OW Student + Drysuit = ?

[pwscottiv]

So I have an amazing deal (Pro deal looks like it's going to be about 70% off retail) I can get on a brand new Body Glove drysuit, but I want to know if that's gonna not be such a good idea considering I haven't even completed my OW training yet... However, I really don't have the money to own a wetsuit AND drysuit just for scuba. Do you think it's safe for me to dive a drysuit at first?

Also, does anyone know anything about Body Glove Drysuits?

 

[Thalassamania]

Don't know the suit but I experimented with teaching a basic course in dry suits and it worked just fine. You need the right instructor and, frankly, at least two pool sessions dedicated to learning the suit.

 

[bolantej]

I would think it would be worth it and best to rent a wetsuit for your check out dives to avoid task overloading. I do think that if you're getting a deal on it, you might as well buy t, and save it for when you take a drysuit class. Those suits are fairly new I think, so it may be hard finding info about them. I would bet they are just as good as anything else out there on the market.

 

[Matt S.]

I did OW in a drysuit. I did one pool orientation beforehand. Everything was fine. With your instructor's cooperation, you will probably be fine too. It is SOP in some parts of the world, so it's not like it is a crazy idea.

 

[spectrum]

I did not do OW dry but as Matt S. said it's not uncommon elsewhere.

Nothing beats getting certified the way you're going to be diving.

The biggest risk is being very invested and finding out you don't care for diving.

Pete

 

[S. starfish]

We teach OW students in drysuits all the time, usually it's not a problem. Just make sure that your instructor knows how to use one and that you get in at least one pool session before going to the ocean.

 

[pwscottiv]

I did not do OW dry but as Matt S. said it's not uncommon elsewhere.

Nothing beats getting certified the way you're going to be diving.

The biggest risk is being very invested and finding out you don't care for diving.

Pete

Almost everything I'm buying is from eBay and of that everything is used except for the regulator. As far as the drysuit goes, I should be able to actually make a profit if I sell it.

Also, I do know for sure that I'll like SCUBA... However, I do have a feeling that it will possibly not be my favorite thing to do. I already regularly rock climb, skydive, surf, WW kayak, snowboard, sail, etc, etc...

That said, I really love being in the water and I've always wanted to dive, but just never got around to it. When I was A kid I actually made two diving bells out of large buckets. The first was 5 gallons and the second was like 15 gallons. I cut window holes out and then formed polycarbonate windows that I bolted over the holes. I went around to tire repair places and bought old lead tire weights weights which I melted down and cast into ballast weights. I cleaned and mounted several old fire extinguishers that I pressurized with an air compressor. I was able to use them to purge out the stale air in the air space... Which I did whenever I began to feel light-headed (lol, I was a crazy kid and I'm surprised that I'm still alive). We had a pretty deep Olympic sized pool near where I grew up, so that's where I usually took it to... Mostly because the huge mass of the ballast weights. I would pull the gear over to the pool in my large wagon... I think I started with that when I was 9 or 10. And that's not the craziest stuff I did either. I had a lot of fun... It would have been interesting to see what I would have done if I had more resources then... My parents really didn't like the fact that I did that sort of stuff (because they were sure I would eventually kill myself), so almost every project I worked on was an uphill battle... Maybe that's why I did it, lol

Yeah, so I'm pretty sure I'm gonna like diving.

 

[TSandM]

I got certified in a dry suit. I would never have finished the class otherwise. It's absolutely doable.

I don't know anything about the suit in question, though.

 

[ScubaSarus]

Is that the suit with 5 bids and and needs a neck seal replacement ?

If so, dont expect to walk into a diveshop and have them replace the seal with the new one provided and be happy about it.
I will assume you plan on replacing the neckseal yourself and Ill tell it is tricky

You said ebay and noticed the suit you gave a link to was the only bodyglove one on ebay so Im assuming thats the one.
Becareful of rushing into a used drysuit purchase. So many people want to get rid of a problematic suit. Is the zipper freyed and close to replacement time?

If you get a used BC on ebay have that inflator and Schraeder valve checked out for corrosion and operability etc.


With your love for nature sports, you have the elements to be a good diver.

 

[*Floater*]

So I have an amazing deal (Pro deal looks like it's going to be about 70% off retail) I can get on a brand new Body Glove drysuit, but I want to know if that's gonna not be such a good idea considering I haven't even completed my OW training yet... However, I really don't have the money to own a wetsuit AND drysuit just for scuba. Do you think it's safe for me to dive a drysuit at first?

Also, does anyone know anything about Body Glove Drysuits?

Don't know the suit but the front zipper and tight pocket are nice to have. Fit is very important though; have you tried this suit on? What temperature waters would you dive this in? Because you will need special undergarments for the suit if diving very cold water and those can easily cost more than a thick wetsuit. $800 retail for a front zip suit shell suit is kind of cheap though, so I'm wondering what the catch is...