I want your honest opinion....

[seaducer]

Have you dived in a dry suit at all yet? I am not sure I would want my first time in icey cold water to also be the first time I was in a dry suit. It is different than diving w/o exposure protection OR with a wetsuit.

Also, man, flooding your mask in water that cold is going to hhhuuurrrttt. Dry suit or not I cannot fathom checking out in Dutch this time of year would be any fun.

Can you do it? Yes. Is it safe? I am sure it will be. You will be on a platform in 20 feet of water right next to an instructor and/or a DM.

But it is not even remotely close to ideal, and it may turn you off to diving altogether? Do your checkouts in the spring. Dry or wet then at least it will be a little more comfortable, and there will be lots more people there, much more fun, all in all a better way to introduce yourself to this lifestyle. Next year, after you have been addicted, you can dive sub-optimal conditions. Diving now is just apt to be to darn frustrating...

 

[String]

Id ALWAYS recommend learning to dive in the conditions and equipment you expect to be doing most of your diving in. If you're going to be diving cold water then learn in cold water with a drysuit. Drysuits really aren't complicated at all and if you learn from day 1 its even easier.

 

[Deep-Thief]

I would say the dives can be done, but you won't be very happy. It will be cold. PADI does say you should be dressed appropriately for the conditions. Those conditions are most definately drysuit conditions. All in all, I would do it in a drysuit but wait till about April or so to do the dives. Unless you can make your way some where more south sooner. I understand the kids issue. Good luck.

 

[DivingPrincessE]

Diving in a quarry...and diving in a quarry in January are two very different things. I did quarry diving the first summer I got certified (before I got a BF in FL that I see once a month and dive with). I dove a quarry once in April...wow did that ever SUCK! I can't even imagine what January would be like.

Your family's friend is right about drysuit fit being important, and if you haven't played around with it in a pool...I really wouldn't recommend doing it in a quarry or ocean.

If there isn't ice at dutch when you go, it may not be "unsafe" but it sure as heck won't be enjoyable. You really want to try to make your check out dives as pleasant as possible so that you don't have a bad experience that turns you off from diving altogether.

Also what Seaducer is right...flooding your mask in those temps...ouch!!

Just do the class and pool now, and wait until the summer to get certified.

 

[Web Monkey]

It's a little hard to follow your post, but if you're asking if it's OK to do your certification dives in a drysuit, the answer is "yes" assuming your training includes a drysuit class.

Our shop has been doing this since as long as drysuits have been around and haven't lost anybody yet.

Yes, it will be cold, and it would be easier if you wanted to wait until July and do your dives in a wetsuit, but if you don't mind January, it's certainly possible.

Another thing to consider is that if you do it, you'll probably never have a colder dive anywhere, which means your diving season is just about 12 months. If you certify on a trip in warm water, you'll probably never bother with the drysuit or the class and will only dive up here a few months/year.

Terry

 

[b1gcountry]

Some people are just not comfortable diving in cold water. There's nothing wrong with only diving in warm water; it's fun, and easy with a lot less hassle. A lot of those people, however, imagine anyone who dives in cold water to be crazy, and I could see someone like that giving you this kind of advice.

The fact that the person owns a drysuit tells me this isn't the case though, so I'm not really sure what their problem is with it. They are certainly entitled to their opinions, and it might be worth hearing them out just to let them know you understand the extra stuff, and are prepared and okay with it.

The water will be cold, and it hitting your face will be a bit of a shock, especially when doing mask removals. You will probably be limited on the time you are in the water because you will get cold faster, and the surface might not give you a real good chance to warm up. Your drysuit will be harder to control, and your mobility will be reduced. As long as you are prepared for all this, and you spend a little extra effort preparing for it (ie in the pool), I don't see an issue. If you have the mind to, explain all this to the person, and see what their response it...a lot of people claim to be scuba experts, but the real good ones will give you logical explanations, and really listen to your concerns. Also realize that being a Navy Seal has little or nothing to do with recreational scuba diving.

Tom

 

[funkcanna]

I second the others who recommend certifying in cold water if thats the conditions you will primarily be diving in. This will allow you 12 month diving season, as said above.

I certified in the North East of England in a Semi-Dry suit and did all my diving there or in the winter a quarry (had to break ice numerous times to get in) or West Coast of Scotland. Very cold diving made all the easier due to me being certified in a Semi Dry in the north sea. Now I live in the UAE and I could not THINK about going in the north sea again! I get cold at 21degrees celcius here!

Basically what I am saying is that warm diving has made me soft, so if cold diving is what you will be doing, I 100% recommend starting as you mean to go on.

 

[TSandM]

vtxkev, I did my OW class certification dives in a dry suit. It's not uncommon around here, with water temps in winter in the mid 40's. You CAN be warm enough to be comfortable, especially since certification dives are usually fairly short.

HOWEVER, here's the BIG caveat: If you are going to borrow a suit, make SURE you borrow it early enough to get in the pool with it before going into the cold water. You want to be sure that it doesn't leak on you. Dry suit seals must fit, or they will admit water. I did my first two OW dives in a suit with seals that did not fit me, and I ended up hypothermic and pretty sick.

You also want to practice the use of the dry suit, and the salvage maneuvers for getting feet-high, before you go into OW. Other than that, I can't think of any reason not to do your certification dives in a dry suit, borrowed or otherwise. (I finished up mine in a dry suit borrowed from one of the shop's instructors.)

 

[Dadvocate]

I am a warm temp diver all the way, having done the vast majority of my diving in the Philippines and Thailand. I did my rescue diver course in August in Seattle in 11 degree water (52 degrees Fahrenheit). I didn’t have on a dry suit, still buoyancy was a pain given the big differences between a 14 mm and a 3 mm suit. Also the massive difference in the amount of weights needed compared to what I am used to was also a big adjustment.

The review of skills portion of the class with mask clearing was awful. That flash of ice water smacking your face when you are used to a toasty caress of 29 degrees (84) is the equivalent of a kryptonite blast for Superman. It wasn’t until that very moment underwater doing that mask review that I realized it was actually possible to shout profanities through a regulator that are discernable to other divers.

I can’t imagine the woe of doing a mask skills test in 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

The experience was good, yes, but for me at least it proves Web Monkey’s point. If you start diving in warm water, you end up staying in warm water. Take the advice of others who tell you to get used to what you will be diving most of the time. That way you will have a longer and more enjoyable diving season.

Cheers!

 

[vtxkev]

Thanks for everyone's comments so far. I want to hear this person out and see what they have to say and their reasons for thinking this should not be done. I believe their real issue is the dry suit not fitting properly. It is a moot point if they let me borrow the dry suit or not, to me my LDS should supply the suit as that is who I paid for the class and there was no requirement that I have my own dry suit. But thats neither here nor there because they are good people and I know we will work it out without a problem. I believe it was NudeDiver that brought up the fact that he lives in Alaska and they all dive dry all the time and he did his OW in a dry suit. Does this mean anyone from anywhere cold should not do OW in a dry suit? I actually like the cold and like I said eariler vacations to tropical destinations where I can enjoy the warm water diving that everyone loves so much is out of the question for me. If I can make it somewhere warm it will be once every other year if I am lucky and thats just not enough diving for me! So keep the logical responses coming and I will keep you updated as to my conversation with this person and let you know how it turns out.

Dive Safe!