Hello all, I am an average diver who needs a little help... I currently dive a Bare 6mil Drysuit in the sound. I live in an apartment however, and cleaning a drysuit without a hose or an outdoor area or whatever is difficult (the landlord just LOVES sand in the bathtub drain). Plus, because i don't have a place to really hang a drysuit that is dripping all over the place, I have to try to clean it without getting the inside wet, or drying (and dripping) time doubles. i have been considering a wet or semi-dry suit, but the reason i went dry in the first place was because i am skinny (5'11, 150ish) and get very cold easily. My question is how warm a semi-dry would be in our cold 50ish degree water. I enjoy wreck diving, underwater hunting (and crabbing), and am just starting underwater photography, as well as just mostly recreational diving. Given the type of diving i enjoy, my physical build, and our environment, any advice or just factual knowledge would be greatly appreciated.
Dry v/s Semi-Dry Help
- Thread starter Fishstiq
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The Kraken
He Who Glows in the Dark Waters (ADVISOR)
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Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
Go to the carwash . . . 
Really, I'm not kidding!
A couple of times after I've dived our local mudhole (Lake Lanier) and have been mucking about in the bottom and picking up contaminants onto my suit, I've actually gone to the carwash, donned my suit, and had my wife hose me down.
Works great and costs only $1.
Needless to say, we get some looks . . .
. . . but's that's OK.
the K
Really, I'm not kidding!
A couple of times after I've dived our local mudhole (Lake Lanier) and have been mucking about in the bottom and picking up contaminants onto my suit, I've actually gone to the carwash, donned my suit, and had my wife hose me down.
Works great and costs only $1.
Needless to say, we get some looks . . .
. . . but's that's OK.
the K
3-Ring Octopus
Contributor
It's a bear (or is that BARE? ) to wash/hang a suit in an apt. I rinse my neoprene suit in the shower and then hang it on the shower rod (shoulder-saver hanger of course) with the feet in the tub and the shower curtain wrapped around it a bit to prevent drips until it dries a bit, then I move it to hanging on the back of a door in another room (our gear room/office/etc..lol) to finish drying. Yes, it's a pain...but as long as you aren't bringing half the beach home with you (how sandy IS this suit? lol is it more than just the bottom of the boots?..if so...how about a gear mat/car?), you should be good.
Cheers,
Austin
) to wash/hang a suit in an apt. I rinse my neoprene suit in the shower and then hang it on the shower rod (shoulder-saver hanger of course) with the feet in the tub and the shower curtain wrapped around it a bit to prevent drips until it dries a bit, then I move it to hanging on the back of a door in another room (our gear room/office/etc..lol) to finish drying. Yes, it's a pain...but as long as you aren't bringing half the beach home with you (how sandy IS this suit? lol is it more than just the bottom of the boots?..if so...how about a gear mat/car?), you should be good. Cheers,
Austin
ScubaSteve147
New
Fishstiq...
One option is to see if your local shop has any sort of rinse station that you can use. Not all of them have the capability(or want) to do something like that for their customers, but you can check it out. I wouldn't go back to wet/semi-dry just because you can't wash your drysuit. I'd rather dive a funky smelling drysuit then ever go back to wet! Whereabouts do you reside in our fair region?
One option is to see if your local shop has any sort of rinse station that you can use. Not all of them have the capability(or want) to do something like that for their customers, but you can check it out. I wouldn't go back to wet/semi-dry just because you can't wash your drysuit. I'd rather dive a funky smelling drysuit then ever go back to wet! Whereabouts do you reside in our fair region?
Cold_H2O
Guest
I have an extra shower curtain rod that I hang in the middle of the shower.
I rinse my drysuit and hang it by the feet {special hanger}
Once dry I hang it in the closet.
If you need to dry it faster ~ have a fan blowing on it.
I do this and it really speeds up the dry time.
I don't usually have a sand issue after diving.
Several dive sites around the area have outside showers or if a boat launch is near use the hoses they are for boat rinsing.
I rinse my drysuit and hang it by the feet {special hanger}
Once dry I hang it in the closet.
If you need to dry it faster ~ have a fan blowing on it.
I do this and it really speeds up the dry time.
I don't usually have a sand issue after diving.
Several dive sites around the area have outside showers or if a boat launch is near use the hoses they are for boat rinsing.
If you take a gallon jug of water with you to the dive site, you can often rinse off the vast majority of the sand before you leave.
People do dive wet in Puget Sound, and my hat is off to them. I can't stay warm enough diving dry . . .
People do dive wet in Puget Sound, and my hat is off to them. I can't stay warm enough diving dry . . .
Thank you all for your responses. So basically i am hearing, find a way to clean the suit that works for me because diving wet is no fun...? Cold H2O, I like the idea of a second shower curtain rod, simple yet ingenious. Kraken, I tried the carwash once, got some funny looks like you said! There isn't so much sand on the suit that i'm building castles in the tub or anything, but after a while it builds up in the drain. 3Ring, i've also seen people with mats and that combined with a gallon jug seems to be the way to go like TSandM said. Steve, I reside in south snohomish county. Again, thanx for all the input!
gomi_otaku
Contributor
I dive wet, and I bring 4-6 gallon jugs of hot water in a cooler. I throw my hood, gloves, and boots in the cooler when I leave and they are warm to put on. When I am done, I have more than enough water to rinse my regs thoroughly (I bring an old cat litter 5 gallon bucket for the water to run off into, and soak the seconds and my computer at the same time) I usually rinse off the suit at home, but if you have enough water, you could rinse the drysuit, since you're not doing the inside as well like I am.
Or you could built a crossbar out of PVC that stands in the shower, but still can break down for storage.
You don't want to go back from dry- my regret right now is that I can only do one dive a day, and then I don't want to put that suit on until it is dry again, and that could be days to a week, depending on where I hang it. I'll be looking for good prices at this years Dive Fair.
gomi_
Or you could built a crossbar out of PVC that stands in the shower, but still can break down for storage.
You don't want to go back from dry- my regret right now is that I can only do one dive a day, and then I don't want to put that suit on until it is dry again, and that could be days to a week, depending on where I hang it. I'll be looking for good prices at this years Dive Fair.
gomi_
TSandM:
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