Ugh, dopey dry suit questions

[RIdiverMike]

Greetings,

Have been primarily a warm water vacation diver for 8 years and about 175 dives. But this past summer, I did a bunch of beach dives in Rhode Island where I live. I'm currently considered the cost benefit of a drysuit. Wondering if folks might share their views on:

1) Just how much extra lead do folks typically need? I recognize this will be all over the map but I'm curious to hear the range of experience. PADI AOW suggests 10% of body weight pls 7-14 lbs plus maybe 5 more for an aluminum 80. For me at about 180 lbs and 6 ft tall, that could be something like 32-33 lbs vs. the 22 I currently wear with my Mares 7-5-3 wetsuit. I have 3 herniated discs and arthritis in my lower spine so every extra lb of lead is a potential dealbreaker. Come to think of it, my 52 y/o knees ain't so great with the weight during the entrance/exits either.

2) Don't I need an extra port on my reg for the drysuit inflator hose? Don't recall that mine has one. Might I need a new reg? And speaking of new regs, at what water temp should I be thinking of a reg better suited to cold water diving? Would seem a little goofy to invest in a drysuit only to find the suit could handle the temps but the reg couldn't.

3) Do you need a rear inflating BC? Seems like many drysuit divers wear them. I have a jacket style with integrated weights.

4) This is probably my dumbest question, but what's with the pockets on the legs of the drysuits? I've read a few threads about stitching them on vs. gluing them on, but I don't even understand what they're for in the first place. Do you put weights in them? If they're just for storage, what's wrong with the pockets in my jacket bc?

Thx for reading and possibly commenting. If nothing else, I hope my dopey questions will provide some entertainment.

Good day and good diving to you.

Mike H

 

[Randy43068]

Greetings,

Have been primarily a warm water vacation diver for 8 years and about 175 dives. But this past summer, I did a bunch of beach dives in Rhode Island where I live. I'm currently considered the cost benefit of a drysuit. Wondering if folks might share their views on:

1) Just how much extra lead do folks typically need?
depends on how thick your drysuit undies are. Your lead will change as you use different thickness of underware.
I recognize this will be all over the map but I'm curious to hear the range of experience. PADI AOW suggests 10% of body weight pls 7-14 lbs plus maybe 5 more for an aluminum 80. For me at about 180 lbs and 6 ft tall, that could be something like 32-33 lbs vs. the 22 I currently wear with my Mares 7-5-3 wetsuit. I have 3 herniated discs and arthritis in my lower spine so every extra lb of lead is a potential dealbreaker. Come to think of it, my 52 y/o knees ain't so great with the weight during the entrance/exits either.

2) Don't I need an extra port on my reg for the drysuit inflator hose?

You will need a spare low pressure port from your first stage regulator for DS inflation.

Don't recall that mine has one. Might I need a new reg? NO And speaking of new regs, at what water temp should I be thinking of a reg better suited to cold water diving? Would seem a little goofy to invest in a drysuit only to find the suit could handle the temps but the reg couldn't.

3) Do you need a rear inflating BC? Seems like many drysuit divers wear them. I have a jacket style with integrated weights. It will work. Many people use the jacket BC. I prefere a back inflate.. actually a back plate and wing.

4) This is probably my dumbest question, but what's with the pockets on the legs of the drysuits?
Not dumb at all. I carry a spare mask ( depending on the dive ) a set of dive tables, a SMB or lift bag pre-rigged to a spool, and carry wet notes in the right pocket.I've read a few threads about stitching them on vs. gluing them on, but I don't even understand what they're for in the first place. Do you put weights in them? If they're just for storage, what's wrong with the pockets in my jacket bc?

Thx for reading and possibly commenting. If nothing else, I hope my dopey questions will provide some entertainment.

Good day and good diving to you.

Mike H

All are very good questions!!

 

[dagrath]

I will answer your questions as best I can:

1) With an AL80 and my laminate drysuit with pretty warm undergarments, I use 32 pounds. I am 180 lbs, and 6'4". So you are probably in roughly the right range, though lots can vary depending on suit and garments. I moved 4 pounds to my ankles though (2 on each), which brings down the weight on my shoulders some. You can consider that.

2) Yes, you need an inflator hose from a LP port on your 1st stage. I guess if you are serious about cold water diving, you should consider cold water regs. I don't have any good input there, as I haven't done extreme cold diving.

3) I have seen local divers diving dry with a jacket BC, so I wouldn't say you NEED one. I dive with a rear inflate, so I can't comment on the inconvenience. I don't see why you would need to switch BCs, but perhaps I am overlooking something.

4) A lot of divers find they either need more storage or more convenient storage. Pockets on BCs can sometimes be a real pain to get into, especially if you are in tight spaces (wreck and cave divers). Divers often stick an extra mask, slate, etc in the pockets on the drysuit legs. If you are happy with your pockets, I would consider these optional. Just my opinion.

 

[TSandM]

I use 9 lbs of weight with a 5 mil suit and 2 mil hooded vest, and 31 pounds in my drysuit and very thick undergarments.

You can definitely dive in a jacket. One of the reasons a lot of people in Seattle go to a backplate system is that it puts five or more pounds of your ballast up on your back, rather than around your waist. In addition, if you're like me, and looking to minimize the total weight you carry, you should know that a typical BC has 3 or more pounds of intrinsic lift (related to padding). So three of the pounds you are carrying are going just to sink the BC.

As for the pockets on the dry suit, they're MUCH easier to get into than the ones on my old BC were, and hold much more stuff. I typically dive with wet notes, a spare mask (I use bifocals, so losing a mask would be a big deal because I can't borrow one from anybody else), and when boat diving, a surface marker buoy and spool. I've also carried an air horn and a mirror at times. Putting all this stuff in pockets means it isn't hanging off you, and is far less likely to get lost.

 

[Dive Rite]

Greetings,

Have been primarily a warm water vacation diver for 8 years and about 175 dives. But this past summer, I did a bunch of beach dives in Rhode Island where I live. I'm currently considered the cost benefit of a drysuit.

Mike H

Hi Mike,

Good questions, drysuit diving is very different and it is good to gather knowledge before you jump into a purchase.

For more information about choosing a drysuit check out Lamar's article Choosing Drysuits and Undergarments.

If you are looking for a cold water regulator please consider the Hurricane, which is cold water ready. You can read an independent review of the regulator here.

Many people find pockets on the thigh more comfortable to use. Thigh pockets are available for wetsuit divers as well as drysuit divers.

While you certainly don't need a backplate to dive in a drysuit there are some advantages. Check out our Solution Finder under the question 'Should I get a metal backplate' to find out what will work best for you.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy diving around Rhode Island!

Best,
Ag

 

[dave4868]

Welcome to ScubaBoard, Mike!

Your potential for back injury and the "deal-breaker" of needing excessive weight to counteract the buoyancy of the drysuit might make this a good situation for "trying before buying" to see if the added warmth is worth the extra weight.

How much weight you'll need will depend mostly on how much insulation you'll need to achieve satisfactory warmth. You can greatly improve your overall warmth by adding drygloves and an ice cap underhood, but they will require some extra weight, too.

For me, at 5' 9", 190 lbs, in a shell suit with drygloves, ice cap and enough insulation for excellent warmth, I'm wearing a minimum of 38 lbs of lead for water temps down to 45F.

Do you think you'll be okay with over 30 lbs of lead on? Are you going to be doing more strenous shore dives? Surf entries? Slippery conditions?

Messing up one's back is a huge consideration, as you obviously know.

Have you considered improving your wetsuit, hood and gloves? Thought of bringing a cooler of hot water for warming up pre-dive and post dive?

For you, using a drysuit is an important question and a tough call. Good luck.

Dave C

 

[RIdiverMike]

... to all for the quick, thoughtful and very helpful info!

Sincerely,

Mike H

 

[diveandclimb]

The other thing about the pockets is that most BP/W and many back-inflates don't have much in the way of pockets so divers need them on their suit but if you like the ones in you bc and aren't planning on switching away from a jacket then there is no reason you would need to these pockets.

 

[NudeDiver]

I think your weight estimate is about right. I need 35 to 40 pounds of lead, depending on whether or not I am using an AL80 tank.

Yes, you need a port for the drysuit inflator.

I think people use a rear inflate BC because they tend to be able to carry the extra weight needed. I could never use my jacket style travel BC with my drysuit - it's only rated for something like 25 pounds of lead (based on lift, I guess). I use a rear inflate BC for the drysuit (Black Diamond, by Seaquest).

The leg pocket is for all the gold bars you will find when drysuit diving Honestly, I dunno why its there. Just so you can carry stuff I guess. I've never used mine for anything

 

[tfsails]

I just made my first drysuit dive this past Saturday at the DUI Dog Day Demo at Lake Rawlings. I dove with 24#, an AL80, and was wearing a hood. I was able to get down ok, and stayed below 50' in the deep end for more than 20 minutes. I wasn't cold, but I wasn't warm, either. As my air dwindled I found myself getting more and more neutrally buoyant with almost no air in my suit and none in my BC. I decided to surface with about 1000 psi remaining in my tank before I had an uncontrollable ascent. Bottom line is that I think I could have used at least another 4 lbs, and maybe more.

What a different feeling it is to come out of the water and be almost perfectly dry!