Dry suit diving tips

[Agility]

Make sure your drysuit fits you perfectly with the thickest undergarment you intend to use.
Plan your first dives shallow so that runaway ascents won't hurt you. I needed about 10 dives to master my drysuit to the extent I would go deeper in it and about 30 dives to feel really comfortable in it (now I occasionally find myself trying to shift the bubble in my wetsuit to improve trim )

 

[industrious95]

Here's a tip: The term "drysuit" represents an ideal diving situation, and many times you will find it to be "semi-dry." If you are thin and have prominent tendons in your wrists (or neck), you can have a great seal at the surface, and you'll find that underwater bending your joints will allow water in. The first time that happens, you may be a bit surprised. My instructor mentioned he always had problems with his wrists leaking, so when I got a little water in my suit, I didn't panic.

I lost a bit of weight and my neck seal suddenly became a tad loose. If I was vertical underwater and tilted my head forward, I could feel the water running down my back. Then there was the time my relief zipper wasn't completely closed (ie a fraction of a mm open).

When that kind of stuff happens, you can't panic and think you're going to drown. Don't equate being wet with imminent death. You will survive. Same with cuts to the DS fabric. Cold water sucks, but it's nothing to panic about.