMW]

I weekly dive in an aquarium that keeps the water around 72-74 degrees and I'm very comfortable in a 5mil wetsuit and 3mil hooded vest. I'm 5-10 150 pound so not much body fat. My point is to take a 3-5 mil hooded vest if the dry suit doesn't work out.