Decision time: Bottom Time or Drysuits?

[DCBC]

I'd go for the Dry Suits. As already mentioned, the learning curve affords you further diving education and experience. If you dive in cold water regularly, warmth has its own reward. It will last a lot longer than the warmth you'll get from your vacation.

I might also add, save some money in the dry suit purchase for a few bottles of Rum. You and your Buddy can get *hit faced and it will not matter where you are geographically... Just remember not to mix diving and the Rum punch no matter what you decide...

 

[fire_diver]

You know, the downsides you mention are the primary reason I haven't bought a drysuit. My wetsuit is adequate. I don't like it but it is adequate.

The whole idea of turning upside down (and, yes, I know how to recover - at least in theory) just has me thinking the whole drysuit idea just isn't worth the hassle. Huge air bubbles migrating all over the place...

Now I have another inflator hose, a dump valve to position, put in enough air to eliminate the squeeze, be sure to vent the air before rocketing to the surface, diddle with the air in the wing, carry even more ballast... All this seems like just too much effort.

It's clear that drysuit users like them. If I spent that much money, I would claim to like them too!

But I KNOW I like diving in warm water. I can't come up with one good thing to say about diving in cold water other than "well, it's diving, kind of".

Take the vacation. Drysuits will always be around.

Richard

So let me get this right..... your don't like diving wet, but you continue to do it?

You would be much more comfortable in a drysuit, but you are scared of horror stories, half-truths and lies you have been fed?

You think that drysuit divers are idiots who can't see how bad diving dry is becuase of the cost of the suit?

You look down on people who dive cold water because it's not real diving?

That's what I got from your post.

 

[paddler3d]

Get the drysuits!

 

[AbyssalPlains]

Drysuits. They will open up a whole new world of diving opportunities. I just recently returned from Vancouver, and the diving there blew me away.

 

[Kingpatzer]

You know, the downsides you mention are the primary reason I haven't bought a drysuit. My wetsuit is adequate. I don't like it but it is adequate.

If you're diving in water below about 70* (which covers an amazing number of dive spots in the world) then a wet suit is simply not comparable. If what you're talking about is about your top-side comfort and bottom time, then a wet suit is not adequate. It's just not. Sure you can get in the water, but I totally fail to see how being forced to halve your bottom time for the day compared to dry suit diving due to showing early signs of hypothermia constitutes 'adequate.'

The whole idea of turning upside down (and, yes, I know how to recover - at least in theory) just has me thinking the whole drysuit idea just isn't worth the hassle. Huge air bubbles migrating all over the place...

I had to do that exercise for my dry suit class. I had to work pretty hard to manage to actually achieve that position. I dive dry almost exclusively, and frankly, I can't imagine getting inverted without trying to do it. It simply doesn't happen if you have spent the time to work out buoyancy and trim.

The only time you get "huge air bubbles" moving around is if you are trying to ignore the purpose of your BC and are over-weighted. Otherwise, you put in enough air to alleviate the squeeze, and have a great, warm dive.

Now I have another inflator hose, a dump valve to position, put in enough air to eliminate the squeeze, be sure to vent the air before rocketing to the surface, diddle with the air in the wing, carry even more ballast... All this seems like just too much effort.

The one point you almost make that is valid is the need for more weight can make be a big pain on the surface. I admit it, when walking down the stairs I'd rather be carrying 9 or 10# less led to be diving wet rather than dry. But that is a concern that is eliminated in the water.

It's clear that drysuit users like them. If I spent that much money, I would claim to like them too!

Sorry, no. We're not just a bunch of self-deluded buffoons engaged in justifying our purchases to ease our troubled minds about the money we wasted. Diving dry, once you're trained and have gotten used to how the dry suit operates and feels (which is different than a wet-suit, to be sure) is a superior experience.

But I KNOW I like diving in warm water. I can't come up with one good thing to say about diving in cold water other than "well, it's diving, kind of".

Again, if you've never been on an ice diving outing with a couple of dozen divers, you've missed one of the greatest diving experiences there is -- both above and below the water.

Some of the greatest sights in the world are in cold water -- both fresh and salt, and you're missing all of them if you only limit yourself to warm salt water.

Take the vacation. Drysuits will always be around.

While it may be the right decision for the OP to choose a vacation over dry suits, that decision should be made balancing realistic assessments of the costs and benefits of each choice. The folks advocating dry suits here, far from being deluded as you suggest, are stating that dive time in general, comfort and the ability to dive year round outweigh (in our views) the benefits of a week or two someplace warm.

When I was last in the Caribbean, I averaged just above 4 dives a day for my 7 day stay -- 31 1-tank dives.

I can easily do 6 1-tank dives a month around here without stretching myself very much. That means I'll dive just as much over the course of one fall and winter as I would on that vacation. And I'll get to see stuff I'd never get to see simply doing warm water diving

 

[Blackwood]

Sorry, no. We're not just a bunch of self-deluded buffoons engaged in justifying our purchases to ease our troubled minds about the money we wasted.

Speak for yourself. I don't like diving, but I paid to get certified so I do it anyway.

 

[rstofer]

So let me get this right..... your don't like diving wet, but you continue to do it?

You would be much more comfortable in a drysuit, but you are scared of horror stories, half-truths and lies you have been fed?

You think that drysuit divers are idiots who can't see how bad diving dry is becuase of the cost of the suit?

You look down on people who dive cold water because it's not real diving?

That's what I got from your post.

Not my intent... Although we all tend to tout what we bought. Regulators, BP/Ws, drysuits, etc. Nearly 100% of people recommend what they are currently using. Very few would say "I used to dive xxx and it was great! Then I bought yyy and it is trash!".

There is also a huge divide in divers of the 'have' versus 'have not' kind over the drysuit thing. It's a gigantic expense and, for many, more than they can justify. We're not talking low hundreds, we're talking multiple thousands (including thermals). That drysuit is probably more expensive than all the other gear combined. And then some...

If folks can justify the expense then go for it! Personally, I would take the trip.

Richard

 

[Sas]

Not my intent... Although we all tend to tout what we bought. Regulators, BP/Ws, drysuits, etc. Nearly 100% of people recommend what they are currently using. Very few would say "I used to dive xxx and it was great! Then I bought yyy and it is trash!".

And lots of people bag out what they have never used... But if it helps I have the following gear that I hate but still use as I have not replaced them yet: Princeton Shockwave LED as primary light, Princeton Tec40 as secondary light, and Beuchat 2.5mm undervest. I have plenty more bits of gear I have bought, hated and thus replaced with something else.

There is also a huge divide in divers of the 'have' versus 'have not' kind over the drysuit thing. It's a gigantic expense and, for many, more than they can justify. We're not talking low hundreds, we're talking multiple thousands (including thermals). That drysuit is probably more expensive than all the other gear combined. And then some...

Well it can cost mid hundreds if you get a secondhand one. My thermals (for down to 9C) cost very little (<$70 I believe). My biggest waste was buying an expensive semi-dry, not the midrange drysuit that I got, as the wetsuit just does not cut it in the temperatures I dive in.

 

[rstofer]

Speak for yourself. I don't like diving, but I paid to get certified so I do it anyway.

That's surprisingly insightful! I'll omit the details, but close enough!

I was down at Monterey last Saturday (for the Aquarium, they have a new Great White Shark) and stopped by Breakwater. The place was PACKED at 8:00 AM. Somebody must like cold water.

Richard

 

[Doc Harry]

Get the dry suits. They will expand your diving possibilities at home and around the world.

My girlfriend and I dove for a week in Florida last December. Every day was the same.

We wore dry suits. Everyone else on the boat laughed at us. Everyone thumbed their dives early because they got cold. Everyone got back aboard the boat shivering. Several people didn't even do the second dive because they were too cold.

Jackey and I stayed in the water each and every dive until we hit 300 PSI. We were warm and happy the whole time.

Get the dry suits!