New to dry suits - how long is the learning curb??

[NorthWoodsDiver]

Don't let mike fool you, it's better then good! I dive in 36-43 degree water year round with the thickest undergarments whites makes and I can still compare it to a 3mm full wetsuit. During my deco procedures course I got the finger a few times when people saw how easy it was for me to do valve drills, remove tanks, etc with next to no restriction of movement.

I thought it wasn't going to be tough and just last weekend I wore it spear fishing in a river and I was crawling on my hands and knees over rocks constantly.

The fusion is a great suit, my only complaint was not buying one sooner... and the power ranger graphics on the tech skin.

T

 

[kathydee]

Don't let mike fool you, it's better then good! I dive in 36-43 degree water year round with the thickest undergarments whites makes and I can still compare it to a 3mm full wetsuit. During my deco procedures course I got the finger a few times when people saw how easy it was for me to do valve drills, remove tanks, etc with next to no restriction of movement.

I thought it wasn't going to be tough and just last weekend I wore it spear fishing in a river and I was crawling on my hands and knees over rocks constantly.

The fusion is a great suit, my only complaint was not buying one sooner... and the power ranger graphics on the tech skin. T

OMG you are a tough diver - and to think I'm just getting use to diving 49F .
Maybe by the time I graduate & get a new job and can afford a second suit, Whites will have listened to you guys & gotten rid of the power ranger graphics or at least offer solid black as an option - been reading your threads & I agree !!

Hey but I can't complain about new DUI suit or the price. I like it. According to this thread - just a little practice & I'll have it.

 

[spectrum]

kathydee,

10 dives or so is a number you see cited quite a bit. That generally refers to a cold water diver going from a heavy wetsuit to a drysuit. If you are going straight from a light weight warm water wetsuit to a drysuit there may be a little more involved. However with your 100+ dives and claims of grace I should not expect a significant difference.

In my experience nailing the configuration to get trim and so forth where I wanted was at least 1/2 of the deal. It wasn't so much the amount of bottom time needed as it was the number of dives to test incremental gear adjustments that got me to a happy place.

Enjoy the suit and the world of frequent local diving it reveals for you.

Pete

 

[awdemeo]

kathydee
the DUI was a great suit toget i have used both a trilam suit like yours and the fusion. I was not a fan of the fusion it has a weird feeling to me very crunchy due to the dry core they use. I have also not a fan of the lycra outer as i am a wreck diver and quarry diver and have huird on the board that people have ripped the lycra with in months of having it. So feel good about the suit you got its one of the best.

 

[dave4868]

I;m pretty graceful in my 3mm in warm water and have pretty good buoyancy-but the DS is a bit trickier I feel comparatively quite awkward (almost like a beginner again)

It;s going well enough to feel that I can do easy dives w/local experienced divers just wondering how long I can expect this learning curb to last until I feel as comfortable diving the DS as I do in a wetsuit??

I know ach person leans at a different pace but Id love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

In my experience nailing the configuration to get trim and so forth where I wanted was at least 1/2 of the deal. It wasn't so much the amount of bottom time needed as it was the number of dives to test incremental gear adjustments that got me to a happy place.

Pete

Kathy, everyone's offered good advice, but I'm in particular agreement with Pete about the relative importance of experimenting with gear configuration to make it easier to manage your trim in the drysuit. The other major learning curve is simply gaining drysuit buoyancy skills through practice. That will come along pretty quickly, especially if you're able to get the gear configuration tweaked early.

Gear configuration will primarily involve experimenting with the amount and location of weighting (including tank position, etc), but may also involve variations of the amount of insulation you wear for different temps and the amount of air you keep in the suit, especially when in shallow water. You'll soon be able to manage the factors that affect the movement of the drysuit air bubble.

It wouldn't surprise me if you began to feel really confident within a dozen dives, as was mentioned, especially in deeper water where buoyancy changes are less significant. It may take a bit longer, if it ever occurs, to "feel as comfortable" managing the drysuit as managing a 3mm wetsuit in warm water! I don't think I'll ever get to that point.... :shocked2:

In fact, drysuit issues may continue to arise even after years of drysuit diving, as I found out just last week while experimenting....

Nevertheless, the warmth will definitely be worth it!

Dave C

 

[spectrum]

As you experiment and work it out be sure to log things in detail. It's great to be able to reconfigure for the seasons with no fussing. Log what you wear in detail, exactly where weights go and things like relative cylinder position.