I want your honest opinion....

[vtxkev]

So I would like some honest opinions on here about the following situation.

I am a new diver, dove one time on a cruise ship and now it is time for me to take the PADI OW course. I go to my LDS who is a PADI 5 star IDC dive center ( I wanted to throw that out so we know we are anot talking about some hole in the wall dive shop) to see what they offer. I am told that they can do the OW course no problem, but since I live in the North East I have a couple of options. Take the classroom & pool sessions and then wait until May or June to do my check out dives or take the Dry Suit course in conjunction with the OW course and I can do my check out dives in Jan.

So I tell them to sign me up for both OW & Dry Suit and let me know where to be. I just finished up my pool & classroom sessions for the OW course and am taking the Dry Suit classroom & pool session tomorrow. Hopefully check out dives will be next weekend.

So that is the background, sorry so winded, but I wanted everyone to have some info. Now the LDS is having a hard time finding me a dry suit that fits and I was checking with some people I know and there is a friend of my wifes father & step mother who is about my size. So they ask him if he would be so inclined to let me borrow his dry suit for the weekend. This is the reply we received,

"He is insane to get certified in January at Dutch. You are talking ice conditions. Did he really obtain proper training for this type of check out? Is he really trained in ice, dry suit and open water in one shot?

(my comments: Water temp is probaly around 40 and surface temp will be anywhere from 23 - 35)

Dry Suits are complicated, if it not a proper fit you are screwed. All dry suits have different buoyancy factors, different vale operations (think he ment valve??) and comfort. Add ice factors and these are worse because you loose dexterity.

We should talk for the sake of helping your son-in-law out"

This person who wrote that is suposidly a diving expert, dont know him personally but he does want to talk to me and is suposed to call tomorrow. Who knows maybe he is on this forum and will read this. All in all I will talk to him and see what his thoughts are and hear him out. My question is we are dealing with a 5 star PADI LDS and I do not believe in any way they would put my life in danger just to gain a couple bucks for some classes. I would also have to think that they would ax the check out dives if it is that cold, but also isnt that what dry suits are for?

I would like to know who you agree with the LDS or the dive expert?

For the more experianced divers on the board, knowing what you know now would you make a dive like this?

 

[oly5050user]

Is this person giving the advise a instructor ?
The facility is giving you an option on training dives.It is your choice to accept which method to go with.I have trained people from day 1 in dry suits onto their training dives.No big deal..obviously if there is ice at Dutch then the dives will NOT be done.NO overhead environments allowed!
I personally would either do the dives in the spring or go on a vacation to an island somewhere to get them done.I am taking a group to Bonaire May 31 just for that reason.Good luck with your course and take what people say with a grain of salt.They usually mean no harm but are usually just uninformed.

 

[Jimmer]

I concur with oly505user, no big deal doing the drysuit training at the same time, it's becoming more and more common in cold climates. But if there is any ice when you go for your open water checkout dives, you dont see the water, simple as that. Open Water training can encompass drysuit, but an overhead environment is the last place a brand spanking new diver should be.

 

[sambolino44]

You should go talk to the guy, but from the looks of it there's no way he's going to loan you his suit. And if it is actually possible to convince him to let you use it, then why all the drama?

 

[String]

Best time to learn a drysuit is from day 1 as part of your core dive training. That way you dont have to worry about unlearning skills and so on, its natural right from the start so correct choice.

As for ice, if its frozen over you wont be diving. If its not frozen over, its not ice diving - its cold water but thats what drysuits were invented for.

Just make sure the suit fits - there really is nothing worse than a poorly fitting drysuit

 

[vtxkev]

Is this person giving the advise a instructor ?

I am not 100% sure. I know they were a navy seal for quite some time and very informed about SCUBA.

I personally would either do the dives in the spring or go on a vacation to an island somewhere to get them done.

There is no point, I am married with 2 young children. I need to get used to cold quarry diving because that is where 90% of it will take place.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Unless you have had the drysuit in the pool for a few times I'd say no. How many pool sessions have you had to begin with? Drysuit fit is critical. Many places teach with a drysuit in open water classes but the conditions are usually a little better surface wise than we have here in PA. The air temps do play into this. Whoever asked about them being insane sounds like he knows what he is talking about. You may find that 40 is being generous for dutch at this time. Ice is a definite possibility. And by the way a 5 star designation does not really mean much more than they teach only PADI classes and that they sell alot of PADI materials. Many "Hole in the wall" dive shops are some of the BEST places to get certified. I would not take a new diver to Dutch or any quarry now. There is ice on most of the ones out this way. In three weeks I'm taking an ice class. I've been diving 4 years and an instructor for almost a year. I've dove cold water (38 degrees) but you are talking a different animal coupled with the air temps. I'd want you in at least three pool sessions and in a suit that fits. I'd also delay your dives till the temps were a bit better in the water and air. I see nothing wrong with doing ow in a dry suit in 40- 50 degree water with enough pool time first and milder air temps. But 35 degree water or colder, with sub freezing air temps, and possible ice, coupled with only one pool session in a suit that does not fit? I'd consider myself reckless if I did that.

 

[DiveNav]

If 90% of your dives will be in a cold quarry .... then BUY a dry suit as soon as possible!
You will appreciate it

You could then use our dive simulator to "check out" warmer water locations.

Good luck!

 

[DESIGNERDIVER]

why not get a referral and do your certification dives in the keys...................just did that. I live on long island and is too cold here. finished my pool and classroom work in november then did the open water dives end of december in key largo.................was beautiful and warm!! good luck

 

[NudeDiver]

"He is insane to get certified in January at Dutch. You are talking ice conditions. Did he really obtain proper training for this type of check out? Is he really trained in ice, dry suit and open water in one shot?...

I don't think you're getting great advice.

I took my OW class and certified in a drysuit, in November, in Alaska. Plenty cold. Plenty slushy at the surface. I didn't even get a drysuit cert out of it either - I took that class 5 years and 20+ drysuit dives later.

Everyone up here does their OW certification in a drysuit as far as I know. It's not really considered a big deal. In my class, we did one extra pool session to cover the use of the drysuit - and off we went into the cold, dark waters in the snow.

Unless you're diving in REAL ice - that is, they're cutting a hole and dropping you through (which I really doubt), you should be fine, if the quality of instruction is good.

There is no point, I am married with 2 young children. I need to get used to cold quarry diving because that is where 90% of it will take place.

Then I would DEFINITELY disagree with all the "do a referral and do OW dives in warm water" advice. Do it in the cold, with a drysuit, even if you have to buy one. It's a great way to learn. Think about it this way, do you want to come back to the cold water and learn on your own? Hell no! Take the 4 dives with an instructor (5 with the DS cert) and learn all you can while you have the chance. Then you can buy me that spot on our local dive boat

One thing I would NOT do is go drysuit diving with a poorly fitting suit. I did that once. Feet were too big. Ended up having my fins come off, and surface swam back to shore, a long way, without fins. Really sucked.