Dry suit dive traing?

[Laser]

I was just talking from my experience, but if a203diver feels he needs formal instruction, I'd say go for it.

The course is not worth it. A couple of recovery techniques, and basic knowledge of the working of the suit is what is instructed. Along with using the suit as a BC. Save yer money. Stay shallow for the first several dives, get yourself in all kinds of positions while shallow, and you be fine. That will be $180 please.

 

[jonnythan]

I have the SSI drysuit book.

It says absolutely nothing of consequence, and it gives a lot of bad advice.

Keep your dump valve wide open, you'll be fine. It's not rocket science.

 

[hex92]

I thought it was informative. We sat around the shop last night, talked about the dangers involved with drysuit diving, spent time helping eachother into and out of our suits. THen we went to the pool for 2.5 hours and spent time practicing skills: cuff dump, disconnecting the hose, tuck and roll, etc. Overall I was quite pleased with the course (SSI). In a couple weeks we are going to a quarry and doing a few open water dives together to finish the course.

As for using the drysuit as a BC. I don't know how I feel about that. Several of you seem to be quite vocal in your opnion that its bad, but I don't believe everything I read on the net :54: I will do what the instructor says is right during the course. But after its over I will try using the BC as the BC. ANd then decide for myself.

BTW: My course was free with the purchase of my drysuit.

 

[Genesis]

Here's the problem with using the suit as a BC:

You must do to "bad" things to make that work; (1) you must close down the dump, which now task-loads you without prompting during a critical time of the dive (ascent), and (2) you must dive with a larger than necessary bubble of air in the suit, which predisposes you to runaway ascents and other ugly occurrances and makes trim extremely difficult to maintain.

Now people will argue that diving with the dump fully open and as a drysuit task-loads you during a critical time in the dive too (decent). What they're forgetting is that you only need to add gas once in a while on the way down, and its prompted (by the squeeze!)

With the dump fully open and minimal gas in the suit, however, you have no shifting bubble of gas to contend with that will screw up your trim. You also have no task loading on ascent - where having it "get away" from you can be dangerous. Instead, the suit vents all on its own, and your ascent is managed using the BC, as usual with a wetsuit.

There is actually LESS to manage than the other way, since the only additional task (adding gas on decent) is prompted - when it gets uncomfortable, give a short shot of gas on the way down.

There is also a MUCH lower risk of trouble, since the big bubble of gas in the suit at depth which could turn into a runaway is simply not there.

 

[MASS-Diver]

It's not that bad/difficult using your DS as a BC in shallower water with a single al80, it's a differnce story with a pair of steel doubles.

DSs dump slow and using one as BS will lead to sloopy trim, try using the BC (as a BC), it works much better.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Well said!

Anyone here to learned to scuba without an Instructor, raise your hand... Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Hmm....

All joking aside, I don't think anyone here just put on gear one day, jumped in the pool, paddled around a bit, then decided to try their hand at scuba in open water, did they? Or had their Uncle Ned "who's been diving since forever" take 'em in the lake and "show 'em the ropes", did they?

Well since you asked...I did. I dived for a number of years before ever taking a class.

So why is it so hard to believe that to safely & effectively use a drysuit, that one should get qualified instruction?

BTW, quimby, the statement that "dry suit courses are a relatively new "idea/requirement" is not valid. Just ask divers from non-tropical areas.

Probably most of the dry suit divers that I know learned to use one without taking a class. However, I think there's are lots of divers who are better off taking a class espacially the newer divers. I seems lots of divers have some trouble when they first start diving dry.

It doesn't matter whether the class teaches to use the suit as primary buoyancy control or not. Regardless of which way you do it normally you should be able to do it either way. Most of us were taught that way and with light recreational equipment it works ok even if it isn't ideal.

 

[theskull]

I second Mike's assertion that you should learn both ways--DS as BC, and BC as BC. Then if your BC ever fails (as mine did on a recent ice dive--inflator button froze in place) you can use your backup, the suit, for your buoyancy.

So learn both ways while you're new and diving shallow and not task loaded with any problems, then you'll be prepared to calmly handle any equipment failures while diving later.

If your instructor will only teach it one way--fine, learn that while you're with him/her, then practice the other while you're out diving. These skills are critical, as are all buoyancy skills, but they are truly not difficult.

theskull

 

[SubMariner]

It doesn't matter whether the class teaches to use the suit as primary buoyancy control or not. Regardless of which way you do it normally you should be able to do it either way. Most of us were taught that way and with light recreational equipment it works ok even if it isn't ideal.

Agreed. Been known to do the BC method myself on occasion shhh! Don't tell anyone, ok?:54:

All I'm saying is that in the end it's training & personal preference. There is no "right" or "wrong" way.

Pax:57:

 

[cyklon_300]

Well said!

Anyone here to learned to scuba without an Instructor, raise your hand... Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Hmm....

All joking aside, I don't think anyone here just put on gear one day, jumped in the pool, paddled around a bit, then decided to try their hand at scuba in open water, did they?

Exactly how I got into diving, with the exception of not going to a pool, but rather a freshwater hole...two hours after that first checkout dive I was in the Pacific. I'll spare you the evolution of my diving career from there...but it took several years and a couple of hundred dives before I took a cert class.

Formal training isn't the only road to knowledge. It may be the most common and even the most preferable, but it's not the only one...

 

[a203diver]

Wow thanks for all the replies. I got out of work early today and stopped at a new dive shop. I told them i had a used ds and id like to take a dry suit class. First thing they said was that they where having a sale on drysuit and if i bought one they would give me a free dry suit class. I took a quick look at what they had and said that the suit i had would be fine. The guy who happend to be and instructor said no problem bring down your suit and I'll test the suit for leaks, check the valuves and seals. He said iF the suit needs any work it could repaired right there and if i sighed up for the class he wouldnt charge me for the test. I thought that was pretty fair and i wanted the suit tested any way. I have three other dive shops with in 20 minute from where i live i'll check another shop tomorrow. Oh by the way in the replies it was asked if the person that i spoke with at my dive shop in the first post was the owner of the shop. Yes he was.