Drysuit class

[francousteau]

So, after reading the various threads regarding the merits of taking a drysuit class, I signed up for mine (PADI) at the LDS. During the signup process, I was told that I had to purchase the video ($42) and the book ($42). I watched the video 2x , read the book and did the knowledge review. Next step . . . to the LDS for the "pool session". At the commencement of the pool session, we were told to get into our drysuits. Out of the 4 people in the class, only 1 person (me) had any experience even getting into a drysuit. The instructor and his DM wife, offered no help or suggestions regarding donning the suit. After everyone had their suit on, it was in the pool for all. (Hey, what about some instruction on venting air from the suit before getting into the water???? No such instruction and almost everyone looked like the michelin man floating around.) Once in the pool, we were told to swim around a little. This was very hard because the pool is very small and the "well" portion of the pool (where it was 12' deep) is only about 4' x 6'. Can you imagine 4 new drysuit divers trying to squeeze into this area? What a joke! Next, we were told to remove our rigs at the surface and put them back on again. CLASS OVER! "See everyone at the quarry in 2 weeks", say's the instructor. Huh???????? This class is for the Drysuit cert and I thought there would be more instruction than that. It ought to be REAL interesting at the quarry. I was charged a $95 upcharge for this class because I was taking it in conjunction with my AOW. If I was paying the full $170, I would've been really steaming. If it wasn't for the fact that I've practiced by myself in the pool at my gym a few times before the class session and have done a couple of dry dives already (with my brother in law, who dives dry), I'd be a little nervous. I'm hoping that my fellow drysuit classmates have no problems with air in the feet, because there was no class instruction on how to deal with that. It ought to be a real interesting quarry day!!
My advice to anyone else looking to dive dry and deciding on the pro's and con's of taking a class . . . find a mentor and go dive.

 

[H2Andy]

i took my class with GDI (he's a member here) and it was awesome.

he took me through the whole process, practiced some emergencies, had fun.

actually, the worst part of the class was that i got carried away doing
underwater summersaults and got dizzy. then i hurled. then i hurled some
more... other than that, awesome class

it's all in the instructor

 

[jonnythan]

Dude, did you hurl in the pool??

Fran.. is it possible that he was saving the instruction and drills for the quarry since the pool was too small?

 

[H2Andy]

Dude, did you hurl in the pool??

no, we did the class at the shallow entrance to Blue Grotto (about 30 feet)

then, after the class, we went deeper, to about 80 feet to putter around, but
i had to thumb the dive...

due to...

(you guessed it)

.... more heaving

 

[RiverRat]

You got ripped! I took the PADI drysuit class (so far pool dives only) and it was not like that at all! We had a lengthy class at the shop going through the book. We talked about undergarments, weighting etc. We practiced donning and doffing the suit etc. in a relaxed environment. THEN we went to the pool. We were taught again how to don our suits and geared up and hit the pool. We worked on trim and buoyancy. We inflated our legs and practiced flipping and venting. Then, while the instructor worked with another student on some other cert. we were given several tasks to practice on our own. Various venting and righting techniques and basically just swimming around practicing our buoyancy control with our BC's and how it works with inflating the suit.
Not rocket science but I got a lot out of it and had fun to boot.
I'd ask for a refund.

 

[foamer86]

what dive shop did you go to? I am from Northern NJ as well, I think I can guess which one it was.

 

[matt_unique]

What you described was not a class at all. If this was indeed the complete course, I would contact the instructor first to ask when you will be completing the rest of the drysuit only portion of the course - not in combination with anything else. Ask him when he plans to cover drysuit donning tips, venting air before you suit up, runaway ascent drills, connecting/disconnecting the inflator hose, etc., etc. If he immediately replies to say "this will be part of the course at the quarry in shallow water" or such then wait it out. If not - I would contact the shop and contact PADI.

--Matt

 

[francousteau]

Fran.. is it possible that he was saving the instruction and drills for the quarry since the pool was too small?

Jon, since I'll be doing the AOW's 5 dives, I don't see how he'll scratch the time out to do any quarry drills, etc. Plus, he didn't mention that that was going to be part of the weekend. He only mentioned working on getting everyone weighted correctly.

foamer86--Re: what dive shop? Without mentioning any names, if I said Rt 17, would that mean anything to you?

As far as doing drills . . . I think that I have some of those covered at the quarry. Like on my 2nd drysuit dive, I forgot to connect the inflator hose and had to connect it with my heavy gloves on. Then there was the real fun part when my weightbelt came off :11: while I was swimming near the platforms. My brother in law had to dig it out of the silt while I held on to the platform. I got some good practice in putting it back on underwater. Finally, while taking a horizontal ascent, my feet got ahead of the rest of my body and I got some "real time" practice in getting my feet back down and venting the air. This was all before any of this "class" time. I'm hoping that I won't be doing any more of my own drills this weekend.

 

[scubamate]

There are very specific standards for any PADI class. Not having my specialty manual with me at the moment, but having certified a number of drysuit divers, I can tell you that these requirements were not met. Contact your instructor, ask him to meet with you and bring his manual. Then tell him you want to be taught per the standards. If he refuses, report him to PADI.

My classes are very similar to the discription riverrat posted and the cost is a whole lot less than $100 + suit rental if you don't own one. Also, if you bought the suit at the shop, we'll throw in the drysuit specialty at no extra cost to you. You also don't have to purchase the video, I'll rent/lend you mine.

 

[Rastaman]

This LDS will soon be whining about internet sites putting him out of business if he is not by now. First rule of business is giving value for money or someone will cut into your excess profits. This afternoon I was shopping at my LDS and on the PADI book shelf was the Drysuit Manual priced at $19.00. Did not see the video but remembered viewing my LDS’s copy last time I needed it at no charge.
I have seen the specialty classes being taught and have never witness anything like what you just described. Specialty classes require a review of the knowledge reviews before even going to open water. This is even more important with drysuits. Your instructor should have made sure that everyone understood the theory before going out to the pool. At the pool the DM should have made sure everyone was rigged properly and advised the instructor of those that had problems.
Diving is not a cookie cutter operation as people can die if they do not get proper instruction. PADI sets out in the manual what needs to be done and how it is to be done. This afternoon the instructor at my LDS advised a student that he would not sign his 'C' card until the student understood the course work. This is the PADI way and it is the only way if you would like to be part of PADI.
If it were me I would not have anything more to do with that dive shop. What if anything will they teach you for Advance Open Water other than I will take your money. Learn from your drysuit course experience and find someone who will be interested in teaching you good diving skills.