Help! Need to use drysuit next week - how?
- Thread starter MARK_SHU
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Anyone who is around who could share some of that 40 hours with you? Start shallow!MARK_SHU:
ClevelandDiver
Contributor
If you are going to dive without taking a class, read any available manuals and try to do a trial run in a pool. I read a users guide and took a single pool session with my instructor before trying out my drysuit in a quarry. The pool session was very valuable. By the way, are you diving in toxic waste or something else so vile you absolutely can not use a wetsuit? If you are diving deep there is a lot more danger than if you are scrubbing a hull or cleaning up something nasty in shallow water.
DiveGolfSki
Contributor
Ever see that commercial about the doctor talking to his patient on the phone and giving him instructions on how operate on himself .... "shouldn't you be doing this?" says the patient.
Hey - just because you ride the short bus doesn't mean you get to bring your mother into this!MARK_SHU:
All ribbing aside, Mark, you're running a very high risk of hurting yourself and I hope you are able to find an alternative to self-teaching or (gasp!) learning how to dive from an internet bulletin board. It's not rocket science but that doesn't mean that it can't seriously blow up in your face. I'm certainly not going to encourage you by trying to teach you long-distance.
Geeze Mark, these guys are scarin me and I'am just readin.
We still don' t know where you are, how deep you're going and what you're up to. Depending on those answers, might not be to smart, so take it slow. Or, it's not rocket science, still take it slow. If it's so "mystical" why do the let the lowely DM's teach a drysuit orientation class. If you're messing around at 100' doing salvage work,,,,,,,,, well, don't tell your mother.
Lot's of folks out there take a Drysuit specialty course.
Lot's of folks out there take a Drysuit orientation course.
Some folks don't do either and do just fine. Guess it depends on what you're up to.
O,, and for not knowing anything about Drysuits I thought you asked all of the right questions. Maybe you are smart.
adios don O
We still don' t know where you are, how deep you're going and what you're up to. Depending on those answers, might not be to smart, so take it slow. Or, it's not rocket science, still take it slow. If it's so "mystical" why do the let the lowely DM's teach a drysuit orientation class. If you're messing around at 100' doing salvage work,,,,,,,,, well, don't tell your mother.
Lot's of folks out there take a Drysuit specialty course.
Lot's of folks out there take a Drysuit orientation course.
Some folks don't do either and do just fine. Guess it depends on what you're up to.
O,, and for not knowing anything about Drysuits I thought you asked all of the right questions. Maybe you are smart.
adios don O
Tassie_Rohan
Contributor
I am going to get seriously flamed for this
.
First off, as above, I strongly recommend you do a course or at least find someone with drysuit experience who can help you get use to the suit.
However, in a case of do what I say, not what I did:
My first drysuit dives were solo. I basically stayed close to the diveboat and practised while other divers came and went doing their thing. I spent 5 -10 minues just floating, getting use to inflate/deflate and the feel of the suit. I headed down to 5 meters and got use to inflating/venting and the feel. I then heading down to the bottom and played around for another 20 minites. After two dives like this I had the hang of things, and after around 10 dives I was comfortable with the suit.
Risky? Yes
Stupid? Yes
Recommended? Certainly not.
If you are going to be stupid and irresponsible and do your first dry suit dives alone (like me..) then my best advise is:
Use the absolute minimum of air in the suit: put your dump valve on full open and only add small puffs of air. Keep a moderate squeeze on the suit. Doing so will minimise problems with suit buoyancy and trim (you dont want a large bubble of air moving around on your first dive unless you enjoy hanging upside down).
Ascend slowly head up, pausing along the way: give your suit time to vent air.
Cheers,
Rohan.
First off, as above, I strongly recommend you do a course or at least find someone with drysuit experience who can help you get use to the suit.
However, in a case of do what I say, not what I did:
My first drysuit dives were solo. I basically stayed close to the diveboat and practised while other divers came and went doing their thing. I spent 5 -10 minues just floating, getting use to inflate/deflate and the feel of the suit. I headed down to 5 meters and got use to inflating/venting and the feel. I then heading down to the bottom and played around for another 20 minites. After two dives like this I had the hang of things, and after around 10 dives I was comfortable with the suit.
Risky? Yes
Stupid? Yes
Recommended? Certainly not.
If you are going to be stupid and irresponsible and do your first dry suit dives alone (like me..) then my best advise is:
Use the absolute minimum of air in the suit: put your dump valve on full open and only add small puffs of air. Keep a moderate squeeze on the suit. Doing so will minimise problems with suit buoyancy and trim (you dont want a large bubble of air moving around on your first dive unless you enjoy hanging upside down).
Ascend slowly head up, pausing along the way: give your suit time to vent air.
Cheers,
Rohan.
Hey Mark
When I originally went to dry, I investigated all I could on the Internet. DUI has a nice website with a lot of information there; how to trim seals, choosing undergarments, etc. Other manufacterers may have similar information. The instruction manual for your suit may be useful if it came wiht one.
The PADI drysuit manual and video were moderately helpful as well. I think viewing the video would be especially helpful for self instruction.
You must dive in a seriously warm place to have been able to remain completely insulated from dry suit basics for over 3000 dives. Pretty impressive...
When I originally went to dry, I investigated all I could on the Internet. DUI has a nice website with a lot of information there; how to trim seals, choosing undergarments, etc. Other manufacterers may have similar information. The instruction manual for your suit may be useful if it came wiht one.
The PADI drysuit manual and video were moderately helpful as well. I think viewing the video would be especially helpful for self instruction.
You must dive in a seriously warm place to have been able to remain completely insulated from dry suit basics for over 3000 dives. Pretty impressive...
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