Should I take the orientation and do my OW dives in a dry-suit?

[GregA2k6]

Hello all,

I have finished my pool and classroom sessions and will be doing my OW dives in early June. I live in Calgary and will be diving at altitude in cold water. Although they said you can dive in a wetsuit (which they provide) they said for $90 more, they will give us a pool orientation and use of a dry-suit for the two days it takes for our OW dives. Most people dive in dry suits out here so I thought it would be a good idea.

I am wondering though, does a dry-suit complicate things to the point where it would be an unnecessary distration when doing my check out dives? I am sure that I will be a little nervous anyway for my OW's and am wondering if it makes sense to put another element into the equation. Having said that, I completed all of the pool skills without any real difficulty and feel pretty comfortable. I know that I will be nervous though my first time in real water.

A second quick question...my instructor said something to the effect that he teaches the use of a dry suit not as a bouyancy compensator, but instead only as an insulating layer.....I assume that means that he has us only put enough air into the suit to prevent a squeeze? I'm sure that will all be explained during the course but was just curious.

Thanks for any advice!

Greg A

 

[H2Andy]

yes, the drysuit adds complexity, particularly to bouyancy control,
and particularly for the first few dives. once you "get it," it's just
a no-brainer

on the other hand

being cold and miserable will degrade your ability to perform at your best

what i would do is at the very least take the introduction and then do a few
dives in the pool to get yourself familiar with the suit in the pool. that
way, it won't be "brand new" when you go out and dive it for the OW dives

as to the dry suit as insulation only, yes, you are correct: he will teach you
to use minimal air in your suit -- enough to keep you warm. this, i belive, is
the correct way to go. i keep my dump valve open at all times and use
very little air, and the suit basically takes care of itself.

a dry suit as an inflation device is too slow and unresponsive to be used
effectively. besides, that's what you have the wing for.

 

[J75]

Greg,

I'm sure there will be others on SB who will feel differently than I do, but IMO you should hold off on the drysuit until after you get your basic OW certification. You're going to have a lot to think about and a drysuit is a whole different animal in itself. Sure, you're going to be cold on your first few dives, but get comfortable in the water with your basic gear before complicating the issue. I have assisted with OW checkouts and have seen students dive dry for their first dives. Some have done well, some have not.

I can't speak for everyone, but most of the people that I dive with use their drysuits for insulation only and use their wings/BCs for bouyancy. I think that's it's pretty much the standard to have only enough air in your drysuit to eliminate squeeze and keep your undergarmets lofty. But as everything, there are exceptions.

Good luck with your checkouts!

 

[Fun Diver]

I used a dry suit during my OW checkouts because I seemed to freeze even in the pool. The instructor put me in the suit, without whip attached and the dump valve open. The OW checkouts were shallow enough not to worry about squeeze, and I wouldn't have the worry of learning how to manage the suit. It was a great plan until the suit flooded.. I would have been warmer in a wetsuit

 

[CD_in_Chitown]

I am wondering though, does a dry-suit complicate things to the point where it would be an unnecessary distration when doing my check out dives?

I'm loathe to do it but must agree with Andy on this point, with these stipulations

If your plan is to dive cold-water Canada as often as you can, think about buying a drysuit. Your plan will prove fun longer if you do. That said, any respectable shop should give you an orientation free with the purchase. If your $90 fee cannot be applied to the purchase of a suit, or you're not yet convinced you're in the market for $800-1200 worth of drysuit maybe its not for you.

What are the water temps? You can do 5 wet dives in some water to 50ish degrees to get through cert, I made alot of dives in cold water before I invested in a drysuit. I've got buddies that bought the suit prior to OW and haven't dove without it except for vacations. If I could do it over and afford it...yada yada, drysuit orientation would be nice but if you can't pony up for a drysuit then you'll be enviously cold until you get one.

 

[H2Andy]

I'm loathe to do it but must agree with Andy on this point

heh

now, that wasn't so hard, was it?

 

[TSandM]

I did a dry suit orientation in one of my OW pool sessions, and did my checkout dives in an (ostensibly) dry suit (it leaked badly and wasn't very). I don't know if it added significant complexity, because I have never dived wet in our local waters. But it was very definitely doable.

My frequent dive buddy just changed (after over a hundred dives) from diving wet to dry, and he says he is MUCH warmer and more comfortable, especially with repetitive dives.

If you are as much of a cold water weenie as I am, it's probably worth the expense to do the dry suit orientation and do the checkouts dry. Frankly, there was not very much buoyancy control called for during my checkout dives, and what there was, I could manage.

 

[lamont]

if you can get some relaxed pool time in a small class with the drysuit and play around with it prior to going into open water, i would recommend it. if its going to be too rushed to get some time to get familiar with it, i'd probably pass on it and tough it out with the wetsuit.

for your first couple OW dives, you'll probably just be freaking out a little over the whole concept of breathing underwater, and the drysuit adds another dimension to the other stuff you've got to remember. mostly its easy since you just need to remember to drop your legs and get the drysuit dump up higher in the water column when you are ascending. but you have to remember to do that while dumping out your BC and managing all the new sensations at the same time. if its too rushed, it could overwhelm you. an hour practicing going up and down in a pool and deliberately inverting yourself and such would really help, though, and if you get that, i don't see any reason why not to go directly to a drysuit. its where you want to end up and you'll be way more comfortable than your classmates in wetsuits...

 

[m3830431]

My open water dives I had little to no bouyance control. I don't know if a dry suit could have made it any worst. I dove wet the temp was 43 degrees F. I was warm enough but one out of five of use couldn't finish the dives because of being cold.

 

[CD_in_Chitown]

you'll probably just be freaking out a little over the whole concept of breathing underwater,

Come on Lamont, I expected better use of terms than that from you. We all know she might be very uncomfortable during the ow checkouts. I have learned from my mentors in the sport that this isn't "freaking out" this is being uncomfortable. Freaking out is reserved for the blind fear, can't control body functions, need someone to restrain you to keep from hurting yourself or others kind of panic that can arise.

That feeling that nothing is right and you have to get out of the water now, you expend a ton of energy to get back on the boat and beg to be cut out of your harness so that you can be free of the thing, that's real discomfort, but its still not "freaking out".