Drysuit Class Yes Or No?

[Uncle Pug]

FLTEKDIVER once bubbled...
My only fear factor is that i heard you can end up upside down, hanging from the surface by your feet, if so, you have to roll outta it. I don't want to end up in a situation where i can't get out of........
Do you guy's ever have uncontrolled accent's? Or should i say are all over the place?

Yeah... happens all the time to me... soon as I get head down vertical my mind goes blank, my buoyancy immediately goes positive in a huge way and my legs become paralyzed so I can't fin. Sure enough I shoot to the surface feet first and hang there upside down until someone comes along to rescue me. It is very embarassing. :sarcasm:

FLTEKDIVER... don't worry about it... you'll see... it isn't something to fear... if your brain and legs aren't paralyzed it is easy to go from head down vertical to horizontal or even head up vertical.

And don't let yourself get postive... if you are neutral horizontal you'll still be neutral vertical... rightside up or upside down.

 

[Life-Is-Good-Diver]

Some great info. Im not going to say who i boght it from, dont want to start anything with them, but they did meet an internet price of $599.99, there price tag was $699.00, they came down $100, they also included the Hose, and a Hood, so i feel i got a great deal. My problem is there 2 hours away, and to drive up there just to jump into a pool, will be a long day.
Im curentley taking a cavern-into to cave class, and the LDS where im taking it out of told me when we start the line tying etc, he will go over the dry suit with me in a spring. This weekend i will go upto Alexendria springs and jump in with 2 dive buddies and start diving it and getting used to it. Keep the threads coming,they are very helpfull, thanks!

 

[CD_in_Chitown]

Uncle Pug once bubbled...
Sure enough I shoot to the surface feet first and hang there upside down until someone comes along to rescue me. It is very embarassing.

Geez UP we didn't realize you were on the other end of those fins, did you want them back?

 

[Life-Is-Good-Diver]

Good to see theres humor in this also! I'll take your word and go try it tomorrow, and let you guys know how i make out, im so nervouse!! Hehehee, i feel like im starting all over agian after a few years of diving, and diving all the time, when ever i get a chance to!!

 

[Laser]

Dump the class
Practice on your own.
The class, if PADI will only make it worse.

 

[SubMariner]

Dump the class
Practice on your own.
The class, if PADI will only make it worse.

A proper course taught by a good Instructor (any agency) is preferable to trial and error with a piece of equipment that has the potential to hurt you. Or worse.

Unfortunately, I've seen the results. Not pretty :reaper:

 

[diverdeb001]

I've never heard of doing a somersault in a dry suit. Is that so you can see what it feels like to float feet first to the surface??? ha ha

 

[SubMariner]

I've never heard of doing a somersault in a dry suit. Is that so you can see what it feels like to float feet first to the surface??? ha ha

I am assuming that you have never had any drysuit training, since it is a standard maneuver to get out of a feet-first ascent.

Very effective if properly taught & practised, as is what to do about inflators that are stuck open.

 

[diverdeb001]

I've had my suit for two seasons now but limited use because I dive wet except in winter and early spring. I've had some instruction from my LDS. It never included the somersault. I've never had the problem yet but I'll ask around and get the demo from someone with more experience than I. thanks
Also, I can always dump any air from my bc using the lower dump valve ( by my left hip) if I start to get positive.

 

[Life-Is-Good-Diver]

Well thanks to all the info i got from the boards so far, i went today and dove "dry" for the first time in a sping here in FL.
My first hour under water was a nightmare, i was working to hard, feet keep going way above my head, and i was all over the place, to much air, to little air, when to infalte using the drysuit, when to inflat using my BCD, and so on. I dive salt water with no weight with a SS backplate and a PST steel 130, and im alittle heavy. Today i had 20 lbs in fresh water, and it seemed to lite, weird feeling being lite after diving with no weight and being weighted perfect in salt water, (of Course salt you need about 4 lbs less then fresh, but 0 lbs to 20 + ??? geez, i normally dive a 3 mm wetsuit, going to a 7mm dry, i cant belive how much differnce there is. Another thing is in 72 degree water i normally get cold after about 35-40 min, today i dove 2 times all day, and had to cool off a bit !!!!
The 2nd dive was in 24' of fresh spring water, and i could feel the differnce in the mistakes i made on the first dive. 2nd dive went great!! I relized VERY little air to just keep the suit off you, not over inflate it, i also realized if theres less air in the suit, you have less chance of it going to your feet, and hanging you upside down.
I actually did hear of grabing your Knees, pulling them tight to your cheast, and fliping over, and it will move the air from your feet to the top, where you can bleed the excess air out. It took somtime, adding air, bleeding air, feeling the air move though out the suit, but after a few more dives i think i can get the hang of, it.
Is there any (Dry Suit Tricks) I should know about? Like adding an extra bleed valve.....or an automatic one.....and pointers in not letting the air get into your feet? Any more help will be appreciated......But im diving dry and staying warm for the first time!!! I felt Great!!
PS how do i keep my feet from traping air and keep getting higher then my head?