My drysuit experience

[RainPilot]

So after all these years, I finally decided to get into drysuit diving. In large part this came from a conversation with a warm, toasty @Searcaigh while I was shivering between dives in a 5mm suit and dreading putting on a wet, cold suit the next morning.

I did the drysuit course with Darryl of Freestyle Divers in a demo Rofos suit. It fit pretty well and definitely kept me dry and toasty when I wasn't flooding it with overenthusiastic neck and wrist purge practice.

I almost immediately decided to buy my own. The Rofos is a lovely suit but the price tag is a bit steep for me. I had a look at the Northern Divers Kevlar suit, very good value for money but still a chunk of change by the time I had fitted all the options.

Searcaigh then referred me to Seaskin (Dry Suits from Seaskin Custom Drysuits home page - Seaskin Custom Diving Suits) and boy was I impressed. The Nova, made to measure, with all the options a growing boy might need, came to around 750 pounds. By the time I had added in a base layer set, spare seals for all the Sitech bits, tools, service kits and bags, the total including shipping was under a 1000 pounds.

The website itself is simple, has helpful videos on taking measurements and a wry British sense of humour on the FAQ page. They also make a range of dry bags that I desperately want but can't justify buying.

So I ordered the suit, expected delivery is beginning March (8 weeks due to Christmas/New Year holidays) and I will post more about the process and the suit as developments....develop.

In the meanwhile, I have been diving dry in the demo suit every chance I get. I bought a Fourth Element J2 base layer and wow, it is pretty warm all by itself. Granted it is 21-22 C water and not the Arctic but I was still very pleasantly surprised. At least an undersuit is something I can hold off on buying for a while.

As far as the diving itself, it is quite a bit to take in dealing with this new bag of air. I definitely learned the value of keeping a minimum volume in the suit, still tweaking the setting of the dump valve since I go from vacuum pack to blimp somewhat regularly if I don't watch where the arm is going.

I can also definitely feel when I get out of trim, the sensation of my feet swelling and trying to pop my fins off is ... unique, to say the least.

My epiphany moment came yesterday, though. I was diving with my 7L 300 bar steel sidemount tanks, a config which had always had me a little overweighted with a 5mm suit before. In the DS, I just added a bit more warmth in the form of air and dived neutral, balanced and cosy with no extra lead at all. What a game changer for me!

ETA:

The options I ordered were:
Expedition pockets both sides
Computer retaining straps both sides
Sitech Trigon P-valve
Bag change mat
Name badges
No logo
Socks not boots
Wider braces
Outer zip to protect main zip
Sitech oval rings
Sitech neck seal system
Silicon seals throughout
Kevlar knee pads
Reinforcing on bum and shoulder strap area (overkill but I know me)

 

[BoltSnap]

What about the boots to wear over the socks??

 

[Bubblesong]

Yep, hardcore boots that do not allow your feet to take in air. Solid stiff canvas lace ups. Not soft stretchy neoprene Velcro “Boots Of Bouyancy Betrayal”.

 

[RainPilot]

What about the boots to wear over the socks??

I held off on those for a minute. I have some Rofos rock boots to use for now, once the suit arrives I need to look at my boot options. I have a pair of heavy fins but they fit me in standard wetsuit booties. I would like to try find a boot option that doesn't involve me buying a new pair of fins.

I am strongly considering getting some Converse and being a fly, dry diver. For once.

“Boots Of Bouyancy Betrayal”.

I am so stealing that phrase.

 

[undrwater]

Yep, hardcore boots that do not allow your feet to take in air. Solid stiff canvas lace ups. Not soft stretchy neoprene Velcro “Boots Of Bouyancy Betrayal”.

I love it, but this is what I use (zip-up neoprene booties). Same boots for wet and dry, same fins. Gotta keep it simple.

 

[Searcaigh]

+1 for the Rofus lace up boots but I did have one come loose last Friday and since it was on my left foot I found it difficult to re-lace due to the lack of flexibility in the drysuit plus a stage on my left hand side. My buddy Kerstin came to the rescue Maybe some gaffer tape round the boots lol.

My daughter did her drysuit course yesterday with DD down at Ghantoot in my old DUI suit, she came out with water up past her knees in both legs Sadly the lamination in the inside appears to have failed, not sure if it can be fixed.

 

[RainPilot]

Update: just got my expected shipping date, 13th March. I’d been hoping that the telephone estimate had been conservative but it appears not.

 

[stuartv]

I love it, but this is what I use (zip-up neoprene booties). Same boots for wet and dry, same fins. Gotta keep it simple.

Ditto. More or less. I also use regular wetsuit booties over my drysuit socks. No regrets. But, no way I could wear the same pair for wet or dry. My booties for my drysuit are much bigger than what I wear with a wetsuit. And I wear XL Hollis F1 fins for dry (very negative fins), and size L fins (that are less negative) for diving wet.

The booties over my drysuit socks definitely keep the air out of my feet WAY better than when I had attached boots. I reckon rock boots would do as well or maybe better, but I've never felt remotely betrayed (LOL) by the buoyancy of my booties.