Plan on diving dry. Don't do it on an impulse.

[dc4bs]

Fair one! I was just thinking that it would at least mean that everyone were trained to a certain level at least.

My LDS includes a free drysuit class with any drysuit purchase (new or used).

I think they offer the class by itself prety cheap anyway as a lost-leader towards drysuit rentals as well... I think they do require a card to rent but I might be wrong - they might rent to someone who showed proficincy in the pool or even a logbook with enough cold water dives.

Local NJ shore diving is only really comfortable in a wetsuit for a few months (summer to fall) and the rest of the year, most divers around here go dry because either the water is cold or the air is (or both) the rest of the year.

I dove wet (most of the year - BURR!) untill I bought my drysuit and now I'm not sure I could handle going back to being so cold when I know how comfortable I could be diving dry...

 

[OE2X]

After diving for 29 years I went dry last weekend. Bouyancy has never been an issue. My legs always sink so I've never experienced being feet up until now. Descents are easy. What scares the *&$% out me is the ascent. I've become a contortionist that would rival Cirque du Soleil performers. I've got one pool experience ( uncontrolled feet first to the surface, the DM turned red from laughing so hard) and five OW dives. I have to admit that with each successive dive I'm feeling more comfortable. Thank goodness for ankle weights though. Makes me want to retrofit relief valves on the ankles like the apollo suits. I aslo find that it is hard to kick with fins when your calves are rolling around the inside of the suit.

So here is what I've learned so far.
1. Only put enough air into the suit to relieve constriction. This will be enough to keep you warm.
2. Keep using the BCD for bouyancy. It is a hell of a lot easier to dump air than the suit.
3. Ankle weights or gaitors are a good thing to start with. Beats the hell out of an uncontrolled ascent from 100'. It's also good not to dive scared and if these tools work to give you piece of mind, then use them. At least they don't make ankle weights in pink. This way I still don't have to question my manliness.
4. Practice, practice, practice. The more time in the suit, the easier it gets.
5. Dive with a buddy that has a good sense of humor and enough tact not to rub in your U/W contortions.

 

[SubMariner]

At least they don't make ankle weights in pink. This way I still don't have to question my manliness.

Pssst... they DO make them in pink. You just decided not to buy them because you'd get ribbed about it, isn't that true?

 

[Gary D.]

My other half, Wobbles, had pink one's until they self destructed. Searching for more.... Her black ones have lasted for years but the pink ones were just a bit whimpy.

Gary D.

 

[Gary D.]

After diving for 29 years I went dry last weekend. Bouyancy has never been an issue. My legs always sink so I've never experienced being feet up until now. Descents are easy. What scares the *&$% out me is the ascent. I've become a contortionist that would rival Cirque du Soleil performers. I've got one pool experience ( uncontrolled feet first to the surface, the DM turned red from laughing so hard) and five OW dives. I have to admit that with each successive dive I'm feeling more comfortable. Thank goodness for ankle weights though. Makes me want to retrofit relief valves on the ankles like the apollo suits. I aslo find that it is hard to kick with fins when your calves are rolling around the inside of the suit.

So here is what I've learned so far.
1. Only put enough air into the suit to relieve constriction. This will be enough to keep you warm.
2. Keep using the BCD for bouyancy. It is a hell of a lot easier to dump air than the suit.
3. Ankle weights or gaitors are a good thing to start with. Beats the hell out of an uncontrolled ascent from 100'. It's also good not to dive scared and if these tools work to give you piece of mind, then use them. At least they don't make ankle weights in pink. This way I still don't have to question my manliness.
4. Practice, practice, practice. The more time in the suit, the easier it gets.
5. Dive with a buddy that has a good sense of humor and enough tact not to rub in your U/W contortions.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Keep working at it. Some people take to it like a duck to water while others never get it.

See what I meant when I started this post. Don't try it as a last minute thing for a trip. You might spend all your time getting used to the suit and not enjoy the diving.

It's tough to go back to wet after going dry. I have three dry suits, a 7mil and a 3mil in the inventory. The 7 mil is 10 years old and still looks new. Can't say the same for the others.

Enjoy it.

Gary D.

 

[OE2X]

Pssst... they DO make them in pink. You just decided not to buy them because you'd get ribbed about it, isn't that true?

I didn't see any at my LDS. I even asked the cute girl at the counter if she had some hiding in the back room, just so the question wouldn't come up with my buddy. Since they don't carry them, then they can't be made. BTW - asking for pink ankle weights is like to going to the drug store to buy some feminine product for your wife. There is no way you can do it and look the person in the eye without the brain going into overload trying to come up with excuses why you want this product...

 

[SubMariner]

BTW - asking for pink ankle weights is like to going to the drug store to buy some feminine product for your wife. There is no way you can do it and look the person in the eye without the brain going into overload trying to come up with excuses why you want this product...

:rofl:

Great analogy!

 

[Fishbait99]

"My dry suit training

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was part of my OW class. I guess the local shops have figured out they could keep more divers hooked on local diving if they didn't freeze 'em out from the start "
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I was in the same situation. Being in Prince Edward Island, there's probably less than two full months of the year when you can comfortably dive in a wet suit for more than 30 minutes or so. When I was certified, it was in a drysuit. I never even put a wetsuit on until my second year of diving...yes, the drysuit did get pretty warm at times, but it was what I knew, and what I was comfortable with. Since drysuit diving was the way I learned, it's just second nature, and I have a hard time understanding why it would ever seem difficult, but I guess it's the same as anything other skill...the way you learn at first will always seem simple to you; it's making changes later that is difficult.

By the way, even though I love my drysuit, and would never give it up, I will say that from the moment I first dove wet I was hooked. It's hard to appreciate the comfort and freedom of movement a wetsuit provides until you've dove in a drysuit with padded woolies and mukluk liners while ice chunks float above your head. Now I keep the wetsuit out as long as possible...I'll put up with a bit of cold for the comfort, but it's nice to know my dry suit is there for those late fall/early spring dives.

 

[Gary D.]

"My dry suit training

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

was part of my OW class. I guess the local shops have figured out they could keep more divers hooked on local diving if they didn't freeze 'em out from the start "
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was in the same situation. Being in Prince Edward Island, there's probably less than two full months of the year when you can comfortably dive in a wet suit for more than 30 minutes or so. When I was certified, it was in a drysuit. I never even put a wetsuit on until my second year of diving...yes, the drysuit did get pretty warm at times, but it was what I knew, and what I was comfortable with. Since drysuit diving was the way I learned, it's just second nature, and I have a hard time understanding why it would ever seem difficult, but I guess it's the same as anything other skill...the way you learn at first will always seem simple to you; it's making changes later that is difficult.

By the way, even though I love my drysuit, and would never give it up, I will say that from the moment I first dove wet I was hooked. It's hard to appreciate the comfort and freedom of movement a wetsuit provides until you've dove in a drysuit with padded woolies and mukluk liners while ice chunks float above your head. Now I keep the wetsuit out as long as possible...I'll put up with a bit of cold for the comfort, but it's nice to know my dry suit is there for those late fall/early spring dives.

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Things woud be a lot easier if more shops did that. It's easy to go from dry to wet. Why not learn early.

And another thing. Dry suits don't shrink like wet suits do. :54:

Gary D.