Drysuit Questions

[SD40T-2]

I'm new and wet behind the ears :bonk: . So here goes.

I've gotten to that point in diving where I know what I like about it and I know what I don't like about it. Hmm let's see....Seeing things that I've never seen before would be on the list of "likes". Being wet and cold between dives and having to squeeze in to a neoprene straight jacket on my own is on the list of "dislikes".

I don't have a lot of dives under my belt but I do want to advance. I'm in a position in my certification agency’s progression recomendations to take up some type of speciality course(s).
Is my eagerness to take up drysuit a good idea at this point or should I consider somthing else? What can I expect from a drysuit course? What are the specifics that are taught? What are some common do's and don'ts about purchasing a drysuit and what terms and key words should I learn before buying or considering?

Of corse I'm trying to do this with a budget in mind and I don't need the newest or the fanciest thing on the market.

I'm sure everyone has heard this before but I figure it's better to learn now before I've invested the money than be stuck with something that I'll regret.

Any help would be appreciated,

SD

 

[MechDiver]

In your case, I would say the course would be beneficial. If done correctly, you should get to see, feel, and find out about the different styles of suits, as well as pros and cons of each. I would assume also that the course would involve diving, so you could hopefully try more than one style of suit.

A drysuit is simple, yet complicated. There are new skills to learn, new buoyancy to master, and a "different" feel to diving dry. Being in Utah, I would think you will enjoy diving much more once you go dry. Drysuits are one of the most expensive pieces of scuba gear to buy, and unless your last name is Gates, you probably would like to buy only one. The class should give you enough information and knowledge to let you make an informed choice as to what to buy.

The "neoprene straight jacket" is a rite of entry I think

 

[noshow]

See my reply in this thread... I accept PayPal.

http://www.scubaboard.com/t21333/s.html

 

[WillAbbott]

Taking the class is deffinately a good idea. for Padi anyways, the course covers items in the class such as all the major suit types and seal types, advantages/dissadvantages, care and maintenance, etc. It's very helpfull in getting the right info to buy unless you research the info before hand, like me. I already knew what all the suit types were etc, when I took the class, and so parts of the classroom were little to no help for me.

In the water, you do 1 pool dive to familiarize yourself (some people say to get other divers to teach you, but I would serioulsy stray against this unless they can get you the pool time and allow you to do the pool only activities). In the pool you will get the feel for the suit, donning/doffing, weight check, controlling boyancy, and MOST importantly recovering from a feet up uncontrolled ascent.

You do 2 open water dives, which are pretty easy and simple, skills covered on the dives are, fin pivots using dry suit inflator, hovering using dry suit, removing BC at surface, removing/replacing dry suit inflator hose at depth, and maybe a few others, the 2 dives are pretty easy and simple, you will spend a short amound on skills and have plenty of time left to tour the site.

Theres a few "entry" level inexpensive suits out there, and there are some spendy suits that are "entry" level suits. I went with teh USIA Aqualite, which is a great begginer suit IMHO it's typically packaged for around $1000 with undergarment, suit, bag, LPI hose. With other options available (I bought mine with better boots, and better valves)

If you can afford a nice one, do it. Then you don't have to buy a better one down the road.

Just my .02 cents.

 

[SD40T-2]

Will,

Thanks for your input,

Well what I was considering was a Bare D7 Supra. I've heard this is one of the more starter types. When I find myslef faced with a situation like this I always try and ask questions to find out what wether this is a good move or not. Anyone that owns this one or knows anything about it, please come with info. Again I'm trying to do my homework before I sockmyslf with this kind of expense. I'm under the impression that my LDS is not really charging an arm and a leg for the DS class and that on top of what i mentioned before was what got my interest going.

Keep the opinoins comming,

SD

WillAbbott once bubbled...
Taking the class is deffinately a good idea. for Padi anyways, the course covers items in the class such as all the major suit types and seal types, advantages/dissadvantages, care and maintenance, etc. It's very helpfull in getting the right info to buy unless you research the info before hand, like me. I already knew what all the suit types were etc, when I took the class, and so parts of the classroom were little to no help for me.

In the water, you do 1 pool dive to familiarize yourself (some people say to get other divers to teach you, but I would serioulsy stray against this unless they can get you the pool time and allow you to do the pool only activities). In the pool you will get the feel for the suit, donning/doffing, weight check, controlling boyancy, and MOST importantly recovering from a feet up uncontrolled ascent.

You do 2 open water dives, which are pretty easy and simple, skills covered on the dives are, fin pivots using dry suit inflator, hovering using dry suit, removing BC at surface, removing/replacing dry suit inflator hose at depth, and maybe a few others, the 2 dives are pretty easy and simple, you will spend a short amound on skills and have plenty of time left to tour the site.

Theres a few "entry" level inexpensive suits out there, and there are some spendy suits that are "entry" level suits. I went with teh USIA Aqualite, which is a great begginer suit IMHO it's typically packaged for around $1000 with undergarment, suit, bag, LPI hose. With other options available (I bought mine with better boots, and better valves)

If you can afford a nice one, do it. Then you don't have to buy a better one down the road.

Just my .02 cents.

 

[Irishdiver]

SD40T-2 once bubbled...

Is my eagerness to take up drysuit a good idea at this point or should I consider somthing else?.....Of corse I'm trying to do this with a budget in mind.....SD

Hi SD4OT-2 (sounds like a dive robot!). You don't say how many dives you've done, but I can't help wondering why are you considering investing in a dry suit at this stage of your diving career? I spent the first couple of years diving in a second-hand semi-dry before buying a dry suit. Now, FWIW, I feel that this allowed me to master the basics - and God knows, there are enough of them - before having to worry about the added complications of inflating, venting, and controlling buoyancy in a dry suit as well as a BC. I'm not saying that a dry suit is a particularly complicated piece of equipment, but there is such a thing as information overload for trainees.

I did plenty of repeat dives in the semi-dry, including perhaps a dozen winter quarry dives where the water temp was down at 2C. I'm not recommending that you should put yourself through that torture...the point I'm making is that despite the obvious attractions of a dry suit I made the decision to persevere with the s-dry until I was well versed in the basics. Besides, I couldn't afford the dry suit at the time!

 

[SD40T-2]

To preface,
SD40T-2; (SD) Special Duty, six-axle (40) 40 series (T) Tunnel Motor Design (-2) Dash 2 solid state electronic control design, Deisel-Electric Locomotive built by ElectroMotive Division of General Motors for the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in the 1970's......I'm a railfan as well. :bonk:

Anyway,

I thank you for your insight. I've never used a Semi-dry however,
For the cost of a decent Semi-dry I could land a lower-cost drysuit for about the same price and a little more cost to do the certification. Here in Utah (where I've lived all my life) it can get cold and the majority of my dives here would be in fresh water. Sometimes it's near freezing. Some summertime water temps don't get much more than above 60F. We've done the discussions about wetsuits and when nature calls. With all that could be discussed a drysuit would allow for breaks durring SI's that would be better overall.

I'll do some comparisons on prices and see what I come up with for Semi-dry and Dry. I could afford a drysuit as long as prices don't climb higher than the about $700. I'm not looking for anything fancy and I know that there is a lot to learn but, I think that a drysuit would give me back the enjoyment that I miss when faced with having to suit up wet.

Thanks,

SD40T-2

Irishdiver once bubbled...



Hi SD4OT-2 (sounds like a dive robot!). You don't say how many dives you've done, but I can't help wondering why are you considering investing in a dry suit at this stage of your diving career? I spent the first couple of years diving in a second-hand semi-dry before buying a dry suit. Now, FWIW, I feel that this allowed me to master the basics - and God knows, there are enough of them - before having to worry about the added complications of inflating, venting, and controlling buoyancy in a dry suit as well as a BC. I'm not saying that a dry suit is a particularly complicated piece of equipment, but there is such a thing as information overload for trainees.

I did plenty of repeat dives in the semi-dry, including perhaps a dozen winter quarry dives where the water temp was down at 2C. I'm not recommending that you should put yourself through that torture...the point I'm making is that despite the obvious attractions of a dry suit I made the decision to persevere with the s-dry until I was well versed in the basics. Besides, I couldn't afford the dry suit at the time!

 

[Ber Rabbit]

"My name is Ber and I married a railfan." I KNEW that SD40 looked familiar, I just couldn't place it! My brother-in-law owns a 4-6-2 from the Little River Railroad and runs excursions with it in Michigan. It's the 110 and was featured on the cover of TRAINS magazine sometime in the 80's (1987?) as the smallest standard gauge ever built. It's only 56 tons (I believe). My husband is the engineer in some of the photos in the magazine. I had the privilege of serving as brakeman on one run last year, what fun!

Anyway, enough about trains, we're talking dry suits:
I have a Viking X-Treme and it's taught me a thing or two about squeezing. If you think neoprene is snug you're in for a surprise, my dry suit makes me feel like I've been shrink wrapped. You control the squeeze amount with the inflator hose but the suit is still supposed to give a good squeeze when properly inflated. The best part is getting out of the water and being warm and dry especially on those cold winter days!

Make sure you get a suit that fits properly even if it means diving wet a little longer so you can save the money, it's worth the wait.
Ber

 

[SD40T-2]

Well I think I've learned a few things,

Thank Ber for your input and your bit about the loco. I'm currently certified as a fireman on the Heber Valley Railroad.

I figure that I've got a good prospect on a cheap suit that I can afford and will work for me. Perhaps I'm running in to this a little fast but, I feel that this would make my dives more enjoyable.

The other aspect (that I forgot to mention) of this whole deal is that my current wetsuit is a little small and getting in to it makes me the brunt of jokes and heckling because it takes me so long to suit up. That's not to even mention how uncomfortable I am in it before we enter the water (neoprene straight-jacket). I even put a dive skin and I'm still holding everyone up. I feel that I will be much further ahead and able to concentrate on other aspects of my diving and enjoy the sport.

Thanks,

SD

 

[kalvyn]

SD40T-2 once bubbled...
[snip]

I figure that I've got a good prospect on a cheap suit that I can afford and will work for me. Perhaps I'm running in to this a little fast but, I feel that this would make my dives more enjoyable.

[snip]

I just bought my dry suit, and the only wet dives I'd done here were my 5 OW cert dives (all my other OW dives have been warm water destinations). I knew after my OW class that I wanted to dive dry, if I was going to dive here in the Puget Sound regularly.

I would ask the shop you're planning on buying your suit from if they have orientation pool sessions and/or dives included as part of the suit purchase. The LDS that I bought my OS Systems suit from gave me an instructor-led orientation in the pool, and an open water "shakedown" dive.

I do have to say that after my two dives in the suit this past weekend, diving dry is definitely the way to go for cold water diving. It was SO nice to just climb out of my suit, and get in the car.

Jimmie