Dry Suit training / class

[Centrals]

I did not realize that there were so many varieties in dry suit materials before I took up the class. How ignorant I was. I did enjoy the course even though I am a warm tropical diver through and through. 40 mins in 8C(~46F) was too much even with dry suit. Money well spent!!!
Enjoy.

 

[Keith.M]

For what it is worth when I got my first drysuit I took the local shop owner up on his offer for a little informal intro to drysuits ie come to the open water pool session and work out trim inflation deflation and heres how to get out of floating from your boots. We had the agreement that If I was floating from my boots for longer than 5 minutes he would turn me over otherwise he was hands off neither one of us persued making it the full course and C card but it was enough to enjoy the drysuit for many years since. However If I have to rent a suit I am screwed, and I did get kicked out of my deep diver course and not allowed to dive with the shops air because I didnt have a drysuit card to show while in my suit.

Do you need the Cert card probably not (if you get a little help getting comfortable with the suit). Could the C Card pay for itself one day absolutely.

Wow. I sure wouldn't use that shop anymore! Did they refund you for your Deep class?

I didn't get certified for my drysuit. When my suit I had ordered did not show up in time for a planned weekend of diving, my shop loaned me a suit for free!

Now granted I have had all of my training through this shop and I have dived with the CD/LDS Manager on many occasions.

 

[WarrenZ]

No refund the deep class was a stepping stone to tec I'm now a certified through another agency. I'm waiting for the one of the other instructors to be able to teach self reliant so I can get that card instead. I still go into their shop if nothing else to be first inline to buy the compressor and some tanks when they go under.

 

[Storker]

Typo?

Typo or brain fart, you choose.

I've corrected my post.

 

[lowviz]

...//... (1) Is a "class" really necessary, or is spending a day or two with a instructor / mentor good enough? ...//...

I have two drysuit cards. Both cards are totally worthless, but the instruction wasn't.

I took one shop class when I bought my first drysuit for local cold diving and again for an overhead sidemount drysuit class in Florida.

Same drill stands out from both. Dump gas, invert, drop head down until you are "standing" on the bottom upside down. Next, jam your suit inflation full-on until you begin to rise. Recover before you gain any serious altitude.

IMHO, If you are comfortable with this, you don't really need a course.

 

[rx7diver]

... and I did get kicked out of my deep diver course and not allowed to dive with the shops air because I didnt have a drysuit card to show while in my suit.

I think I would have been extremely unhappy about this! No one has ever asked me to show a drysuit certification card as a prerequisite to taking a class (IANTD Nitrox, PADI Rescue, PADI Wreck, IANTD Deep Air, IANTD Advanced Deep Air, IANTD Technical Nitrox--all taken in a drysuit) or as a requirement for going on any Great Lakes dive, whether recreational or technical.

Safe Diving,

rx7diver

 

[WarrenZ]

I think we are getting off topic as usual I just wanted to give an example of what can happen if you don't have a drysuit card other than not being able to rent a suit. And yes I was very unhappy at the time now I realize that it is just a desperate attempt to sell one more cert class.

 

[Storker]

About the DS cert card:

I took my OW in a DS, as we do around here. Everyone around here dives dry, so it's assumed by default that you're able to hande a DS. I still paid the dues to get a DS cert card, because if I ever find myself in a place where a dry suit is the sensible solution, I wouldn't have any issues renting a DS. I might get away by showing my logbook, but since I wouldn't want to bet my life savings - or my vacation budget - on it, I chose to pay for the card. I don't expect to need it, but compared to my other costs for diving, the price for the card was insignificant.

 

[Centrals]

About the DS cert card:

..... because if I ever find myself in a place where a dry suit is the sensible solution, I wouldn't have any issues renting a DS.

Agree.
I don't have a dry suit but DS certified.