Drysuit newbie here - some questions for medium cold water

[Marie13]

Thanks a lot for all the input. Greatly appreciated.

Just to clarify the "special" lining is removable. In fact it has been separated from the wetsuit soon after the suit was bought and hasn't been used much afterwards. According to the LDS owner the reason for this is that it is too bulky (needs extra lead) and too "hot" for the local conditions.

I forgot to mention that my wife has a sewing machine and she should be able to stitch a one-piece or two-pieces fleece undergarment for me if I am nice(r) to her

Few more question as I am trying to manage the finance of all these (to keep my wife happy). Any recommendations for hoods for temperatures around 60-75oF/ 15-20oC ??

And what about fins? For my 300ish (wetsuit) dives so far, I've been using my mares avanti quattro and I am very happy with them. They are practically neutral - very slightly buoyant. Any chance that I will be ok with them with the drysuit or I will definitely need heavy fins??

I have already ordered a neck seal for the suit (it is currently missing) and once I get it I should be able to try it some time next week in the water.

Thanks

I like Waterproof brand hoods. Nice and stretchy.

If your wife can sew, you’re set for undies! Separate tops and bottoms would probably work best and be easier to sew. Bottoms that aren’t baggy and fit closer are less bulky.

 

[emoreira]

Rule number one: NO cotton under a drysuit. It doesn’t wick sweat and you stay cold. Bad idea

Polypro or polyester fleece would work well.

Wool socks for your feet.

Get a front diagonal zip drysuit. It will make your life much easier.

Yes, the LP inflator hose for drysuits and BCs are interchangeable - usually. Check at the shop to make sure. Some are different.

Some Drysuits come with DIN QD fitting and some with CEJN QD fitting in the LP inflator valve.
CEJN QD fitting is different (larger) than DIN QD, so, it's a different hose and it's not interchangeable.

 

[Esprise Me]

You should at least try your existing fins with your new suit. Some people need to go up a size, some need something heavier, but some are just fine. My Scubapro Jet Sport fins (not to be confused with jet fins) still fit but felt a little light and floppy once I got my drysuit. I got a pair of Hollis F1LTs instead and am happy with them; they work great with both my wetsuit and drysuit, plus they're easier to back kick in.

 

[rx7diver]

Hello everybody.
During winter, water temperatures around my area drop to a minimum of around ~60oF (~15oC). ...
I've been looking around for second hand drysuits for some time and I just fount out that my LDS has a second hand one on sale. It seems to be the right size (I will try it even test dive it before buying it but haven't yet) in good condition and good price (500 euros). It is a Waterproof D1.

@stepfen,

Have you considered a new custom wetsuit (rather than a drysuit)? I am thinking that if you are comfortable in your old wetsuit in 70F water, then a new custom hooded wetsuit is likely to work well for you in 60F water. A new custom wetsuit will almost certainly be less expensive than a drysuit + undies + dry gloves + new hood + new fins. Plus, it will be much less of a hassle to dive than a drysuit. Moreover, being custom, it will actually fit you much better.

rx7diver

 

[stepfen]

Just as an update. I now have the suit with me (not purchased yet - just to try for a couple of weeks as the guy is off to an expedition). Haven't dived with it yet, but just trying things topside.

General condition is very good. The only issue I can see is with the boots. At several areas the boots have extra material (it seems to be rubber or something added to strengthen eg hills etc) which has started to become separated here and there. Seems nothing to worry much about - a bit of glue should be able to fix it (?). Also checked valves etc and all seem good although the real test will be underwater.

I have tried it on me several times with no problems. For the back zip, I have attached a piece of string to it and I can now close and open it without much effort (after I applied generous amounts of bee wax to it) by pulling the string sideways. The only thing is that I now have a loose 3ft piece of string hanging from my back I need to find a neat way of keeping it under control.

The overall fit is a bit loose, especially on my shoulders and around my legs but not too much I think. After all I am just trying it with thin summer clothes for now and without the "special" lining (still too hot for long sleeve, fleeces etc).

Next time I go diving (I hope by the end of this week - weather permiting) I am thinking to give it a try underwater. Use some polyester t-shirts and shorts undergarment for now and see how it goes. My goal is to dial a bit weight and trim, get used to valves etc and IF I manage to get all these under reasonable control do a shallow test dive.

All the best and thanks for all the input

 

[stepfen]

I finally managed to dive with the dry suit this morning.
Overall things went much better than expected.

Luckily the 10kg of lead I had with me were just enough. I placed 2kg on my tank's cam band, 5kg on my belt, 2kg on the right suit pocket and 1kg on the left pocket (I also had my pony on my left side). I was definitely not too much overweight - but maybe I can reduce 1-2kg next time. I also need to try placing the weights on the belt instead of the pockets.

For undergarment I used a polyester t-shirt, a thick fleece jacket, and a thick polyester pair of long pants. No hood and no gloves for now.

Topside temperature was 68oF/20oC and water temperature was 75oF/24oC. My clothes were a bit of overkill for these temperatures but those were the only appropriate clothes I could find for now. Of course with these, I didn't feel cold at all even when my sleeve got wet (see below).

The most important things I fount strange:
1. The amount of air required in the suit to eliminate squeeze - every few ft/meters of depth I had to add quite a bit of air to compensate.
2. Although horizontal I felt ok - the feeling of squeeze/discomfort on legs or torso when I went head up or head down respectively was quite uncomfortable - one reason for this might be that my clothes were normal topside clothes (with zippers, pockets, etc). Proper undergarment should help.
3. Stay in trim was quite easier than I thought it to be. With all this air in the suit I though that a slight tilt would cause instability. Nope - I was quite stable in all positions. And I didn't feel the need for heavier fins at all.
4. The shoulder dump valve is quite low (towards my armpit) hence to vent air I had to turn quite a bit my whole body (of course my technique is far from ideal - and probably I am doing it wrong).
5. I fount donning and doffing the suit if not easier, comparable to my wetsuit.
6. First time in history I didn't feel the need to pee during the dive

At the end of the dive I fount out that my left hand sleeve had quite a bit of water. Probably because as I was trying things out, I pressed the dump valve several times throughout the dive and during some of them no air escaped - I guess that during those presses some water leaked in the suit through the valve.
Also my pants were a bit wet (more so on the left side) hence I'd guess some water from my hands moved downwards. Although my sleeve was quite wet I didn't feel the cold at all and I couldn't feel the leak underwater at all.

I hope/think that I will be able to dive a couple of times more with it before I make my final decision but for now it seems to be a go.

That's all for now.
Thanks a lot.

 

[stepfen]

Just as a further update after 3 dives with it:
- I now have proper polyester undergarments (bought from Decathlon - thanks @Ucarkus ). They are just a base layer but they are enough for now. With them I need just 4kg (compared to 10 with topside clothes!!) and maybe less.
- I just discovered the source of the leak. After trying things with the valve (clean, reinstall it etc) I had a look and discovered a small hole in the wrist seals. I am ordering new ones. The hole is quite low near the rim, hence I moved the seal back a bit plus a bit of duck tape on both sides and I hope it will last me for a couple of dives (until I receive the new one). Worst case I will get wet - it is still not too cold hence manageable.
- I am still having difficulties releasing air from the valve but I discuss this in another thread: Drysuit dump valve trouble

Thanks once more

 

[stepfen]

plus a bit of duck tape

That part didn't work - duck tape won't stick on silicon. I found another sticker that kind of sticks on it and put it from the inside part. That should be better than nothing for my dive tomorrow.

 

[SurteesDiver]

That part didn't work - duck tape won't stick on silicon. I found another sticker that kind of sticks on it and put it from the inside part. That should be better than nothing for my dive tomorrow.

Normal electrical insulation tape works a treat as a temporary, as long as you can wrap it right round and back onto itself...

 

[stepfen]

Normal electrical insulation tape works a treat as a temporary, as long as you can wrap it right round and back onto itself...

Thanks for the tip. I'll give it a try. Bad weather here, so no dive today. I should have the new seals by the weekend anyway.