Question for Pacific Northwest Divers

[Jeremy Bouwman]

I'm a diver who started out with a wet suit only because of the cost of it. When I came across a great deal on a dry suit i jumped on it because of the surface interval and the second dive was always very cold. The bottom line is that that diving wet is very doable but if you want to be warm you will need a drysuit.

 

[PinkPADIgal]

Robert,

My suggestion is to make sure you can control your buoyancy easily in a wetsuit before learning to dive dry. If you are comfortable, go ahead and take the dry suit class. You will be more comfortable in a drysuit and you will enjoy your diving a lot more. Keep in mind that you will dive with more weight out here regardless because of salt water.

Water temp is 52-55 in Puget Sound year round. Surface temps are what makes or breaks a wet diver. You can get cold out of the water, even in the summer! Also, getting in and out of a wetsuit is a pain. It is just easier and more comfortable diving dry...as long as you can control your buoyancy under water.

Whatever you decide, make sure that you are comfortable with your equipment before you splash in our waters. Dealing with equipment issues will spoil your dives.

 

[Nailer99]

I didn't mind diving wet at all, but the surface interval, combined with changing out of the damn wetsuit convinced me to invest in a drysuit. Like the vast majority of PNW divers I've talked to about it, I never bothered taking a class in diving dry, I just went out with a buddy who showed me the ropes in the shallows before we headed down to 110 fsw. It took a little getting used to, but I had no big problems with out of control feet-first ascents or anything.

 

[Peter Guy]

I dove wet for several years (a long time ago) and when I started back diving last year I thought I'd still dive wet. It took me about 15 dives to realize that was NOT the right decision -- bought a used drysuit, took the class and then learned how to use the suit one dive at a time.

The comments have been right -- for one dive/day, you probably will be OK with a 7mm wetsuit. You probably will be no warmer or colder than the dry suit diver who dives with you.

BUT, if you go out on a boat for a 2 or 3 tank dive -- that's when the dry suit really makes a difference.

 

[donooo]

I don't think that anyone should even own a 7mm wetsuit let alone dive in one. That being said, I've owned my dysuit for a year and never even dove in it. Maybe I'am afraid of cold water ? Maybe next week.

adios don O

 

[DiverLaura]

many years ago I used to do one wetsuit dive, once a year, to remember what I was doing to my students... After about the 3rd year, I rounded up a few extra drysuits, added a couple pool sessions and voila! drysuit diving openwater students!

I found that the retention and comprehension of things that baby divers see underwater is increased greatly by them not being c-c-c-c-c-cold. its one thing maybe if you are a warmy and have your own special wetsuit, totally another if you are in a well used, ill fitting store rental.... (the stores do the best they can)

A good bit of the skills dive for your checkout is sitting their waiting for the instructor to run other students through the drills... as you can imagine, this can get chilly.

Like most, I started in a wetsuit, I made it to approximately dive 40 before switching over to a cheap neoprene drysuit. This just happened to be during my OW2 class, where we were doing 3 dives a day, 1 deeper, one drift, and one night... After the 3rd dive, I was so cold I couldn't get self out of wetsuit. I bought drysuit the next day and never went back to diving wetsuit.

I am a coldy, I haven't dove a wetsuit in easily 12+ years.

just my .02

 

[TSandM]

I took my open water class in a drysuit. I have never set foot in Puget Sound in a wetsuit, and I have no intentions of doing so. Learning dive in a drysuit may be more difficult (and I think probably is, judging from how EASY things were when I dove wet in the tropics) but it's quite doable.

 

[Flatliner]

Thank you everyone for the input. To be honest I am not real sure which way that I will go. I am going to go into the shop this week and talk to my instructor. The direction I am leaning after hearing your comments is to study both books before class and then play it by ear. I will let you know which way I decided and how it turned out after the deed is done.

Robert

PS TSandM: I am totally enjoying your blog! My sides are aching from laughing so hard.

 

[creamofwheat]

I did my OW in a drysuit. I have never once dove in the area in a wetsuit, and i have absolutely no intentions of doing so. It's cold!

Learning in a drysuit is a bit more complicated, sure, but it's so nice to be warm and comfortable. And besides, if you learn in a drysuit, everything seems easier when you go dive wet in the tropics.

 

[airsix]

Thank you everyone for the input. To be honest I am not real sure which way that I will go.

Flatliner,
There's no harm in taking the drysuit class. If you do you'll be better informed as to whether it's right for YOU. Take the drysuit class and THEN decide whether to dive dry or wet.

Me? I bought a drysuit between dives 4 and 5. I'd happily dive wet again, but not unless I'm pretty far south of the 45th parallel.

-Ben M.