Drysuit questions

[BladesRobinson]

In the past three weeks I have spent time with Whites (nearly an hour long conversation at DEMA), DUI (a full day at their PSD dive demo last Friday) and Viking (four hours yesterday).

They all make great dry suits. By that, I mean that they make suits that keep divers DRY. If that is your only goal, then your choice is not too difficult if you stick to one of the three brands.

If you are also looking for quality AND the ability to keep your divers safe, then it is prudent to ask additional questions. Just because a suit has reflective tape added to it and has "Public Safety Diver" stenciled on the back, chest and arm doesn't mean it is suitable for diving in polluted environments or those typically encountered by a public safety diver.

I know of at least one manufacturer that speaks about their suit being resistant to "penetration." What they do not state is the ability for the suit to resist "permeation."

Penetration and permeation sound similar but have two VERY different meanings.

Gasoline may not penetrate my newspaper wrapper but that doesn't mean I would want to dive in it! Just because liquid has not leaked through the suit does not mean that the chemical has not permeated through the suit and exposed a diver to risk.

What you should ask a manufacturer is for their "third party" data that states that chemicals will not permeate their dry suit material AND you might also ask for similar data that indicates that the valves, glue, seams and seals have been tested also.

Vulcanized rubber suits have a long history in the commercial, military and public safety diving communities. They have been tested for their ability to hold up in extreme environments, can last for years, and most (if not all) can be decontaminated.

Shop carefully and look at the "third party" independent testing that proves a dry suit is safe to use in the environment you plan to dive in. Check for permeation rates, not penetration.

I will also ask, if you need a bid price on your suit, please contact Dive Rescue International at 800-248-3483. We sell two brands that have a history of quality and being suitable for use in the public safety diving community.

Regards,

Blades Robinson, Director
Dive Rescue International
www.DiveRescueIntl.com

 

[BladesRobinson]

...is this one of those situations where you are better off getting nothing and waiting till you have the money to get what you need?

In my opinion YES ...

If you are not protected from contaminates using a less expensive dry suit, why would you want one? Other than possibly staying warmer in cold environments, chemicals can permeate inexpensive materials and expose the public safety diver to risk.

I would wonder what the manufacturers suggest you do. My suspicion is some may offer you something in order to get your $$$s.

 

[Lucy's Diver]

You are not going to be back rolling off a boat, which is what most drysuits are designed for.

You are going to be crawling through mud bubbling up with petroluem products, you are going to be reaching into and under wrecked cars, you are going to be dealing with bodies leaking a lot of fluids, you are going to be surfacing through slicks of oil and gasoline, you are going to be dealing with all kinds of sharp edges.

You're going to spend X amount of money on a small numer of Viking vulcanized rubber drysuits that won't rip (or if they do can be repaired by you), or X amount of money on many more trilams that you will be constantly repairing and replacing. Vulcanized rubber will be cheaper and safer in the long run.

 

[Mike Edmonston]

You are not going to be back rolling off a boat, which is what most drysuits are designed for.

You are going to be crawling through mud bubbling up with petroluem products, you are going to be reaching into and under wrecked cars, you are going to be dealing with bodies leaking a lot of fluids, you are going to be surfacing through slicks of oil and gasoline, you are going to be dealing with all kinds of sharp edges.

You're going to spend X amount of money on a small numer of Viking vulcanized rubber drysuits that won't rip (or if they do can be repaired by you), or X amount of money on many more trilams that you will be constantly repairing and replacing. Vulcanized rubber will be cheaper and safer in the long run.

I could not have said it better!

 

[tc]

I made the mistake ONCE of doing a recovery from a dairy farm pond in a suit with a nylon exterior- took three days of scrubbing, rinsing and soaking to even get close to removing the smell.

Took less than an hour of cleaning to clean up my Viking the next time in a similarly smelly environment.

 

[Lucy's Diver]

I have dove my work issued Viking in all those conditions I described above. I also strap on doubled 120s and back roll off a boat in the North Atlantic for recreational dives wearing it. Its a little heavy and bulky for recreational diving, but it seems indestructable.

 

[leam]

The issue you're going to face is justification, and for that you need some facts. *We* all know what's the right choice, how do you convince the funding sources? Here are some ideas to consider:

1. Get information from some forum member who might be the leader of a major PSD agency *cough* to provide some documented hazards that HAVE BEEN faced in doing work you might reasonably be called to do. Gasoline, body fluids, etc...Don't guess, don't deal with hypotheticals; get nitty gritty yucky details!

2. Put a dollar cost to those details.
a. Medical costs for an exposed diver
b. Replacement costs for all suits that can't be deconn'd

3. Get marketing materials from prospective vendors that detail the risks and advantages. Use the pre-existing sales pitches for you and your jurisdiction.

4. Get with other local teams and see if you can start a publicity campaign and focus on decision makers. Locally we have a couple lakes, and a lot of boaters and fishers...you get the idea.

Leam

 

[dittrimd]

My department is in a similar situation with money as are most public safety agencies. We decided to follow the NFPA recommendation and go with vulcanized rubber suits. We budgeted to purchase one (1) ever two (2) years. That has turned into three (3) years due to other issues cropping up. My opinion is to wait and buy what you need vs. what will work for now.

Some of us recently did a DUI demo day. I had the chance to dive a Public Safety TLS350. The suit was very good but it is still a laminate suit with a denier nylon outer shell. They put up a lot of tables showing chemical resistance compared to other materials and manufacturers. The suit was light and flexible and was a great dive. I did a price comparison and was surprised to find the DUI was a little bit more expensive than my Viking. The point here is to do your homework get at least three quotes and make sure you are getting the best price.

One suggestion is to not purchase the dry suit undergarments. They are very expensive and I have not even used mine yet. The main reason because I am already in civilian clothing when I arrive on scene. During operations we try to limit our time in the water to 25 minutes. I was in 52 deg F water for 54 minutes this weekend on a dive drill repairing a dry hydrant in my jeans, T-shirt and Polartec top and did not even get a chill. I purchased some Polartec pants and shirt along with polypropylene under wear from my local outdoor store for less than 1/2 what my Viking under garment cost. I sometimes put these on for colder weather and they do a great job for a lot less money.

The other key point is how the suit is configured. Some of my team members bought their own dry suits but only had neck and wrist seals with a wet hood and gloves. In order for a shell suit to work effectively is has to completely encapsulate the diver. Some type of attached dry hood and dry gloves should be included in the suit configuration otherwise you still risk exposure.

Good luck and I hope this helps.

Mark D.

 

[Gary D.]

We switched over from DUI to USIA for our primary diving. For the truly Haz-Mat stuff we have Vikings. The guys have had nothing but compliments for the USIA PSD suits.

Gary D.

 

[BladesRobinson]

I thought this might prove helpful...

From the FEMA NATIONAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ... Requirements for a Type 1, Type 2 and Type 4 Public Safety Dive Team:

Drysuits: Vulcanized-Rubber, 1 for each diver, necessary to have available for potential biological or HazMat diving ​

A Type 3 team has the following listed:

Wetsuit, recommend drysuit ​