Drysuit specialty

[jaymal]

Thanks everyone and thanks Dave for the book recommendation.

I might end up taking a class but will likely dive in my drysuit a couple of times before taking the class. Morro Bay is nicely protected and a great place for learning new equipment in calm, shallow water. It's often like a pool except the water's colder, the viz is poorer and there are more crabs on the bottom.

Jeremy

 

[TravisD]

One factor to consider -- will you ever be in a situation that you might need/want to rent a drysuit? Good chance you'll need to show a card in that situation.

 

[Standingbear56]

One factor to consider -- will you ever be in a situation that you might need/want to rent a drysuit? Good chance you'll need to show a card in that situation.

Also, when you purchase one, any responsible Dive Center will either want to see a certification, or may make the class as part of the package. Yes, diving dry is easy to learn, but what about such things as dealing with a flooded suit, buoyancy - suit, BCD, both? How about care and trimming seals? All these are (or should be) part of a quality dry suit course.
Take care, and safe DRY diving,
George

 

[mikeguerrero]

Also, when you purchase one, any responsible Dive Center will either want to see a certification, or may make the class as part of the package. Yes, diving dry is easy to learn, but what about such things as dealing with a flooded suit, buoyancy - suit, BCD, both? How about care and trimming seals? All these are (or should be) part of a quality dry suit course.
Take care, and safe DRY diving,
George

These are the type of questions a new drysuit diver is unaware of. This is where an experienced instructor or veteran drysuit diver steps in to answer.

nuff said...

 

[spoolin01]

I do my classes this month at Break Water, I will keep you posted of my experience if you like, on your thread if that's okay with you.

If you recommend your instructor would you mind passing along the name and contact info? I'd like to find someone in the Bay Area worth taking this course from.

 

[RJP]

Depends on the class and the instructor of course, but mine was worth the money for sure. Hell, the section on drysuit repair has saved me more money doing my own minor patching etc than what I paid for the course.

My instructor was DIVEseekers Jason and if anyone is in the NJ area and wants a Dry Suit course that's worth the money check with him. I read the book prior to class, we did probably 1-2hrs of lecture/classroom, did practical application of maintenance and repair techniques, took the knowledge review, spent a full al80 in the pool, then did the 2OW dives at the lake. These dives were pointedly focused on pin-point bouyancy while comfortably and safely diving in a drysuit. And of course with Jason, all confined and open water dives include thorough - if not thoroughly humbling - debrief and critique at no extra charge!

By taking that course I went from having never donned a drysuit to being on my way to being a highly capable drysuit diver. This had nothing to do with the C-Card, but rather due to the fact that with Jason as your instructor (or anyone at his shop) by the end of the course you WILL be "capable" of whatever he is teaching you, because the course does not END until you are. If you think you can get that by "donning a suit and jumping in the water" or "gleaning what you can from ScubaBoard" or "having a friend show you the ropes" you're a much better (luckier?) diver than I am.

 

[ssidiv3r]

I think there is an argument both ways, for and against taking the class. I dove with my suit 6 times before taking the class (each time I was with either our shop's DS Instructor, a store regular who does cave diving, or one of our Dive Cons who also happens to do tec diving). The only things I learned in the class that I didn't learn from diving was what to do when you go feet first TOWARDS the surface and when you are feet first AT the surface. Prior to the class, however, I had been told both of those things. Although I do believe in having the proper certification for things, I probably wouldn't have taken the class if my boss hadn't required me to (seeing as how I'm part of the dive staff we need to set an example for students)

 

[Web Monkey]

The only things I learned in the class that I didn't learn from diving was what to do when you go feet first TOWARDS the surface and when you are feet first AT the surface.

The first one is the really important one. The second one is just so you can signal the boat to get the O2 and an ambulance ready, since you probably just did a 120'+/minute ascent.


Terry

 

[D_B]

Knowing is not enough , practicing what you learn is very important

My drysuit class was a real eye opener ... My review on my training http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/advanced-scuba-discussions/260824-padi-dry-suit-class.html

If your instructor, or mentor doesn't stress you while practicing, then it needs to be harder training


RJP .. that's how I feel about mine, when I pass one of Ian's classes, I feel I've accomplished something

 

[ssidiv3r]

The first one is the really important one. The second one is just so you can signal the boat to get the O2 and an ambulance ready, since you probably just did a 120'+/minute ascent.


Terry

Important yet pretty simple. After class I said the second skill is is fine as long as you don't think you will need the two black surface markers with fins on top