Do I NEED the drysuit class?

[djhall]

My LDS wants $100 to take the PADI drysuit class. Given my past experience with training beyond basic open water, I am skeptical of the added value the instructor brings to the experience. And $100 adds considerably to the cost of a $250 used drysuit. Do I really need to take the drysuit class, or would it be okay to purchase the course book and video, complete the exercises, and find an experienced drysuit diver from my diveclub (rescue diver, DM, assistant instructor, or possibly even one of the instructor level divers) and go through the skills and dives in a shallow area of a local lake?

 

[O-ring]

djhall once bubbled...
My LDS wants $100 to take the PADI drysuit class. Given my past experience with training beyond basic open water, I am skeptical of the added value the instructor brings to the experience. And $100 adds considerably to the cost of a $250 used drysuit. Do I really need to take the drysuit class, or would it be okay to purchase the course book and video, complete the exercises, and find an experienced drysuit diver from my diveclub (rescue diver, DM, assistant instructor, or possibly even one of the instructor level divers) and go through the skills and dives in a shallow area of a local lake?

You don't NEED it, but in the absence of another way to learn how to dive dry it may be worth it. I learned from more experienced dive buddies and haven't regretted the decision to skip formal instruction...YMMV.

 

[Dryglove]

Thats a tough one to answer.yes you should take a drysuit class.But then again if you can get someone to teach you the required skills such as a stuck inflator button or a feet first ascent,or a flooded suit, etc you should be ok.Diving in a drysuit definitely isnt rocket scientist material but be safe.If you can not find anyone to properly show you how to use it then take the class.The thing i dont like is that most agencies teach you to use the drysuit for buoyancy.I prefer to use just enough air in my suit to eliminate excessive squeeze.Heres a good article on that http://www.baue.org/faq/dynamic_instability.html

 

[wb416]

djhall once bubbled...
My LDS wants $100 to take the PADI drysuit class. Given my past experience with training beyond basic open water, I am skeptical of the added value the instructor brings to the experience. And $100 adds considerably to the cost of a $250 used drysuit. Do I really need to take the drysuit class, or would it be okay to purchase the course book and video, complete the exercises, and find an experienced drysuit diver from my diveclub (rescue diver, DM, assistant instructor, or possibly even one of the instructor level divers) and go through the skills and dives in a shallow area of a local lake?

I had a dive buddy that I dove with on a regular basis that already had a drysuit, so I opted not to take the class. Even so, there is a learning curve. Take it slow and don't equate early success with complete competence. It is a different paradigm, and should be handled with due consideration. I also read the DUI book, the PADI drysuit manual, and one other that alludes me at the moment to gain as much insight as possible.

I documented my first drysuit dive (it was not a pleasant experience) http://www.bayareadivers.net/wb416/reports/First Drysuit Dive 000223.htm , but after over 250 dives in that same suit, it very much feels like a second skin now.

This year I worked with three friends on their first drysuit dive. All three experiences were different, and not necessarily what you might expect from their respective diving levels.

If you have friends that have been through it, and you trust their skills, then by all means ask for their assistance. If your only option is to do it alone, then I might suggest you take the course from your LDS.

regards,
wb

 

[djhall]

lal7176 once bubbled...
Thats a tough one to answer.yes you should take a drysuit class.But then again if you can get someone to teach you the required skills such as a stuck inflator button or a feet first ascent,or a flooded suit, etc you should be ok.Diving in a drysuit definitely isnt rocket scientist material but be safe.If you can not find anyone to properly show you how to use it then take the class.

I don't think getting someone to teach me the skills will be a problem. I dive with the LDS dive club, the vast majority dive dry, and I frequently buddy with the two dive instructors, or one of their assistants. The only way I can see not being able to get help is if they deliberately chose to let me endager myself to punish me for not buying the drysuit from them. But, I've already covered that territory with them... if I have to pay full or high retail for my dive gear, well, then I'm just not going to dive. It is not a question of buying from them or buying from someone else so much as buying from someone else or not buying at all. The instructors seem sympathetic.

 

[Dryglove]

djhall once bubbled...

I don't think getting someone to teach me the skills will be a problem. I dive with the LDS dive club, the vast majority dive dry, and I frequently buddy with the two dive instructors, or one of their assistants. The only way I can see not being able to get help is if they deliberately chose to let me endager myself to punish me for not buying the drysuit from them. But, I've already covered that territory with them... if I have to pay full or high retail for my dive gear, well, then I'm just not going to dive. It is not a question of buying from them or buying from someone else so much as buying from someone else or not buying at all. The instructors seem sympathetic.

If thats the case then i would say go for it.It sounds like you have some really good divers to show you the ropes.

Also if your interested i have the ssi drysuit book if you wanna read through,just pay for shipping and send it back when your done if you are interrested.It doesnt really tell you much and all of it should be covered when your buddies show you the ropes.

 

[Hallmac]

Is the issue of not taking formal training the cost vs value or have you had bad experiences with continuing education?

hallmac

 

[djhall]

Hallmac once bubbled...
Is the issue of not taking formal training the cost vs value or have you had bad experiences with continuing education?

Umm, well, both to be honest. A recent search of EBay leads me to believe I can purchase a decent entry-level drysuit for $250 or less. Specifically, I have seen several O'Neill 7000X neoprene drysuits sell for $125-$250 in my size. (I tried on this drysuit at my LDS - $700). A Henderson Arctic II would be nice, though I see them less often. A DUI CF200 would be really nice, from what I hear, but they don't seem to get down into my price range. At this price range, a $100 class adds 50% to the cost of going dry, and would go about 1/3 of the way toward buying a good regulator to replace my MK2/R190.

Against this, I have to weigh the possible benefits of taking the class. If I will read and study the book on my own, then go in the water, demonstrate the skills I read in the book, fix anything that is obviously incorrect or not working, and get my drysuit certification... what am I paying $100 for except the card? I could do THAT with any buddy who was an experienced and trained drysuit diver. If we had a question, I could always ask the instructor and get an answer. However, if there are greater benefits to taking the class, then I want to know before I decide to take or not take the class.

And, yeah, in the only continuing education class I have taken, AOW, my instructor (one-on-one) was absolutely worthless for anything other than signing my card. Everthing else I learned, I learned on my own. So, I guess that makes me a bit more wary and skeptical about what I am paying for.

 

[DiverBuoy]

We've thoroughly exhausted this discussion - don't dive beyond your training and experience. Purchasing a dry suit on E-bay then heading down to the ocean without someone to mentor you or show you the ropes is dangerous. I don't recommend anyone do this.

 

[djhall]

DiverBuoy once bubbled...
We've thoroughly exhausted this discussion - don't dive beyond your training and experience. Purchasing a dry suit on E-bay then heading down to the ocean without someone to mentor you or show you the ropes is dangerous. I don't recommend anyone do this.

Ah, perhaps you did not read my original post...

djhall once bubbled...
Do I really need to take the drysuit class, or would it be okay to purchase the course book and video, complete the exercises, and find an experienced drysuit diver from my diveclub (rescue diver, DM, assistant instructor, or possibly even one of the instructor level divers) and go through the skills and dives in a shallow area of a local lake?

And in a later followup...

djhall once bubbled...
I don't think getting someone to teach me the skills will be a problem. I dive with the LDS dive club, the vast majority dive dry, and I frequently buddy with the two dive instructors, or one of their assistants. The only way I can see not being able to get help is if they deliberately chose to let me endager myself to punish me for not buying the drysuit from them.

Given this original post and follow up, are you still inclined to respond the same?