Deeply humbled...

[ChillyWaters]

Is a drysuit that much more difficult than a 7 mm farmer john?

Ummmm... yeah. A 7mm john/jacket is just like any wetsuit, though with a bit more compression.

I've done 10 dives in my drysuit and feel very comfortable now. I'm just getting a little used to how much to dump from the suit at one time. That was a bit easier with the BCD. I use a mix of air in the drysuit and the BCD, but find it easier to vent from the BCD --- probably mostly due to the press of a button instead of tilting the body, etc.

I found the wetsuit easier to get into before a dive, but I love feeling warm now. The first few dives definitely humbled me though. I was overweighted the first time and had some floaty feet issues. Once that was sorted out, I've been getting better every time.

- ChillyWaters

 

[TheRedHead]

Ummmm... yeah. A 7mm john/jacket is just like any wetsuit, though with a bit more compression.

Ummm. It's like being encased in a rubber coffin, very uncomfortable. Takes about 25 lbs of lead just to sink the stinking thing. It's not ANYTHING like a 3mm Hyperstretch.

 

[ChillyWaters]

Ummm. It's like being encased in a rubber coffin, very uncomfortable. Takes about 25 lbs of lead just to sink the stinking thing. It's not ANYTHING like a 3mm Hyperstretch.

Ummm.... it's VERY much like a 3mm wetsuit. I've dove 3mm shorties, 3mm longs, 7mm john/jackets, and a drysuit. A wetsuit is a wetsuit. They "basically" dive the same, barring a little more weight to sink it, and a bit of a change in buoyancy as you go deeper.

A drysuit takes a bit more getting used to. You now have air that can move about, you have redundant bladders, you aren't as stream-lined, you still need all that weight, you have to vent differently, you have to add air appropriately. It's not rocket-science, but it is more difficult than a wetsuit.

- ChillyWaters

 

[ScubaJo]

I'm loving my drysuit! Granted it is more of a pain in the butt than a wetsuit... so given the opportunity (and temperature), I'd opt to hop in wet when I can.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21906322@N00/180249530/

Scubakev - at 29C, one would dive naked... (although there are some that shouldn't)...

 

[TheRedHead]

Ummm.... it's VERY much like a 3mm wetsuit. I've dove 3mm shorties, 3mm longs, 7mm john/jackets, and a drysuit.

You must be overweighted if you feel that diving with a wing full of air to compensate for 14 mm of neoprene compression is the same as diving with an almost empty wing and little neoprene compression.

 

[stardiver]

Is a drysuit that much more difficult than a 7 mm farmer john?

Once you understand the drysuit and get some technique, it's MUCH easier than all that nasty neoprene. Expect maybe 20-50 dives, depending on how much correct training you get at first and your willingness to spend a few dives just learning the suit, to get used to it.

I won't dive anything more than a 5/3 neoprene suit. It it's too chilly for that, I'll take the drysuit.

*

 

[LG Diver]

This thread is pretty timely. I just did my drysuit pool session on Saturday, and I left feeling very humbled also. I think that part of the problem is the way PADI teaches buoyancy control. The instructor wanted me to totally deflate the wing and use only the suit for buoyancy control underwater, which is fine and is a skill I need to know, but it quickly became very obvious to me that the more air I have in the suit the more challenging it is to manage the bubble and keep it out of my feet. We talked a bit about "riding the bubble", i.e., keeping the air bubble in the small of my back to control trim, and with a bit of work I was able to get the hang of this in the pool, but from what I read here this seems like an unnecessary hassle. It seems to me that putting the bubble in the wing instead of in the suit would make life much easier. I'm doing the ocean dives on Wednesday, so I'll play a bit with wing vs suit for buoyancy control in real ocean conditions. This will also give me a better sense for how much gas I need to take the squeeze off at real depths (not 8' in a pool) and to stay warm.

 

[mikerault]

All I know is that I manage the bubble in the BCD with just enough in the suit to avoid squeeze and I had few issues with the dry suit however, your mileage may vary and batteries are not included with this advice...

Mike

 

[ChillyWaters]

You must be overweighted if you feel that diving with a wing full of air to compensate for 14 mm of neoprene compression is the same as diving with an almost empty wing and little neoprene compression.

Ummmm... what?

It's the same _technique_. Add weight to sink and add air until neutral. Should I get more precise?

Obviously the amount of air/weight required will depend on your suit, but if you can dive with one, I'm betting you can dive another. I can.

- ChillyWaters

 

[ChillyWaters]

All I know is that I manage the bubble in the BCD with just enough in the suit to avoid squeeze and I had few issues with the dry suit however, your mileage may vary and batteries are not included with this advice...

I'm betting there was a poll on this at some point.

I say to try either way (drysuit entirely, or just for squeeze), and then just play with it. It's not everly complicated with a few dives. Every diver should see what works best for them and then decide.

There have been pros and cons of each method written before. If you're a good diver, I think either method will work fine.

- ChillyWaters