Noob Wet/Dry Suit ?

[dorinh]

Hello all. I'm very new to Scuba (start my certs next week). I live in South Dakota, where the water temps are pretty cold all year long.
I have a friend who has a wet suit and a dry suit that he's willing to give me. They are both designed for water ski/jet ski use. Is there a reason these won't work for Scuba?
My biggest question is with the dry suit. It has rubber "grommets" on the wrists, neck and ankles. There are no integrated boots. Is that bad?
I've asked the LDS this same question, and they were quick to point out some very nice wet & dry suits they have for sale (new).
I'm not trying to be cheap here. If they won't work, I'm OK with that. But if they will, why wouldn't I use them.
Thanks in advance.

 

[matty4011]

No reason I can think of not to use the wet suit as long as it fits you properly and provides adequate comfort i think.

For the dry suit, it probably will not be designed for scuba use since every one i've used had continuous legs and seals at the wrist and neck only, you need the air connection to control suit sqeeze and there may be other reasons you can't use a sailing or skiing dry suit for scuba use.

It's also a good idea to educate yourself and even get trained to dive a dry suit. It's not too big a deal to learn, but I've read a story of someone dying due to using a dry suit that did not fit properly in a book of avoidable scuba deaths and accidents. There are other special issues besides fit that it's important to be aware of and prepared for before diving a dry suit. Although you may not have guessed it, some of these are serious and critical dangers.

Before you buy one from your LDS do some online price research to make sure they're not ripping you off too badly. Sometime a shop will apply the cost of the course towards the purchase price. I did my PADI open water and dry suit cert at the same time and I believe it was an extra $150 including rentals and an extra pool training dive to do the drysuit course add on. I was much more comfortable than the other students in the open water qual dive though and if you plan to dive much in a cold area a dry suit is probably the way to go.

 

[GA Under Water]

I am pretty sure the Dry suit will not work. There isn't a Bulb to allow you to add Air to it to stop Suit Squeeze. The Wetsuit, I can't really answer, I don't know about the general makeup of the neoprene in Wave Runner suits to say it is different or the same.

Something like this Drysuit

 

[dorinh]

First off, let me just say that this Forum is about the best I've been involved with. I have a number of (sometimes expensive) hobbies, and I can't believe how quickly responses are becoming available for this hobby's forum.

I guess I'm showing my lack of education here with my Dry-Suit question. I can see now why the dry suit I have hanging on my rack at home will not work for Scuba. I am interested in getting dry suit certified. I now our LDS has the class/equipment.
Being so new, I'm still trying to feel out what information sources are good and which ones are bad. I have had no reason not to trust the LDS. However, (as odd as it will seem), I trust complete strangers a little more until I get a my "feet under me".
Thanks again for the information. I appreciate it.

 

[tstormdiver]

A surface dry suit doesn't have the air inlet (hooked up to the tank with a low pressure hose) or relief valves that are on diving dry suits. Once you get even a few feet underwater the squeeze of a drysuit can be incredible. The relief valves are also important to vent air that is expanding upon ascending. By the air expanding & not being able to be released, it can cause an uncontrolled ascent (DANGEROUS!)