Drysuit Course Review/ Drysuit Practice on My Own Before Drysuit Course Checkout Dives

[landlockeddivingdoc]

I'm landlocked in the Midwest and would like to be able to extend my diving season, so I recently signed up for the PADI drysuit diver course.

The online learning materials were "meh-" I felt like the bullet points could be condensed into a few minutes' time, and I think that I finished all the online stuff in maybe an hour, so I dove deeper (pardon the pun) into some of the controversies about suit v. BC buoyancy control, other training agency standards, pearls of wisdom for use, etc.

I completed my classroom/pool session this weekend, and I really lucked out with my instructor and class. I'm not sure if we can name drop shops here, so I'll refrain from doing so, but my instructor turned out to be a regional cave diver instructor that was an absolutely phenomenal resource. She was very personable and patient, but her insight and expertise were unmatched by anyone I've met in this hobby so far. Moreover, the two other students who were signed up wound up cancelling, so the day turned into essentially a private lesson that went beyond drysuit instruction and into gear selection, advice on pursuing tec training, etc.

After a brief didactic period (in which she, as I assumed was possible, condensed the bullet points of the online training into a few minutes' time), she got me fitted into a shop drysuit. They had every size and permutation of accessories (seals, gloves, hoods, etc) you can think of, and we spent quite a bit of time exploring things like latex v. silicone when it comes to my own preference. Unfortunately, I'm a non-standard Drysuit size (I really need a large or xl-short), so the (otherwise top of the line) suit wasn't a perfect fit, and I had a lot of excess material bunched up, and we discussed the utility of MTM drysuits (more on that later). I unfortunately had to use shop fins due to my standard fin foot pockets not fitting into the rock boots (which I anticipated, and appreciated the discussion of the nuances of fin selection), as well as a shop BC (I'm right on the edge of a size change with my normal BC, and it wasn't quite where it needed to be with the bulk of the undergarments and drysuit--they didn't charge me anything for using it, so I'm confident the suggestion was in my best interest, and I bought a new BPW recently so I think the problem's solved--I just didn't want to waste their time "breaking it in," so I didn't bring it. But then again she said I would've been welcome to bring it, and she would've helped me do all the adjustments "cave style," so I'm kind of kicking myself).

The pool session was a disaster, as I assume most can recall it being. I'll probably laugh about it someday, but in the moment I was pretty convinced i was going to die. My biggest problem was floaty feet--we discussed it, and solutions like gaiters or ankle weights, but decided against it in training--it wasn't too bad, and part of the floaties was likely due to the excess material around my feet (despite rock boots), and using shot fins that were neutral to slightly positive bouyancy. We figured that if I got a MTM drysuit, and used either a larger size of my preferred fin (or bought an alternative slightly negative), then the problem would likely be solved anyway, and so training with adjuncts would just introduce bad habits.

In terms of success with the suit itself...I'm "adequate," but that doesn't mean I want to engage in any deep or taks-loaded activities yet. My instructor discussed buoyancy control with the suit versus BC and the risks/benefits of both--ie, the nominal increase in taks loading with using both, versus the reality that due to the ballast volume versus tidal volume ratio, a suit could be much more difficult to control with breathing, not to mention the potential difficulty with the dynamic movements of your "bubble" with higher suit volumes.

To her credit--and something that I very much respect her for-- she said "I'm a PADI instructor so I'm obligated to instruct you and evaluate you on the PADI way of using your suit. But since you're with me, I'm going to test you on both ways! And you get to decide which is better to employ in the real world" (with a strongly implied "nudge nudge, snap snap, grin grin, wink wink, say no more"). At the end of the day, I found the BC control/suit inflate to avoid squeeze and maintain loft advice of essentially every other agency to be the most practical.

BUT...that just means that I sucked less using that approach rather than PADI's. I still need a lot of work (she said it'll probably take about 25-50 dives of perfecting control before I reach a level expert enough to take on any tec level challenges in a drysuit, and I'm inclined to agree with that). So here's the deal:

I've known that I was headed down that path anyway, so 2-3 of months ago I had ordered a MTM drysuit from Seaskin. I was NOT going to ever dive it without training, but figured it was best to train in my own gear (just like with every other piece of kit)--but scheduling conflicts mandated that I take my classroom/pool session in a rental suit. That said, at current lead times, I should receive my suit in a few weeks. The LDS can accomodate drysuit checkout dives beginning around the first of the year, so I'm planning to test in "my" suit rather than rental garb.

So my question is how best to utilize the time between receipt and checkout. I've access to a heated indoor pool, outdoor salt-water pool, and a freshwater 'swimmin' hole." I'm kind of leaning towards the later two to avoid chlorine exposure, but any of them would be limited to 12-14' deep, and would be done in the presence of spotters that are medically-trained (including hypothermia response) and rescue equipment. After my pool session, I'm safe, but I don't want to look like an idiot during OW checkout dives or beyond, so I would really like to get a few dives in beforehand.

What are the best exercises that I can do, and learn to master, in these shallow-er, confined depths, to prepare for "real world" drysuit dives? (To put it another way: according to the Pareto principle, what are the highest-yield/lowest hanging fruits that I should try to focus on?)

 

[Pink_AquaRanger]

If you can do things well in 10ft of water, then you'll be fine in 100. The change that occurs in the last 20ft of water is the biggest and most to manage. So if I were you just doing up and downs, your basic 5 skills, runaway inflater valve drills. If you can successfully do all those in shallow water without any issues you'll be good

 

[crofrog]

I'd avoid the chlorine as well.

Focus on being in trim and able to hover without moving at any depth you want.

Drop a downline in the water, put knots or a mark on it every foot.

Drop in descend to the bottom. Stop 1ft above the bottom without kicking or stirring up any silt. Move up 1ft to 9ft. Stay there completely motionless in flat trim, move up 1 foot, rinse repeat.

The goal being able to stay completely in 1 place in the water while maintaining a buoyancy target of a few inches. If you can do that, then everything else will become easier as you advance your diving. Stability and buoyancy are the foundations everything else gets built on.

 

[inquis]

BUT...that just means that I sucked less using that approach rather than PADI's.

Actually, PADI covers both approaches, both in the reading material and the knowledge reviews. Regardless, I think you landed on the better approach.

 

[inquis]

While depth is limited, going from 12 ft to 2 ft will test you. BTW, don't rush the ascent. Even without a dry suit, that should take at least a minute.

 

[landlockeddivingdoc]

"Drop a downline in the water, put knots or a mark on it every foot.

Drop in descend to the bottom. Stop 1ft above the bottom without kicking or stirring up any silt. Move up 1ft to 9ft. Stay there completely motionless in flat trim, move up 1 foot, rinse repeat."

This is one of those excellent, imminently practical ideas I wish that I had thought of.

During OW, someone recommended dropping a line and practicing hovering at X number of feet, and ascending at X ft/min, but I never thought about rising a couple of feet and staying there. It seems to be a great exercise, and a possibility that I'm ashamed to admit I overlooked.

I think, eventually, I'm going to repeat all of the "peak performance buoyancy" exercises, but this seems to be the most practical to the real world, and immediately applicable in my training environs.

 

[landlockeddivingdoc]

While depth is limited, going from 12 ft to 2 ft will test you. BTW, don't rush the ascent. Even without a dry suit, that should take at least a minute.

This was another point that I had to appreciate.

I had been taught it was 30-60ft/min, but my instructor discussed the PADI standardization to 30ft/min to safety stop, as well as the even more conservative ascent/safety protocols from some of the other organizations.

One piece of advice she told me as a beginning drysuit diver: if at all possible, swim diagonally "uphill", even if in a big circle around the ascent line. It certainly seemed to help, although she of course could go straight up (at the appropriate rate), and that's my eventual goal as well.

 

[crofrog]

I had been taught it was 30-60ft/min, but my instructor discussed the PADI standardization to 30ft/min to safety stop, as well as the even more conservative ascent/safety protocols from some of the other organizations

As you advance in your diving and training you should be able to basically nail any ascent rate you want. I'd focus on ascending at 30ft/min for now when you have the depth, but as a new drysuit diver you might find it easier to ascend at a slower rate like 10-20ft/min specially as it starts to get shallower. This'll make it less likely for your suit to "get away from you" in the end.

At the end of most dives specially ones that had decompression obligations I ascend at a rate of ~3ft/min from 20 ft.

As for the drill for moving 1ft:
1. Make yourself neutrally bouyant with "normal" tidal breathing
2. take a big breath move up 1ft, exhale to stop moving up
3. adjust suit and wing to resume "normal" breathing.

One piece of advice she told me as a beginning drysuit diver: if at all possible, swim diagonally "uphill", even if in a big circle around the ascent line. It certainly seemed to help, although she of course could go straight up (at the appropriate rate), and that's my eventual goal as well.

I'd not do that. It's a hack that I guess can work but it's counter productive to increasing your control in the water.


As you get comfortable staying still and holding depth, work on doing a little kick forward and "kissing" the knot with your reg face plate, and then doing a little back kick to move away from the line. That'll help build more precision in the water.

Then once you're comfortable with all that work on shooting an SMB while holding a depth specific depth, and then doing the same drill with just your computer and no line by looking at the smallest particles in the water to see how they're moving in relation to you, and cross checking your depth with your computer.

If you get to the point you can place yourself wherever you want in the water column without moving you're ready for all sorts of advanced diver training, and even if you don't do anything more advanced you'll appreciate those skills on every dive.

 

[Scott]

Some good ideas have already been mentioned, so I'll add practicing the skills you already have.
Get used to "managing the bubble."
Your range of motion can be more restrictive in a drysuit vs wetsuit and I may assume thicker gloves. Practice retrieving your DSMB and items out of your pockets, using a spool all while maintaining trim and buoyancy.

 

[lowwall]

I completed my classroom/pool session this weekend, and I really lucked out with my instructor and class. I'm not sure if we can name drop shops here, so I'll refrain from doing so, but my instructor turned out to be a regional cave diver instructor that was an absolutely phenomenal resource. She was very personable and patient, but her insight and expertise were unmatched by anyone I've met in this hobby so far. Moreover, the two other students who were signed up wound up cancelling, so the day turned into essentially a private lesson that went beyond drysuit instruction and into gear selection, advice on pursuing tec training, etc.

Please do share the name of the shop and the instructor. It's both appropriate and appreciated.