Learning the Drysuit. How was it for you?

[Ste Wart]

For all my macho-posturing and acerbic commentary on SB, I am; unashamedly a warm-water wimp. I've clocked up well over 2000 dives in a fraction under 10 years of diving, but since leaving Australia I could count the dives in Sub-20 degree C on one hand (and a foot or two ).

That was until this year. This year I experienced my first dive where the temperature ran to a single digit, this year I purchased probably the single most expensive piece of kit I have ever shelled out for. This year I dive dry... well a little damp really, but I have a good undersuit.

Coming from the Tropical climes of the coral seas to the harsh reality of diving of the English coast is an interesting one. Those emerald waters, the astonishing (-ly bad) viz, the PITA tide times and that curious pain in your face as you descend and slowly acclimatise to the cold waters, all part of learning in the great scheme of SCUBA.

However it is the battle with the drybag that has been the most taxing part of this sub-temperate dive world. The strange sausage-like constriction (often unpleasant) that occurs when you fail to equalize your drysuit periodically on descent. The fact that every movement seems like a slow-motion version when compared to the Ursain Bolt movement of diving in boardies, and, of course the awful realisation that just a little too much gas has just migrated to your boots and will punish you severely if you think about changing camera position for that huge spider-crab.

You somehow feel completely unconnected to your dive equipment, casual reaches for SPG's end up swiping empty water, as your waistline is now artificial expanded and that bolt-snap slightly further back than you assumed. 5mm gloves make handling anything feel odd (So much so that since the water has reached 15 degrees C I have shunned them)

Let's not forget the ascents, those humorous moments when you momentarily forget to open your exhaust valve and that gas, - which didn't really take off the squeeze at depth - expands and is suddenly immense; with a powerful urge to polaris you to the surface. This combined with the fact that I'm still a notorious under-weighter.

Well after 30 odd dives fighting this beast, I feel that I am beginning to understand it and best it.

All I really have to say is thank f**k I didn't have to take my OW in one!

 

[ScubaSteve]

I had a really tough time with my drysuit at first. It was to the point that for 10-15 dives, I really did not enjoy diving.....and that says A LOT about me because I can dive in a cess pool and enjoy it and after 300+ wetsuit dives I had everything tuned and it worked very well for me without thought. Dives 1-3 were good but then I started to gradually go deeper and it was then that I realized that my dump valve vented VERY sloooooooowly in relation to the amount of air that is in my drysuit (big drysuit = lots of air). I have that under control now but am still working on venting while in trim. Small amounts I can vent without going too far out of trim but if I am ascending, I find I have to almost stand up to get the air out of my suit quickly. I am only keeping enough air in my suit to prevent squeeze and am not really using it for buoyancy.....I got the suit just after my son was born 2 years ago so my diving has been limited in that time (= longer learning curve). After about 35 dives, I feel comfortable diving the suit but know I have lots to learn (or improve on) still.

EDIT......vent all the way open camp

 

[Searcaigh]

Everytime I go back to dive in Scotland and have to wear a drysuit I feel like a newbie again. Twenty odd years ago before I moved to warmer climes I was okay in a 7mm, cold was not an issue, but not any more.

Tempted to use my 6.5mm semi-dry this September though

 

[Ste Wart]

Everytime I go back to dive in Scotland and have to wear a drysuit I feel like a newbie again. Twenty odd years ago before I moved to warmer climes I was okay in a 7mm, cold was not an issue, but not any more.

Tempted to use my 6.5mm semi-dry this September though

Good luck with that. The water down in Plymouth has only just clicked up to 15 degrees this week, I couldn't imagine doing this with a semi-dry, last time I was in these temps was with my old (sadly departed) Scubapro Scotia 5 years ago, no fear would I attempt it again.

 

[billgraham]

Leave the dump open, then you don't have to think about it. On descents, give the inflation button a poke when you equalize your ears.

 

[shoredivr]

However it is the battle with the drybag that has been the most taxing part of this sub-temperate dive world. The strange sausage-like constriction (often unpleasant) that occurs when you fail to equalize your drysuit periodically on descent. The fact that every movement seems like a slow-motion version when compared to the Ursain Bolt movement of diving in boardies, and, of course the awful realisation that just a little too much gas has just migrated to your boots and will punish you severely if you think about changing camera position for that huge spider-crab.

You somehow feel completely unconnected to your dive equipment, casual reaches for SPG's end up swiping empty water, as your waistline is now artificial expanded and that bolt-snap slightly further back than you assumed. 5mm gloves make handling anything feel odd (So much so that since the water has reached 15 degrees C I have shunned them)

Thanks for clearly describing why many tasks take that little longer to learn with cold water gloves or dry gloves.

I have been diving dry since 2000, with occasional warm water experiences (this weekend, for example, the St Lawrence River around Brockville will be a toasty 74 degrees, so it's wetsuit time, yeah!). The whole air-in-the-suit venting on ascent has been made SO much easier by switching from my trilam to a White's Fusion Suit. The neoprene layer on top acts like a wetsuit, and it practically vents itself.

No worries, by dive 50 you'll be spot on.

*edit* dump open almost all the way group also

 

[cbrich]

I agree, leave the dump valve open. I keep mine full open, and don't touch it. It took me many dives to get comfortable in diving my drysuit without worrying about doing some acrobatic skill.

As ScubaSteve mentioned the vent valves dump really slow. So I too never use my drysuit as buoyancy control, just add air to eliminate the squeeze.

 

[RichWilx]

+1 for only putting air in the suit to overcome squeeze. I have a perfectly serviceable BC

I am glad that I started learning dry-suit diving after only 25 dives as instead of being a shock change to habits learned over 100s of dives, it is just another thing among all the other habits that I have to learn. I've now logged 15 dives in a drysuit and am feeling more and more confident with it.... and I certainly wouldn't dive UK waters in anything else.

 

[HenrikBP]

I had my own struggles learning to dive dry, but in honesty I think diving a Fusion helped me a lot in minimizing bubble management - minimize mind you, not completely remove

I didn't have much trouble with D-rings and such not being in the "right place", but I think a huge part of that was that I used (and still use) dry gloves. I *love* my dry gloves.

My first gloves were on Viking dry glove rings which makes it very easy to change gloves, and also allows you to retain the wrist seal. Now I'm using zip gloves on my DUI suit.

One big help with dry gloves: ditch the crappy yellow liner that some of them come with, and spring for a pair of polypro liner gloves instead. Just as warm with much better dexterity.

Oh, and I'm in the "vent all the way open" camp.

 

[nauga]

I haven't had as much trouble as I expected - I guess if you suck to begin with it's easier to accept?
For me: Dump open, drysuit for squeeze, wing for buoyancy.

Nauga,
who has more time in a drysuit at altitude than at depth