I think I met a dir padi instructor today.

[Diver0001]

double125's once bubbled...


<snip>

I would even like diving in a drysuit. everyone I have spoke to swears by them but I havent convinced myself it is a necessity.

It's not a necessity. It's a practical solution to the problems of (a) staying warm (esp on long decos) and (b) the need for redundant buoyancy. If you can solve those problems another way then why would you need a dry suit? Maybe (I'm about to make myself unpopular with the DIR crowd) if the water is warm enough where you dive then you don't have a warmth problem and you can solve the buoyancy problem with a double-bladder wing. (told ya).

Plus the post hear on scubaboard on the drysuit causing a blackout poses some concern for me.

Blackouts? Are you sure they weren't pointing to the wrong cause for their blackout? I suppose if the neck seal were rediculously tight then it could happen but who would do that?

There are a lot of other factors about a drysuit that I've heard makes them difficult to dive. Excess weight, uncontrolled feet first ascents,extra bottle to carry and another hose to get tangled in.

It takes a little getting used to but that's all. A day of instruction in the pool and 10 practice dives later and you'll wonder what you were ever worried about.

<snip>

R..

 

[Bomber]

Diver0001 once bubbled...
incase aliens abduct and have sex with him on the way to the divesite. LOL

HEY it can happen!

 

[MASS-Diver]

Don't knock it unless you've tried it. Diving dry really is the sh*t, all the people I've known who were anit-ds for whatever reason -have changed their minds once they learned to dive with one.

The training is pretty easy and well worth it.

 

[Doof]

I just love getting out of the water, stripping off the drysuit and just already being ready to go grab a bite to eat somewhere without having to go dry off, shower off the salt water, and change clothes.

Plus not having to climb into a cold, clammy wetsuit to do another dive later that day is always nice...

 

[dc4bs]

Diver0001 once bubbled...

It takes a little getting used to but that's all. A day of instruction in the pool and 10 practice dives later and you'll wonder what you were ever worried about.
R..

10 dives?

I dove Argon for the first time just over a week ago.

Other than swapping out a small trim weight for the argon bottle, I didn't notice any difference on the dive (other than beeing warmer )...

 

[double125's]

The thread on this board where the person passed out was in fact drysuit related. The whole scenerio will scare you. I will try to recall it from memory or someone can do a search for it. I believe the person in question was a female diver. she was solo diving and this was her first time with the new drysuit (I dont know if she was properly trained or not) when she descended she blacked out and awoke later(I believe in the hospital). It turns out somehow she floated to the surface and a fisherman saw her and drug her to safety. she does not recall much of the dive and thought it might have been a underlying medical issue. After getting the medical clearance they concluded that the seals around her neck were too tight. As she descened the seals became tighter cutting off her carodid artery and created a loss of blood to the brain resaulting in a blackout. Thank god she is alive to tell the story. On the downside they cut her out of her drysuit. ($1000+ down the drain)

 

[MASS-Diver]

The person "snuggle" is actually a man.


That thread should not scare anyone away from DSs, the neck has to be really, really tight to give a carotid sinus squeeze, that person choose not take a course or read a book and thought it was normal to feel like he being strangled by his suit. Common sense would have prevented that accident.

Again, the neck seal has to be really, really tight to cause this problem, it's not like if you have a little snug you are going to pass out.

 

[double125's]

Thanks mass-diver i was taking a look at prices of dry suites, I wish a person did not have to take a loan out to buy one. What would you recomend as best bang for the buck. could you possibly give a brief description of some of the types like trilam, rubber... and maybe give some pros and cons. thanks.

 

[MASS-Diver]

I have an old Whites shell suit that works great for me. But, both my buddies have DUI shells that ran close to $2,000 each plus nice underwear, and I have to say the DUIs are pretty darn sweet.

The bottom line with a dry suit though is does it keep you dry and there a ton of trilam (shell) suits out there by brands like Bare, that are more reasonabley priced.

Neoprene DS are heavy and aside from the DUI CF200, I would not buy one, I say a nice shell suit si the way to go.

A good shell suit will last you a long time, where as a wet suit as soon as you do some deep dives start to be crushed and not work as well.

DS aren't cheap, but, man they are SO nice. There's alot of good info in the DS forum here on SB that can help you make a good choice and atleast keep the price tag under a grand (w/ underwear).