Why I decided to go dry...

[SPKelpDiver]

I finally decided to make the leap and go dry. I told myself over the summer that I would make one more cold wet winter before I transitioned, but temperatures have been slowly dropping and I am cold in 58 degree water after 25 minutes into the first dive, and it’s only going to get worse from December on. The rest of the dive I am trying to mentally ward off the cold, which draws my attention from the beautiful environment I am in. I find myself taking mental images of scenery so I can re-live the moment later, because right now I am too damn cold. I also notice I don’t move as much, which means less checking the reef for cool critters. I usually dive with Frank(Frankpro1) and he is a photographer so this means a slower pace (sometimes no pace) and that turns me into an icecube really quick. I have exhausted every option to getting "warm" in a wetsuit that I can just short of buying a custom suit. When it comes down to it, I just don't trust wetsuits to keep me comfortable anymore, after being through the gamut (Stretch, semi-dry, farmerjohns, plus layers underneath)

So I bought a drysuit from Pacific Wilderness. It is the Diving Concepts with crushed-neoprene. The stock XL fit me really well, except the neck seal which Fred will trim on Monday when I go in to take the pool instructions. I liked the crushed neo because it looked sturdy but mostly because it seemed to have less material than the tri-lam and fit me closer. I went with the wrist wrings and I am having a pee-valve installed in it as well. I needed new fins so I decided to go with the scubapro jetfins. They are big heavy fins, I know I can handle them and I have always wanted to try them after seeing all the tech guys with them. I mostly frog kick so I am sure I will love these. I figured they would be a good match in a drysuit; I have heard many newbies use ankle weights and I wanted to avoid the issue by getting the heavier fins in hopes that it might make the learning transition a little easier.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that the learning process will be smooth. One thing I am sure of is it is going to be like learning to dive all over again. I plan on being very vigilant with maintenance and inspection of the seals. I already know a few critical mistakes to avoid like not completely locking down your zipper. I hate the idea that I am going to loose my buoyancy. I feel like I I've really developed my "wings" over the course of my short, but active dive history(close to 80 dives in just over a year, 90% from shore around Palos Verdes), and the idea of relearning buoyancy makes cringe. I know that it will be well worth it when I am warm, dry, and comfortable using my drysuit. I hope once it is all said and done that my trim will be even better with air distributed through out the whole suit as opposed to just in the wing.

I hate to have to fight to enjoy the dive because I am so cold, as I often do. Watch how fast I stack up the dives once I figure this thing out. :cool2:


I'd appreciate any wisdom you guys have to offer.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Remember in OW how they taught you to walk backwards with your fins on while entering a shore dive? Later you learned it's much easier to walk in with fins in hand. You will be taught to use your drysuit for buoyancy during the class, but once you dive it for real you will most likely add just enough air to relieve the squeeze and use your BC for buoyancy. It takes a minute or two to get used to being in the suit, but after that its just like diving wet, except for the shivering, shrinkage, urge to pee, etc.

 

[mselenaous]

Charlie, They keep telling me it takes about 25 dives to get back into the "groove".

As for being cold, I've been cold in every configuration too, including the drysuit...UNTIL...I finally figured out it was my feet. If they were cold, then the rest of me was cold.

I have several wet booties and still got cold in all sorts of layers of neoprene. A couple years ago, a rep gave me a pair of sealskin socks and that helped a little bit. Finally I wore them out and tried on various options of neoprene socks though none fit around my cankles. I had a custom pair of 3mm socks made (same cost)....and voila, I was no longer cold in either my old or new wetsuits at 58 deg.

In the drysuit, with 2 pairs of wolly socks under my polarfleece socks, I finally stopped being cold with the same level of undergarmets at the same temps.

Enjoy your new suit!

 

[SPKelpDiver]

Thanks for the advice Phil. When I first read Padi's policy of using the drysuit instead of your BC, it instantly occurred to me why new drysuit divers have problems with feet first ascents. If you are only gassing the suit enough to create loft, then there shouldn't be enough air in the suit to affect you in an feet up position if you are properly weighted, but correct me if I am wrong.

Elena, I am planning on making at least 4 shore dives a week once I get the suit to really dial it in. If conditions are good enough, I will do even do 3. Cold is not going to be an issue anymore, it's simply a matter of energy. I am going to get all my practice with it at Marineland, after all it's where I really dialed in all my other diving skills. I also plan on doing a weight check on the surface before and after each dive because I really hate feeling overweighted. I'd like to get my weight just a little heavier than neutral before anything, in hopes that it may make regaining buoyancy that much easier.

 

[DwayneJ]

I appreciate the time and feeling you have committed to this but overall you are either going to like it or not. It really depends on the type of diving you do and we all dive differently - I constantly dive 1-2 dives around 60'-70' to NDL limits at night 1-2 days a week.

I pretty much dive my Fusion drysuit all year around now and I'm happy with it but my buddy owns but does not like diving his drysuit.

My buddy's boat has the helm on the outside of the cabin so it does not matter if we are diving wet or dry. My boat has the helm on the inside of the cabin and I do not want to walk into the cabin wet. Its much easier to strip off the drysuit after diving and enter the cabin dry to make preparations for leaving while my buddies have a hot shower and change on the back deck. My buddies squirt hot water down their wet suits between dives.

I only add enough air in the drysuit to stop a squeeze and use my BC for buoyancy control. I carry an extra 4lbs of lead diving drysuit over my 8mm wetsuit.


Dwayne

 

[Rainer]

Look, if your weighting is correct (i.e. you're diving a "balanced rig"), you're only negative the weight of the backgas at the start of the dive. The amount of gas needed to take off the squeeze IS about the amount of gas needed to offset the weight of the gas *in a single cylinder* (and it only gets easier as you use up the backgas).

In a single, I hardly need to touch my wing inflator.

Enjoy the dry suit. Once you get it sorted, it'll soon become your favorite piece of gear (when it works).

 

[Reallydg]

Enjoy your drysuit. I have a Crushed-neo from Diving Concepts and love it. And next week I'm REALLY going to miss it because it's not back from the shop (some basic maintenance) and we're doing our end of year dive in Lake Michigan. Looks like I'm diving it wet!:depressed:

 

[TSandM]

It's possible that, the first couple of dives, you're going to wonder WHAT you have done to yourself. Buoyancy control is SO much easier wet. But especially if you stick to the advice you have been given, and minimize the air in the suit at first, things will quickly get easier. Remember that the air space in the suit is MUCH larger than the air space in a wing, so it can take significantly more time to work the gas you need to vent up to the shoulder dump to get it out. Also, at max speed, a suit doesn't dump as fast as a BC does. I like to start my ascent by venting my BC, and allow the bubble in the suit to expand a bit before I begin venting that, just so it makes it easier to get the air OUT of the suit. Also, weighting yourself to the absolute minimum with an empty suit and empty wing means you HAVE to get the suit EMPTY on ascent to stay in control, and that can be hard. Carrying an extra pound or two (I'm not suggesting five or ten) can make your drysuit life a lot easier. (It also makes you warmer, because a severely squeezed suit is NOT a warm suit, and when do you want to be warm the most? At the end of the dive!)

 

[ligersandtions]

With the amount that you and Frank dive, going dry will really make you enjoy the diving more! You may struggle a bit for the first few dives, but assuming you have your buoyancy down well in a wetsuit (which it sounds like you do), I don't think you'll struggle as much as you think you might. It'll take a little bit for it to be auto-pilot like it is with the wetsuit....but it's so worth the trade off. To be warm and (hopefully ) dry makes a huge improvement to diving socal in the winter....and opens up doors to Monterey and the PNW!

Enjoy your new journey. I suspect you'll really enjoy it after you get the first few dives out of the way!

 

[Teamcasa]

Diving dry will really make diving locally very easy and enjoyable. After a dozen dives, you will look back fondly on diving wet. You will also find that the only time you think about diving wet is on vacation in some warm water locale.

Have fun!