Drysuits: Take a class or learn from a buddy

[fdog]

When I scrimped and starved to afford my first drysuit, there wasn't such a thing as a class. My contemporaries and myself were self taught with some help from friends.

Didn't do me any harm, and I see no difference between myself and folks who have gone through classes, and gotten a lot of time in a drysuit.

OK, I'll ammend that: folks who just went through a class generally haven't had enough suit time to be comfortable. After about 10 dives, they look just like folks that didn't take a class, that have their first 10 dives on a drysuit.

If you like pre-packaged information, take a class. If you have competent drysiut diving friends, save your money.

Common wisdom is to write off your first 10 drysuit dives or so, as you learn your way.

All the best, James

 

[Hoosier]

I dove my first drysuit dive using the drysuit as a BCD, absolutely hated it. Then I did the next dive using the BCD as a BCD and kept only enough air in the drysuit to keep the squeeze manageable.

The later is the only way to dive IMO and it's much more relaxing. I can dive either way and I will when it's cold keep more air in the suit than I do in warm water, but I do not use the drysuit as a BCD as a general rule.

It's good to know both ways and in fact using a drysuit as a BCD will teach you to manage that bubble correctly. After you get it down all you need to do is practice it once in a while just in case.

I think my old Viking manual stressed using the drysuit as a BCD and the new Viking manual talks of using the BCD. They are different in how they approach the subject, the newer one also has lots of liability statements saying take this class before diving etc...

In the end, a class is useful to get a plastic card because once in a while that card will come in handy. I use mine during the DUI Dog Rally, saves having to go with an instructor or set through their class. I've never needed my card for anything else though.

You mean a rally last weekend? Were you there?

I agree with your points and experience. I am surprised that there are still many instructors who keep saying the dry suit as a primary buoyancy device. I just experienced it last weekend at the DOG event. I met two members who actually got the dry suit certification at the site. They were also taught to use a dry suit as a primary BC and they hate it......

So, depending on your preference and instructor, the class can be a card collection...

I learned it by myself after reading the threads and asking a bunch of question anytime. The practice is the most important thing on every dives.

 

[NJMike]

dsater, how did you determine what sizes to order? Did you try them on somewhere first?

 

[Scared Silly]

One thing not mentioned is Dick Long's book on Dry Suit Diving. Lots of history and practical info in it.

As for how to learn. I did my first OW dives in a dry duit (A friend gave me a suit to use). The instructor gave me a few tips but not much else.

If had bought my suit from a local shop I would expect that they would give the course for free and I would take them up on on it (the only reason I could see for having the card is for demoing a different suit). Otherwise self study and buddy lessons should be sufficent.

Now about simulating a flooded suit - no instructor needed for that - on one of my last dives I did not get the zipper fully closed. 10' down I remembered. As for a run a way LP inflator, my other dive master friends like to help out with that as they like to see me blown up like the Michelin man. I think it is because they all dive wet.

 

[nuballawalla]

I just did a pool check-out with my drysuit. A couple of things to look for...

1. make sure your seals are trimmed properly. My neck seal was way too tight and I didn't trim it for fear of trimming too much. This was a bad decision. The seal seriously cut the circulation of blood to my brain and i was not doing so well. luckily this was a 12' pool and not an 80' wreck.

2. definitely practice feet-up scenarios with and without ankle weights. i found that i had to unplug my inflator hose to reach my ankles. if i didn't, the inflator valve would jam open when i reached up to my ankles and i'd just balloon even more! again, i'm glad that i found this out in a shallow pool.

3. wear something underneath. i think i will wear a cup next time.

have fun.

 

[dlndavid]

Which puts it back to the same chance of quality of doing it with a buddy.



dsater, save your cash. Just get mentored by a buddy.

that's what I did

 

[JeffG]

that's what I did

and you survived.

 

[riguerin]

and you survived.

... just barely J/K

 

[JeffG]

... just barely J/K

Well, it was touch and go there when he was task loaded with moonie. I was in no position to help because I was laughing so hard my mask was leaking.

 

[dlndavid]

I will never be able to live this down in a 1000 years
At least Howard didn't catch a photo op of it.