Since I did my Trimix course in Malta with 15°C (59°F) at the bottom while wearing a wetsuit I feel like I really need to move on to dry diving. Not only for Tec diving, but also to open the game zone to everywhere and not being limited by only using wetsuit in tropical water. Then I did it. And here is how it goes.
Few month ago, after passing my Dive master course, I wanted to continue with the Instructor level. This seems to be a natural path, but I did my Dive master course in Egypt with a team that live in the Brittany part of France. 24°C (75°F) in Egypt was already one of my coldest dive and for the date we agree on for the instructor level, that will be in a quarry with around 8°C (46°F). The temperature outside should be about 5°C (41°F), so Dry-Suit is no more an option. The good side of the instructor level is that dives wont be the longest and the deepest one.
That being said, I had to get used to the dry-suit with a limited number of dives. So I have started in a swimming pool with 18°C (64°F). The first dive was a full discovery of what is a dry-suit and a good surprise of the way I should use it. Unfortunately, the neck was too wide and quickly I was completely flooded. We decided to take one size lower so the size of the neck should be better. This time, I got flooded again but probably because the length was not the right one. We decided to test with a middle-size, let say ML. Unfortunately, the same thing happened again. Before getting full of water, I was able to test the dry-suit with few open water exercises, and they were pretty simple to do, that was the great news. The bad news is that diving dry is still a myth for me at this time and the exam is approaching very quickly.
The solution will be to use a White dry-suit with a latex neck instead of the neoprene on the other ones. But as time is passing very quickly, I will have only one more chance to do that before the exam and, it will be in the quarry with 8°C (the real condition for the exam). The other bad thing is that the White dry-suit wont be at my size, but smaller, this is because they are not for rental usually in this dive shop, so thanks to one of the course director, I got one. Anyway, if I can dive dry, thats more than great. The rock boot are also not on the appropriate size, my shoe size is 11 and I am 1.9m (6.2) tall. So near the quarry, I discover that the White was too small in length but perfect on the neck. With some basic undergarment, I already feel a bit cold, but with 5°C (41°F) outside it seems a bit normal.
We move to the water and the great news is that I dont get wet at all but it is bloody cold. While going to the place where we will practice some exercise, I try to get use to the dry-suit and that work pretty good apart from the cold. My weighting seems close to appropriate with 10Kg and the steel tank. Close to appropriate means that with a bit more weight I should be able to put more air and feel less the cold. Anyway, we continue the dive. During the exercises, I really feel cold and particularly while kneeling on the bottom. After 25 to 30 minutes, it was just impossible for me to continue but with good luck the session was over for today. At this point, they were good and bad about the dry suit and the next time I am gonna hit the water, it will be for the exam.
Back to the dive shop, I tried to calm down about the next dry suit dive and think of what I can do to improve it. Basically, I need to be able to put more air in the dry suit, so I have added one more kg/lb and decided to focus primarily on the dry suit inflation instead of the BCD inflation. Overall, that seems to be a great idea because during the exam, everything went well. We started by the Rescue scenario on the surface then we jumped on the water to do the practical session. I had few exercises to practice as a student and some other to teach, of which the 5 points descent, hovering underwater, the vertical CESA, mask removal and so on. You know what, everything was great and I got the maximum score, so a nice happy end of what seemed to be a nightmare the night before.
Diving dry is no more a myth for me ..
Few month ago, after passing my Dive master course, I wanted to continue with the Instructor level. This seems to be a natural path, but I did my Dive master course in Egypt with a team that live in the Brittany part of France. 24°C (75°F) in Egypt was already one of my coldest dive and for the date we agree on for the instructor level, that will be in a quarry with around 8°C (46°F). The temperature outside should be about 5°C (41°F), so Dry-Suit is no more an option. The good side of the instructor level is that dives wont be the longest and the deepest one.
That being said, I had to get used to the dry-suit with a limited number of dives. So I have started in a swimming pool with 18°C (64°F). The first dive was a full discovery of what is a dry-suit and a good surprise of the way I should use it. Unfortunately, the neck was too wide and quickly I was completely flooded. We decided to take one size lower so the size of the neck should be better. This time, I got flooded again but probably because the length was not the right one. We decided to test with a middle-size, let say ML. Unfortunately, the same thing happened again. Before getting full of water, I was able to test the dry-suit with few open water exercises, and they were pretty simple to do, that was the great news. The bad news is that diving dry is still a myth for me at this time and the exam is approaching very quickly.
The solution will be to use a White dry-suit with a latex neck instead of the neoprene on the other ones. But as time is passing very quickly, I will have only one more chance to do that before the exam and, it will be in the quarry with 8°C (the real condition for the exam). The other bad thing is that the White dry-suit wont be at my size, but smaller, this is because they are not for rental usually in this dive shop, so thanks to one of the course director, I got one. Anyway, if I can dive dry, thats more than great. The rock boot are also not on the appropriate size, my shoe size is 11 and I am 1.9m (6.2) tall. So near the quarry, I discover that the White was too small in length but perfect on the neck. With some basic undergarment, I already feel a bit cold, but with 5°C (41°F) outside it seems a bit normal.
We move to the water and the great news is that I dont get wet at all but it is bloody cold. While going to the place where we will practice some exercise, I try to get use to the dry-suit and that work pretty good apart from the cold. My weighting seems close to appropriate with 10Kg and the steel tank. Close to appropriate means that with a bit more weight I should be able to put more air and feel less the cold. Anyway, we continue the dive. During the exercises, I really feel cold and particularly while kneeling on the bottom. After 25 to 30 minutes, it was just impossible for me to continue but with good luck the session was over for today. At this point, they were good and bad about the dry suit and the next time I am gonna hit the water, it will be for the exam.
Back to the dive shop, I tried to calm down about the next dry suit dive and think of what I can do to improve it. Basically, I need to be able to put more air in the dry suit, so I have added one more kg/lb and decided to focus primarily on the dry suit inflation instead of the BCD inflation. Overall, that seems to be a great idea because during the exam, everything went well. We started by the Rescue scenario on the surface then we jumped on the water to do the practical session. I had few exercises to practice as a student and some other to teach, of which the 5 points descent, hovering underwater, the vertical CESA, mask removal and so on. You know what, everything was great and I got the maximum score, so a nice happy end of what seemed to be a nightmare the night before.
Diving dry is no more a myth for me ..
