What is the value of a drysuit class?

[hilljo88]

So diving in a dry suit is different from wet suit diving in important ways. You need to learn how to dive safely in a dry suit and how to properly maintain it, what undergarments to use, how to adjust for a "squeeze" and balance buoyancy between the gas in the suit and in your BCD or wing. Can you learn all of these things on your own or with a buddy in the pool? Or do you need a formal class and merit badge? Kinda up to you and how you learn, but there is most definitely a learning curve.

 

[drakcheslav]

I'd say a Drysuit course is the most importan thing you can lear out of the "additional courses". But depending on the instructor. My DS course was 50eur w/o a card, and it was worth every cent. I learned how to handle inflation problems, what to do if you invert, how to sort a stuck inflator and similar.

Granted, practicing and dives with it are more important. but one thing is to go blind with a dry suit and then capatult yourself like a whale out of the water. Much more important if you ask me than "total bouyancy course" or what ever of the PADI card of the month is.

 

[myself]

@myself

Didn’t you talk in another thread about wanting to rent some different drysuits to try them out? In that case, absolutely take the class. I’d be very surprised if a shop in the US rented a drysuit to a diver without a drysuit cert who doesn’t own his own suit.

I did have another thread about diving in cold water, however, I was talking about using a heavier wetsuit, I was just wondering if it would be worth it to get into drysuits and decided that it was worth another thread. Thanks.

 

[Wibble]

I did have another thread about diving in cold water, however, I was talking about using a heavier wetsuit, I was just wondering if it would be worth it to get into drysuits and decided that it was worth another thread. Thanks.

Drysuits are most definitely warmer. Especially in conjunction with a heated vest/undersuit/gloves.

In cold environments, they bring other challenges with failure modes. If you've a significant decompression obligation and the suit's been leaking, you'll get very cold, possibly dangerously cold if not wearing the right kind of undersuit.

Same with dry gloves: they will break underwater and need undergloves that insulate when wet. Also some string to break the wrist seal to let gas in/out of the gloves at depth.

 

[Celt]

Practice with a friend in 10 feet of water with the dump valve open. After 30 minutes you'll know if you need to take lessons.

 

[TrimixToo]

To me, the class was worth it to just to learn about the carotid sinus reflex, which can be induced by a neck seal that's too tight.

 

[Esprise Me]

To me, the class was worth it to just to learn about the carotid sinus reflex, which can be induced by a neck seal that's too tight.

That was one thing that I (having taken the course) had to help my buddy (who decided to learn on his own) to figure out. He had his seal cut a little too small, as he was afraid of cutting it too big and wasting $160 or whatever it was to replace it.

 

[MrVegas]

I took the class and now almost always dive dry. I definitely think the class was worth it just to get an idea of how the suit operates and have the opportunity to ask questions and learn what to do if you go feet up in a controlled environment before it happens for real. Then it's just practice to figure out how like to control your buoyancy, trim, etc. , between your suit and your BC.

Also, you might get some useful thoughts on what you do and don't want in a drysuit before you actually spend a lot of money on one. If you're diving in really cold water, the undergarment purchases are probably at least as important than the actual drysuit and a lot of people don't think about that in advance.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Also, you might get some useful thoughts on what you do and don't want in a drysuit before you actually spend a lot of money on one. If you're diving in really cold water, the undergarment purchases are probably at least as important than the actual drysuit and a lot of people don't think about that in advance.

Dry glove system and hood too

 

[crofrog]

look into doing a GUE drysuit primer if you're interested in diving bp/w as well.