Dry Suit Diving Advice

[chris_the_brit]

I took the PADI drysuit class in a Whites Fusion (Sport, I think) and it was a great class. In the pool sessions we were supposed to intentionally fill our feet with air to get a feel for it and to practice the tuck and roll. It really took some effort to force the air into the feet - even the instructor found it difficult to do.
One thing I noticed while diving in the ocean in the drysuit was that I probably had too much weight - more weight meant more air in the suit (if using that for buoyancy) and hence a bigger bubble moving around in there.
I really liked the feel of diving dry but I also need to work to minimize my undergarments - minutes after getting out of the water I'll be sweltering.

 

[FinnMom]

Search for SB threads about "drysuit tips", "new drysuit" etc. - this thread appears quite frequently and has gotten LOTS of great advice.

Try to steer clear of the suit or BCD/wing for bouyancy question. Each camp has lots of happy followers and both camps have a few people who think their way is the path to heaven while the other leads to hell. Please don't awaken the fervor. Learn from whoever is actually in the pool/other water with you and draw your own conclusions. Whichever you decide to use, the smart money is on being able to use either one if deprived of the other option (occasionaly one inflation hose won't be in working order).

Lots of people have trouble with floaty feet. It gets a lot better in time. I do like gaiters; they help a little (esp. if your suit legs are a little too long, loose or large), are nice and warm and most importantly look kinda cool

 

[Storker]

Lots of good points, except:

they [...] look kinda cool

Well, if you want to look like a pre-1950s Brit wearing breeches and puttees, I guess...

 

[jscan1]

Drysuit diving seems to be one of those things that a lot of people on here want to turn into rocket science (a lot like everyone that wants to over dramatize diving in kelp, when in fact diving in kelp just isn't that difficult). As you descend put a little air in the suit to take off the squeeze, and stay warm, then control bouyancy with your BC! Every one talks about getting a big bubble in your feet and ending up toes up at the surface! I actually like moving the bubble towards feet to trim out, and can't imagine I wouldn't be able to tell that I had so much air in my feet that I couldn't pull my legs down and move the bubble to my upper body! Lastly the exhaust dumps slower than the BC , so just be aware it takes a little extra time to dump air if you're too bouyant

 

[kelemvor]

Lots of good points, except:


Well, if you want to look like a pre-1950s Brit wearing breeches and puttees, I guess...

I've been told more than once that mine makes me look like a nazi pilot... Granted, I wasn't going for "a look" but that's not what I wanted to hear.

https://flic.kr/p/on6yNh

---------- Post added September 23rd, 2014 at 09:29 PM ----------

Every one talks about getting a big bubble in your feet and ending up toes up at the surface! I actually like moving the bubble towards feet to trim out, and can't imagine I wouldn't be able to tell that I had so much air in my feet that I couldn't pull my legs down and move the bubble to my upper body!

As a wet diver who has recently "gone dry" I will say that it is definitely a different feeling on a dive. It definitely takes some focus and practice early on. I've never found myself totally vertical but I've had the occasional drysuit bubble related trim problem. There's definitely more going on diving dry than there is diving wet. Whether that "more" is a big deal seems like it would be very subjective based on your personal skill levels. I'm just glad I didn't live somewhere that demanded drysuits for OW class.

 

[Storker]

I'm just glad I didn't live somewhere that demanded drysuits for OW class.

They don't "demand" it. They offer it. Frankly, you'd be happy for the offer because you don't freeze your nether regions off and you don't shiver uncontrollably after the second dive of the day.

It's really no prob. In OW class, you're so frikkin' task loaded that a DS - especially the neoprene type - doesn't add much to the stress level. You're yoyo-ing in the water column anyhow, and a feet-first ascent during one of those dives is just "one of those things" you go through anyway.

And when you're standing there with your still warm OW cert in your hand, you're actually able to dive dry from the get-go, and you don't understand what all the fuss over DSs that those wetsuit guys are making is about. And, as a bonus, when you travel to warmer places to dive wet it's a great experience, because it's a simpler, less task-loaded and more carefree diving experience than you're used to.

I regard taking OW in a DS to be a feature, not a bug :cool2:

 

[Oldbear]

They don't "demand" it. They offer it...

I think learning to dive in a DS would be a great advantage over learning to dive with a DS later on...no bad habits to break and you set your DS mind set right from the beginning.

 

[FinnMom]

I think learning to dive in a DS would be a great advantage over learning to dive with a DS later on...no bad habits to break and you set your DS mind set right from the beginning.

This seems to be very, very true. The beginners I've seen have no greater difficulty learning than any other beginner trying to learn bouyancy control. Those of us who switched after a couple years all had some sort of adjustment and some of us experienced a fair bit of frustration trying to re-learn a competent level of bouyancy- and trim control.

 

[swimmer_spe]

As a newish diver, I have dove less than 60 dives in about 5 years. I have done about half of them in a dry suit.

1) Play with it in the shallows. In depth of 30 feet, figure out how to put air in, and how to get air out. Figure out how to right yourself from a feet first ascent. Figure out how to stay horizontal.
2) Overweight yourself at first. Yes, being properly weighted will allow your air to last. Yes, being properly weighted will allow you not to work so hard. However, having that extra weight means if you do not squeeze quite enough air out, you will lessen the chances of an uncontrollable ascent.
3) Focus on skills, not weights. In the last few dives, I have dropped about 10lbs. This was because my skills were now at a point that the extra weight was not needed. On one dive, my buddy needed more weight, so, I gave him some. I still went down and stayed down as I wanted to. I have dropped all the excessive weight people have been telling me I do not need.
4) Learn your gear. Everyone has different gear. What works for someone, may not work for you.

5) Dive. I wish I had the time to dive more. I would have learned it faster.

 

[Keith.M]

My last two dives were my first two that were dry dives.

It certainly is different than wet, but not that hard if you control your buoyancy.

I see a lot of posts about air in your feet and an uncontrolled ascent because of it.

Although I did experience times where I had too much air in my feet, I would not have gone to the surface because of it.

If your buoyancy is good, it shouldn't matter if you are horizontal, on your back, head up or feet at the top. You would maintain the same buoyancy characteristics.

The biggest problem I had with the extra air in my feet was the feeling I could lose a fin! It just feels strange going from what you are used to as far as your fins pressure on your feet and having them all the sudden feel loose.