New Drysuit Diver - Do I Need The Course?

[robertarak]

My Evo2 is due on my doorstep tomorrow. Do I need the class? Probably not. I have quite a few very experienced divers who are amazingly generous with their time and willingness to help me out and show be the drysuit ropes. Am I taking the class? YES! First I just love the instructors I work with. Second, in my mind, no matter the experience level of divers, experience is not a substitude for the abilty to teach. Also there is something to be said for teaching "by the numbers", and having the instructor manual to make sure you don't forget that one little thing that will prove important later.
I have taught First Aid/CPR/AED (volunteer) for 21 years. I could not imagine someone learning that without being taught by a qualified instructor. I know, it's not quite the same, but still, for my money, a good instructor just can't be replaced. And those experienced divers who are willing to help me out will have a better student to work with after I complete my "official" training.

My 2 cents...YMMV

 

[Tigerman]

The reality is that the drysuit isn't the most optimum device for controlling your buoyancy, but if you are weighted right and using a smallish single tank (~ 80 ft3) its not that big of a deal.

Also, its not a bad skill to know. (in case you need it)

But once you go past small single tanks, it becomes more important to use the BC to control your buoyancy needs.

Would you call a Steel HP120 a small tank?
Cause thats actually what I dive dry with an use the DS only for bouyancy...
You still should be weighed right tho. If youre grossly overweighted, the DS is going to be VERY impractical (impossible?) to use for bouyancy..

As far as learning from an instructor instead of "just an experienced DS user" goes..
Holding an instructor cerificate does not mean you have the ability to teach people. Theres plenty of teachers and instructors of all kinds that might know their stuff REAL well but dont have the ability to teach people all the same..

 

[dave4868]

Would you call a Steel HP120 a small tank?
Cause thats actually what I dive dry with an use the DS only for bouyancy...
You still should be weighed right tho. If youre grossly overweighted, the DS is going to be VERY impractical (impossible?) to use for bouyancy..

I agree one could get into problems of excess air shifting around too rapidly if one were grossly overweighted and trying to use only the drysuit for buoyancy control.

In my experience, it becomes more a problem when the fit of the suit is a bit loose, as that allows the air to move quickly as a bubble above the insulation, rather than being slowed by going through it. It also gives it room to balloon one area, thereby possibly up-ending the diver.

Like you, I use a steel HP120 and use only my drysuit for buoyancy. Plus I've got the weight of an al30 pony.

I use a large amount of insulation which requires substantial weight to offset even when I've vented it to a slight squeeze. In the winter, my maximum amount of insulation will require about 48 lbs to offset. (It's a lot of insulation- yes, I've accurately calibrated the weighting with an empty tank!)

Then, for more warmth, I add about 4 or 5 lbs of "excess weight" (above the minimum I would need).

So, at the beginning of the dive, the air in the tank adds another 10 lbs negative.

That's means I have a lot of air that could shift, yet I don't have rapid or large shifts because my suit fits that insulation pretty snugly.

With lightweight undergarments in this same suit, I need to have the weighting quite a bit closer to the "minimum" because the looser fit of the suit over those undergarments allows the air to shift more quickly causing greater imbalance in the suit.

Despite my unusual methods, I still haven't had problems using only my drysuit for buoyancy control.

The reality is that the drysuit isn't the most optimum device for controlling your buoyancy, but if you are weighted right and using a smallish single tank (~ 80 ft3) its not that big of a deal.

Also, its not a bad skill to know. (in case you need it)

But once you go past small single tanks, it becomes more important to use the BC to control your buoyancy needs.

It's great to hear another moderate and well-reasoned view on this subject, thanks, Jeff! I agree entirely, that is, if it allows me to keep doing what I'm doing!

Your last point makes quite a bit of sense, considering the larger change in buoyancy over the course of the dive with big doubles.

Dave C

 

[116fire]

don't wast your money unless you have money to waste...

 

[robway034]

be safe

 

[uncleavi]

I am diving my drysuit all the time here in Alaska and I just taught a Drysuit Course and they are a good thing as you might be doing somthing wrong and might not know or see it.
When you teach yourself I have found sometimes life gives you the test before you are ready.

 

[fdog]

In 1979, when we bolted our horsecollar inflator hoses on our new O'Neil surfing drysuits, there were no classes, no specialty cards, and actually, nobody that we could talk to that had been diving with a variable-inflation drysuit.

We lived just fine. I still haven't taken a class. I suppose this means I can't rent a drysuit either.

I watched a drysuit class recently (NAUI), and it was all good drills. I thought it was a nice packaging of stuff for someone without a cadre of mentors.

Being taught to use the suit for a BC seems to be a common crutch, and folks that dive often, see it for that fairly quickly.


All the best, James

 

[dave4868]

Being taught to use the suit for a BC seems to be a common crutch, and folks that dive often, see it for that fairly quickly.

On the other hand, as quite a few experienced cold-water divers have quickly seen, using only the drysuit for buoyancy control has distinct and readily apparent advantages, not the least of which are being warmer and simpler.

The disadvantages can be easily mastered in most cases, provided one's suit isn't a baggy fit on the insulation.

"Crutch" could easily be applied to those who can't master using only the drysuit for buoyancy control, but in fairness, both methods have different advantages and work well, depending on the situation.

Dave C