I want your honest opinion....

[The Chairman]

Rule #2: It's YOUR dive. You can call it at any time, for any reason and with no questions asked.

In other words, listen to BOTH sides and then YOU have to make the final decision. If you decide to go and find that your stress levels are elevated in such cold water, simply CALL THE DIVE. No one can force you to dive. On the other hand if you are up to the challenge, then by all means make a splash. Don't be swayed by the warm water wimps! Heck, I am a card carrying member of that group.

As for the DS. Go get a Whites Fusion! Best Dry Suit out on the market in my estimation. Best fit and everything, plus you get to look like a Power Ranger!

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Cold water diving during cold weather can be done safely and it can be fun for new divers. There is a lot of preparation and planning for diver comfort the instructor needs to do and my guess is if they are actually willing to take you to the quarry in January they have the stuff they need to make it a pleasant experience. Many instructors around this general area will not even offer to dive with you until late spring and you're seeing the reasons why listed in your thread. All of them are valid reasons and the individual student's goals have to be taken into consideration. One thing we've noticed about our students, the ones who certify in the most adverse conditions are the ones who are still active divers years later. Remember, the water isn't much warmer in April than it is in January around here but the air temp has a better chance of being warmer although I have seen snow during early May Ohio check-out dives.

I can tell you from personal experience a wet wetsuit in 40-ish degree water is warmer than wet drysuit undies in the same temperature. Try the drysuit out in the pool and spend time doing all the skills you will do in the open water to see if the suit is going to leak.

Take along every warm piece of clothing you own including hats and mittens just in case you end up wet. You can NEVER have too many "warmies" with you when diving in the winter

Go out there and get yourself certified and we'll see you at the next local New Year's Day dive
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[seaducer]

Another question kind of on the same topic here....Whats the difference if I borrow someones XXL DUI suit or XXL Dive Rite suit or XXL whatever suit OR if I buy my own XXL DUI / Dive Rite / Whatever suit. Its the same suit isnt it?
Dive Safe!

No, suits are different sizes and fit differently. As someone else already mentioned, the seals are critical in a dry suit, and sort of customized to the owner. When you get new seals, either with a new suit or have new seals put in an old one, you will need to trim them to fit you. For both comfort and water tightness.

Also, an XXL from DUI may fit you different than an XXL from Bare, or Whites, or...

Something ELSE, a shell suit from one manufacturer in XXL may fit you different than a crushed neoprene model from the same company.
Moral of that story? If you are renting or borrowing, be prepared to be less comfortable than if you owned you own. Some may fit you great, but don't hold your breath. When you are buying your own, be prepared to try on every suit you are considering for fit, regardless of what else fits you. And if you are an odd size, maybe you need a custom suit.

Take me, I am 6'5", and my waist is between a 37 and a 40, depending on time of year. All the size guides I have seen for suits long enough to cover me are designed for 50+ inch waist lines Not everybody who is a normal height looks like John Madden. I am more likely to eat a tofurkey than a turducken. Though I prefer the regular kind. Anyway, I am rambling, because I am hungry, so I am taking a lunch break now...

 

[vtxkev]

So just an update for anyone out there who cares or just wants to read. I found a dry suit from the shop that seems like it fits me. It was comfortable, not cutting off my circulation at the seals, didnt feel like I was going to pass out. So we got in the pool last night for about 2 hours and did some drills and swam around. Must say it was pretty comfortable doesnt seem like there should be any issues with the suit. So that leaves this upcoming weekend to do my check out dives at Dutch Springs. We will see they are calling for temps in the teens sol if thats the case I will have to wait until Feb to do them (they are only open one weekend in Jan and one in Feb). And to top it off the person never even called me to discuss their issues so I guess they arent that concerned.

 

[String]

A gap between confined and open water isnt ideal - ask if you can get a pool refresher immediately to going open water. You WILL forget things in the time period.

 

[Gary D.]

I'd listen to your heart, your instructor and Sting. Take your time, get comfortable and remember you can call the dive if it doesn't work out.

Now about SEAL's. There are two types, Those who are and those who lie about being one. Unless you have proof that a person is I think twice about it. People also think they are the worlds best and most knowlegable divers in the world. Well, they are good but their primary job is COMBAT which may or may not include diving. They are all about team work. Just because they are SEAL's does not make them instructors. Not all good divers can teach.

So ask your buddies to see their DD214, Team pic's or their SEAL graduation certificate. If they can't produce all or any of the above I'd call it Deja Moo.

Another thing that people try to get away with is taking a Recreational Dive class while they are in the Navy can calling themselves a Navy Diver. There is one guy that I work with that tried that and got caught big time. In fact he was so far undercover as a diver that there is no record at all of him ever being trained because the Viet Nam goverment is still tring to find him because of all the troops he killed underwater. Yeh right, he was barely old enough to quit nursing when we pulled out of Nam. When it comes to Military Diver bragging or claims be cautious.

Gary D.

 

[vtxkev]

A gap between confined and open water isnt ideal - ask if you can get a pool refresher immediately to going open water. You WILL forget things in the time period.

If it doesnt work out for this weekend and we have to wait until Feb to do the dives I can get in the pool again before we go there is no problem with that.

 

[diver 85]

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

This is the best possible answer........

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Have fun this weekend.

(We assume that when you found a drysuit that fit you, you meant "with an undergarment beneath it". )

Remember that like most things in life, people's "comfort levels" are going to vary. Many divers in the US routinely go diving in very cold water, even through the winter. Dutch in the winter is no warmer or colder than Lake Rawlings in the winter, and my buddies and I dove in Rawlings all winter long.

For a first time diver, as the others have said, the familiarization sessions in the pool will be key to getting a feel for the drysuit. But assuming the suit works well, and you are reasonably comfortable in it during the pool sessions, don't worry about the cold water at Dutch.

Hell, the visibility in the quarries in the middle of winter is much clearer than it will ever be during the warmer months, when the sediment is nearly always stirred up by dive classes and more regular use. Have fun with your instructor, and enjoy the experience. Cold water diving is not for everyone, but if you're comfortable with it, it certainly extends your diving season to a year-round opportunity!

Regards,

Doc

 

[nereas]

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?

Cold, really cold water diving is a major challenge, yes.

I think the response is reasonably cautious, yes.

I would not hesitate to loan you my drysuit.

However I would have the same concerns.