Moving to SF -- LDS and DM Course?

[Gombessa]

I've seen instructors at Breakwater who don't wear hoods. That's a level of toughness I won't even attempt to understand.

However, just about everyone around here who dives more than once a month will move to a drysuit (means allowing); and the vast majority say that change is the one thing they wish they made way earlier.

I'm fortunate enough to have a lot of dive toys, and my drysuit is by far the single most impactful piece of gear in making Norcal diving amazing.

 

[Vegan Shark]

How often do drysuits tend to need maintenance/repairs? Are they very fragile compared to wetsuits when it comes to bumping into rocks in the shallows of shore dives, etc? Are all repairs pretty standard, or brand specific? I've been eying Fourth Element's drysuit, the Argonaut, but know there are very few Fourth Element dealers in the US, so not sure how difficult it would be to get the thing serviced, or test one out.

 

[Paco II]

I consider myself a drysuit newbie, but I'll take a stab at your questions.

How often do drysuits tend to need maintenance/repairs: This likely depends on how much diving you are doing and how well you take care of the suit. I've only had mine about two years, and no maintenance yet ( knock wood )

Are they very fragile compared to wetsuits when it comes to bumping into rocks in the shallows of shore dives, etc: from my pre-purchase research, I'd say that most modern drysuits are pretty rugged. But some materials are more rugged than others.

Regarding purchasing a drysuit, picking one is definitely not easy. After doing initial research online, I found it difficult to find many suits locally to try on. In the end, I took a chance and ordered one sight unseen. I love mine, but I got a little lucky. It's also so key to know what kind of suit you want. I ended up with a crushed neoprene suit. Not what most use, but I love not having to wear much underneath. Other things to consider or seal types. I knew early on I could not deal with latex neck seals. Thankfully there are alternatives. Last thought for this post: don't let a shop push you into buying what they're trying to sell.

How often do drysuits tend to need maintenance/repairs? Are they very fragile compared to wetsuits when it comes to bumping into rocks in the shallows of shore dives, etc? Are all repairs pretty standard, or brand specific? I've been eying Fourth Element's drysuit, the Argonaut, but know there are very few Fourth Element dealers in the US, so not sure how difficult it would be to get the thing serviced, or test one out.

 

[zf2nt]

Last thought for this post: don't let a shop push you into buying what they're trying to sell.

Speaking as a FORMER shop owner, I will tell you that helping people with dry suits is one of the most challenging sales issues I encountered. The problem is that there is no one right answer. There are multiple choices for the buyer to make, and which is the best choice is usually a matter of personal preference. For the first time buyer, he has no experience with dry suits to have any personal preferences. I know the most successful sales people will solve this problem by telling the customer exactly what he "needs", but I could never bring myself to do that. Instead, I always explained the advantages and disadvantages of each of the choices involved. I then got to watch the customer's eyes glaze over and then have him walk away in utter bewilderment and confusion. Some examples:

a. Front entry vs. back entry (Self donning vs. more comfortable and frequently less expensive)
b. Crushed neoprene vs. trilaminate (tougher material with less drag in the water vs. lighter weight out of the water when wet and faster drying)
c. Neoprene neck seal vs. latex seal (longer lasting and with some thermal protection vs. a slightly better water seal)
d. Latex seals vs. silicon seals (more expensive and longer lasting vs. easier to don/doff--mostly with respect to neck seals)
e. Rock boots vs. attached feet (easier to replace when worn vs. more comfortable and "one less thing to have to pack and/or lose").

Personally, I have gone through the following sequence of dry suits: back entry crushed neoprene (DUI CF200/SE), front entry compressed neoprene (Diving Concepts), front entry crushed neoprene (DUI CF200), and front entry trilaminate (DUI Flex Extreme). I had separate rock boots on the 1st & 3rd suits, attached, integrated feet on the 2nd, and now have the TEC turbo soles on my 4th. The 1st and 2nt suits had neoprene neck seals, although the 1st started out with latex and I later changed it. The 3rd has a silicon neck seal, and the 4th has a latex neck seal. I have gone back and forth between latex wrist seals, heavy duty latex wrist seals, and dry gloves--including DC ring gloves, SITech ring gloves, and DUI zip gloves. Currently, I'm using heavy duty latex zip seals. My point in reciting this history is to emphasize that there simply is not a single right answer in these choices. (Unless, of course, you drink the GUE tea.)

 

[Vegan Shark]

My eyes certainly glazed over in bewilderment reading that post! I am in the market for a new suit, but I think dry suit diving is a bit over my head at this point. A semi-dry with a 4mm short john underneath should keep me cozy for NorCal waters, I'm thinking, and by the time I'm more advanced and ready to dive in colder locations maybe I'll be ready for a drysuit.

I've always wondered: Why can't they just put drysuit seals like on kayaking drysuits onto wetsuits? Couldn't a diver just burp the seal if the air trapped inside started to squeeze or causes issues?

 

[eelnoraa]

If you are in the market for a suit, I highly recommend a used drysuit over a semi-dry. Semi dry is wet. The cost of a new semi dry is not too far from a good condition used drysuit. Add a 4mm john, the cost is really getting close. My first drysuit is DUI CF200 backzip, for ~$600. No repair throughout the time I own it (2 years). Only regular maintainance such as washing and hanging dry after diving. My 2nd suit is DUI TLS for a little more. You just have to keep your eye on the forum and craigslist.

There is a different between surviving vs. being comfortable in 45F-50F water. In Monterey, most divers, if they keep diving at home, will move to drysuit sooner or later. If you know diving is your long term activities, just save the money for the semi and go dry directly. You won't regret.

 

[Vegan Shark]

Is a DUI event the only way to test-drive a dry suit short of getting a certification? Looks like I missed the one in NorCal already. Cost isn't what's keeping me away, just afraid I won't like the feel of a dry suit, that it will give me issues and flood, require too much maintenance and repairs, or that putting air into/out of it is just one more thing to deal with while diving.