Dry Suit Diving

[Gary D.]

No, I liken the difference to a sports car compared to a delivery van.

OK.

But it looks like in the Nextel Cup, UPS might just race the truck.

Gary D.

 

[MissyP]

I dive a drysuit... and I'll never step foot into another wetsuit in my life (ok maybe if its in tropical waters...) ..

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Hi all this is going to be a really stupid question, but are there many dry suit divers on here?

i did my first dry suit dive on monday night, and i really cannot make my mind up if i liked it or not!

do you have any tips for me for next time, as the next time i am in it is at a place called Capenwray in the north west of england getting my open water certs!!

Give it a few dives ... I did my first 120 or so dives in a wetsuit (7 mm farmer john style). When I finally made the switch to a drysuit, it was like learning how to dive all over again. I hated it. After about 5 or 6 dives, I started changing my mind ... and after a few more, I never wanted to dive a wetsuit again.

The hardest part is learning how to control your buoyancy because of the air inside the suit shifting around on you all the time. It just comes with practice.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Rick Inman]

You'll never like how it 'handles' in the water compared to a wet suit.

Well, I gotta' give the other side, IMO.

With a dry suit, there is no compression at depth like standard neoprene, so the buoyancy characteristics of the material don't change. The compression of neoprene at depth causes the diver to be, in a way, overweighted. Overweighted divers do not "handle" buoyancy and trim as well.

With a dry suit, I can stick a bit of extra air into me feet to bring my feet up, or my chest area to bring up my torso. It is much easier to make minor adjustments with my DS by just shifting the air around a bit, so I can handle my trim and buoyancy better.

I would relate it to driving a stick shift (dry suit) verses an automatic (wet suit) transmission. Yes, there is more effort in driving the stick, but you really do have better control.

YMMV.

 

[CIBDiving]

Is your experience with a trilam or compressed neoprene suit?

Both. I've dove a 7mm neoprene suit a few times as well.

Inman seems to think Everybody dives a trilam no crompresion at depth eh???

the folds and general bulk of the suit limits the ease with which you move through the water - drysuits simply have more drag than wet suits. Then there's that air 'bubble', bouyancy characteristics change with orientation in a drysuit, they don't in a wet suit.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Both. I've dove a 7mm neoprene suit a few times as well.

Inman seems to think Everybody dives a trilam no crompresion at depth eh???

the folds and general bulk of the suit limits the ease with which you move through the water - drysuits simply have more drag than wet suits. Then there's that air 'bubble', bouyancy characteristics change with orientation in a drysuit, they don't in a wet suit.

Well, I'll buy the part about drag ... a wetsuit's definitely more streamlined, and it's noticeable. But the rest of it is simply a matter of muscle memory.

Truth to tell, I have better buoyancy control diving Puget Sound in a drysuit than I do diving the Caribbean in a 3mm wetsuit ... but only because I do it so much more often ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Meng_Tze]

Overweighted divers do not "handle" buoyancy and trim as well.

YMMV.

Not sure on that.... it just takes more attention and gas... handling it should be the same. But I am nit picking

 

[CIBDiving]

Well, I gotta' give the other side, IMO.

Yes but you live in spokane - that's the hemoriod of the NW US! there is no worse city in the states within 1200 mi ;-)

 

[David P]

Ok, so your getting your open water certs now? If you learn how to dive in a dry suit, whenever you go somewhere nice and tropical and your in a wetsuit, diving will be a breeze for ya. I never wanted a drysuit as I enjoy getting wet. I enjoy the stink of neoprene (I have no idea why!) but I got a killer deal on a custom fitted drysuit so I took the offer and I really enjoy the drysuit. Its much easier to get on and off then a wetsuit (and my custom wetsuit was super simple compared to most other people on the boats). It is a little more work while your diving but in only 7 (or maybe 9?) dives, I can tell my wetsuit wont be getting that much more use.

 

[Rick Inman]

Yes but you live in spokane - that's the hemoriod of the NW US! there is no worse city in the states within 1200 mi ;-)

Obviously you've never been to Moses Lake.eyebrow