First suit for beginner: stay wet or go dry?

[kolopua]

Hi everyone,

I am a total beginner and I have just completed my OW Padi course and the Advanced. I have only 20 dives behind me, and I dive in Canada, in British Columbia, where the water gets pretty cold, especially in the winter time. I have done all my dives so far in a wetsuit, and I am finally starting to be comfortable with it (and with its 8mm...). Now, I would like to buy my first suit. But I am not sure if I should buy a wetsuit or a dry suit. . (I will also take a drysuit course next month even if I dont buy a drysuit, just to learn the basics)

My questions are: would you say that it's better to start learning diving with a wetsuit (I mean the thick 8mm ones) and when I will be really good at it, start learning with a drysuit? Isn't a drysuit more technical and maybe more dangerous to use for a beginner? Does it help to start with a wetsuit or not at all?

I am sure everyone has his own preferences. I just would like to have a general opinion, advices from maybe some of you who are teaching diving.

Maybe it makes no difference at all...!

Thank you for all your comments and answers,

Kolopua

PS: the temperature, and how cold I might get with a wetsuit vs drysuit is not an issue right now since I am fine so far with the wetsuit I use.

 

[JeffG]

Go straight to the drysuit. A Bare Next Gen won't set you back very much, but your diving is way more comfortable. Especially surface intervals.

I didn't even allow my partner to use thick wetsuits in cold water. It was straight to the drysuit. Its not that hard/different to dive.

 

[JeffG]

PS: the temperature, and how cold I might get with a wetsuit vs drysuit is not an issue right now since I am fine so far with the wetsuit I use.

Quite frankly...until you dive a drysuit, you don't know how wrong your are.

 

[Jim Ernst]

I have mixed feeling's about it...

One, I think it would be great to buy and learn with the gear you are going to be using, So be it a wet suit or a dry suit..

That said I also feel a dry suit is going to add to your list of task's that you as a new diver are still learning, A dry suit does add some task loading as it changes the amount of weight (lead) you will use, Your buoyancy is going to change and that is something you as a new diver are still learning..And the dry suit is the same as having another BC/D to have to work with.

But you also might want to consider that you are taking the dry suit course and I think it would be good to learn using your own suit and that would give you an advantage if you are going to dive dry.


As you can tell I can't TELL you whats right or wrong for you, It is a decision that only you can make for yourself.

Me ...personally, If I were starting all over again AND I was sure I was going to go as far as I have and diving was going to be the addiction that it has become for me..Then yes I would buy the gear that I am going to be using in the years to come and learn with that gear from the start.

 

[Jim Ernst]

Well...

There you go Jeff feels you should go straight into a dry suit...

I can't argue!

 

[almitywife]

i agree with Jeff - go to the drysuit (just dont listen to him if he starts diss'ing ankle weights )

i know some divers that did their OW course in a drysuit so as long as you are made aware of how to handle problems that can happen you should enjoy your diving alot more.

cheers and goodluck

 

[JeffG]

i agree with Jeff - go to the drysuit (just dont listen to him if he starts diss'ing ankle weights )

Ankle weights are not required. They are crutches.

 

[JeffG]

Well...

There you go Jeff feels you should go straight into a dry suit...

I can't argue!

The truth is a stubborn thing.

 

[Jim Ernst]

Ankle weights are not required. They are crutches.

 

[kolopua]

Thanks for these answers...you seem to all agree...