Dry suits for all occasions

[Braunbehrens]

I don't care how man pictures you trot out. Wearing heavy doubles in a wetsuit makes it almost impossible to dive a balanced rig. Even if Jesus Christ himself dove heavy steel doubles in a wetsuit, it still wouldn't change it. I'm not going to analyze every picture of a diver you show me and try to figure out what's going on or why they are wearing what they are wearing. Why don't you email Pina and Mike and ask them yourself. Maybe those pictures were taken before they knew better, maybe they were drunk, and maybe it was a photo opp....who cares?

You are free to do whatever you want. If you need to justify it somehow...please, be my guest. If you want to discuss the actual consequences of certain gear configurations, then I think we can get somewhere positive.

 

[Genesis]

Dive twin HP120s. They're -4 to -6ish empty. "Heavy"? Naw.

(On an AL backplate this works with a 3mil full wetsuit for most people, and requires little or no ditchable weight.)

 

[jeffyjak]

but think I will continue to rent my wetsuit as I need it.. (& I'll almost always need it here in AZ, until I can afford the drysuit)
as I said earlier, I guess I've been lucky enuff to get a good fit the few times I've done so . . .

just wanted to interject here, just ordered my aeris atmos 2 computer..... also, ordered my 'dir - the fundamentals' book from gue yesterday (couldn't find it on amazon, barnes & noble doesnt' have it, got it where i could!!)

can't wait to learn more !!

jeff
(in landlocked #$%^&*@ Arizona !)

 

[GreenDiverDown]

N/A

SA

 

[GreenDiverDown]

N/A

SA

 

[Rick Murchison]

Epinephelus once bubbled...
Oh, why not...
What we see here is a bunch of backward logic. The decision has been made that a dry suit is the end-all and be-all of exposure suits, a component of the "Right" system for all diving - and now the justification for it must be manufactured to fit scenarios where it's as useful as (with apologies to Tommy Franks) an accordian.
E. itajara

Bingo!
Rick

 

[GreenDiverDown]

N/A

SA

 

[Genesis]

consider the Bare Nex-Gen.

I now have a full winter of use on mine, spearfishing, and its holding up fine. Its not fancy but it damn sure works to keep me dry and warm, and the lack of suspenders is not a big deal if you're diving it with a BP setup, as the crotch strap keeps everything in place where it belongs.

The exhaust and inlet valves are quite nice, the inlet swivels, and is nice and slow. The exhaust works well and doesn't leak water on you. I haven't holed it, despite being quite a bit less than "nice" to it (grabbing at lobsters in holes and such), and the zipper, while a shoulder entry, works fine. Not much else to say about it other than "it may not be the sexist drysuit out there, but it works."

There's no way you can beat the price - I got mine, with polartec undies that have been fine for water temps down to the mid 50s, for just under $500!

I'm planning on switching back to my 3 mil with a 3 mil hooded vest this weekend, as the water is now reaching the 70F mark at depth around here, which is where I'm willing to get out of the drysuit and lose the extra bulk and lead.

 

[Former FLL Now MSP Diver]

Braunbehrens once bubbled...
I don't care how man pictures you trot out. Wearing heavy doubles in a wetsuit makes it almost impossible to dive a balanced rig.

The posted pictures and testimonials all over this and other threads seem to suggest that it's only impossible for those without the proper skills - DIR or otherwise.

Should I post pictures of Jacques Cousteau in a wetsuit with doubles, or was he and his team just doing the impossible too?

Marc

 

[Braunbehrens]

FLL Diver once bubbled...


The posted pictures and testimonials all over this and other threads seem to suggest that it's only impossible for those without the proper skills - DIR or otherwise.

Should I post pictures of Jacques Cousteau in a wetsuit with doubles, or was he and his team just doing the impossible too?

Marc

Marc, this is really my fault for not making myself clear. Let me back up.

First of all, let's establish one thing. The vast majority of dives go off without a hitch. Nothing breaks down, nothing bad happens, and the diver has a pleasant experience.

What we are really concerned with is what happens when things go south. I always try to account for two failures. Accounting for more than that would make it impossible to dive, so we have to admit a certain level of risk.

On the subject of wetsuits and heavy tanks, the problem is that it makes it impossible to have a balanced rig.

A balanced rig means that with empty tanks you can still hold a stop at 10 ft. It also means that with full tanks and no buoyancy from your suit or your wing you can swim up your rig from any depth. If this requires ditching weight, then it has to be a small amount of weight so that you can still hold a 10 ft stop.

The reason a balanced rig is paramount, is that we must account for a failure of the main buoyancy device. If you want to account for two failures, you must also account for a failure of the drysuit.

I am sure there are many pictures of people diving unbalanced rigs. This does not mean that it's a good idea. It just means that if nothing goes wrong, diving an unbalanced rig won't kill you.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to clarify this.