learning how to use a dry suit

[cummings66]

The one thing about diving a drysuit is it's a learning experience. Soon you'll start to feel the suit and know what's going to happen before it does, then once it clicks like that you'll be fine. Until it does watch out and be ready to tuck and roll.

When I first started diving a drysuit my LDS had ankle weights on me to help the floaty feet, after one dive I told them my trim was off and I didn't like it and took them off. The funny thing is the only time I lost it was with those ankle weights on, I didn't hit the surface and I did T&R to stop it, but I couldn't feel stuff with it. I considered gaters to help, then after so many dives I actually started feeling the suit and could tell when I was nearing the point of too much air and would control the suit rather than it controlling me.

That's the issue and benefit of a course, you have people there who've dove it and know what you're going through. They'll give you tips and help you understand the mechanics of it, your job is to learn and go beyond the mechanics until you hit the point where it's an extension of yourself.

Solving problems is also a good portion of the course, and one that will come in handy. Once you lose control of the suit it's not very long before it's too late to fix it so you've got to react quickly to save the situation, the courses help out here as well.

In many ways a drysuit is like flying a plane, it's not hard until something happens.

 

[stacey_n_jamie]

buy a pair of ankle weights . they tend to help keep your feet down some. and guys when someone asks for help please dont confuse em with jokes. this is what makes this board hard to understand sometimes especiially when its coming from instructors.

 

[HowardE]

I don't want to knock a course, if you need one. But I learned how to use my drysuit A DUI CLX-450 in about 5 minutes. Since then I have done 60+ dives with my DS, and have had only 1 rapid ascent (which I figured out why - and have never had that problem since the 1 time), and never had an upside-down ascent. Although about 3 weeks after I got my DS, we (my wife and I) had an opportunity to do some drills on our own, in a lagoon. We did practice upside-down ascents, and getting out of them, etc. Even with my feet on the surface, inflated... it wasn't hard to invert, and vent my suit without the use of ankle weights.

I did my first DS dive in the ocean, to 60'.

I did however - have a 5 minute explaniton about DS diving from a good friend, and DS diver - so I would have to say, that without the 5 minute briefing, I would have been clueless. He explained how to put the suit on, how to vent air, valve open, etc. So If you don't have a friend who is an experienced DS diver to help you out, then I would say either watch the video, or take a course.

Either way... It's not hard - after doing many dives in the DS, I prefer the DS to a wetsuit, even though I have to carry more weight. I recently invested in the DUI Weight and Trim system... I really like that... even though I only have to carry 20 LBS of lead, it feels like nothing at all with the DUI weight belt (harness)

YMMV

 

[TSandM]

Having had the experience of seeing a novice dive buddy go feet up and cling helplessly to a rope on the bottom, unable to get her feet back down even with me grabbing and pushing them -- and neither of us quite sure how to get her OUT of that situation -- I'd recommend getting some training, or at least finding an experienced drysuit person to help you. At the very least, go play with the suit in a pool. I got a one hour dry suit orientation prior to my first OW dives, and that was enough to keep me out of such situations.

 

[Madrone]

I was told if I ended up feet first at the surface, to inflate my BC to bring my face up to the surface. then hit the exaust valve.. or open a seal....Id rather be wet and cold than dead. i just did a dry suit course. I recommend it..diving dry is much different than a wetsuit. plus most of my dive experience is warm water, way more stressful in cold water.

 

[cummings66]

The thing is, if you have ankle seals (I don't) and can reach them you can probably right yourself anyhow because you're already half way bent (and that can be for real if you dove deep and ended up in an uncontrolled ascent). Otherwise, for the non drysuit divers. You can open a seal up to vent air out of the suit if for some reason a valve fails, however you've got to open the seal where the air is for this to work.