MichiganScott
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Taken an inexpensive kayak, or wind board dry suit and sealed it better/installed valves and made it a SCUBA dry suit???
Has anyone ever... or is it even possible...
- Thread starter MichiganScott
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BabyDuck
Contributor
they don't have feet, right?
My first drysuit - an O'Neill Super Suit - had no feet, so I wore wetsuit booties. I thought it was the cat's meow because I was sooooo warm by comparison to a wetsuit, so I can see where someone would think that was an upgrade if they were on a budget.
Valves would put you back maybe $160, and assuming you were able to install them correctly, would probably work ok. Some kite suits are conversions from regular scuba drysuits by installing a blank plug where the valves would go, these would be the best candidates.
So it should work. Be honest when you assess the condition of the suit before you do this, before you throw good money after bad. Surf/kite drysuits spend a lot of the time out of the water, and pinhole leaks that would drive you crazy scuba diving will go unnoticed when kiting.
All the best, James
Valves would put you back maybe $160, and assuming you were able to install them correctly, would probably work ok. Some kite suits are conversions from regular scuba drysuits by installing a blank plug where the valves would go, these would be the best candidates.
So it should work. Be honest when you assess the condition of the suit before you do this, before you throw good money after bad. Surf/kite drysuits spend a lot of the time out of the water, and pinhole leaks that would drive you crazy scuba diving will go unnoticed when kiting.
All the best, James
BabyDuck
Contributor
you're the bomb, james!
Rich Keller
Contributor
If you are not going to use the suit for buoyancy control you would not need to add valves just use your BCD. These suits were not meant for this type of use so they may not standup well as far as wear goes.
Rich,
Your caffeine low level light is on.
A method to introduce air to prevent suit squeeze is important; it follows that a way to vent the air is important too.
Your caffeine low level light is on.
A method to introduce air to prevent suit squeeze is important; it follows that a way to vent the air is important too.
RonFrank
Contributor
Having a way to vent/add air is mandatory. The suit starts out with too much air which gets vented at the surface and near the surface. You then go into squeeze mode where adding air to the suit becomes mandatory so you can move and be comfortable. The squeeze is rather uncomfortable at 25' or shallower. On the way up you are back to venting air so you don't go rocketing to the surface.
Controlling the air in a drysuit is not optional.
Adding valves to a surface suit is an option but I think for a similar cost you could buy used or get a Bare Nexgen. $600-800 new on Ebay.
Controlling the air in a drysuit is not optional.
Adding valves to a surface suit is an option but I think for a similar cost you could buy used or get a Bare Nexgen. $600-800 new on Ebay.
Rich Keller
Contributor
I never had a problem with a dry suit that was not hooked up while I was a commercial diver. The suits I used did have valves but no source of air from the umbilical so you would vent only what you needed to get down. Though buoyancy was not an issue as we were over weighted and walking on the bottom not swimming.
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