SuPrBuGmAn
Contributor
I've not done a dive yet that required a drysuit 
Need a bit of advice with my sidemount project
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Drysuit needs depend somewhat on your "fluffyness" level. At 6-0 and 155 pounds, I'm close to being underweight. I get cold with a drysuit with a light undergarment after a 3 hour dive. I wouldn't dive with only a wetsuit unless I knew I needed to squeeze into something real tiny, but I'm skinny enough to fit into most stuff with the drysuit anyhow. Not to mention, drysuits provide great backup bouyancy. They are not that hard to get used to, I felt pretty comfortable after about 10 dives, comfortable enough to take my next step of cave classes in a drysuit. Now, it's second nature. Only downside: florida summers in a drysuit are miserable. A fall or spring class will be great in one, or get early early early starts, and bring enough tanks that you don't need to leave for fills.
I agree with UCFDiver, it's good to support the people who give you advice. That said, I feel no compunctions about buying some things used. Regs, I prefer to buy new, but primary lights are a great used purchase. You'll use it for a few years then upgrade to a brighter light and sell the 10w hid to a new diver, just like the guys who are selling their 10w hid's now. It's like cave diving tradition. You can use the $1000 you save buying used on better regs from Edd.
I would not take a yoke reg into a cave. Din valves are cheap, din regs are much more flexible than yoke regs, being usable on din or yoke valves with a small adaptor, and I perceive that they are much more robust than a yoke reg. I've seen three bent yoke regs. Din valves can bend if dropped right, though, so nothing is perfect. Spend the $50 on two din valves and buy some nice din regs from Edd
120's are huge tanks. I dove with them for years, and they are nice as they provide tons of gas. In sidemount, I don't enjoy carrying multiple stages. 120's are roughly equal to 95's plus a stage, when cave filled. However, I have come to love lighter tanks as I move away from tourist caves.
I agree with UCFDiver, it's good to support the people who give you advice. That said, I feel no compunctions about buying some things used. Regs, I prefer to buy new, but primary lights are a great used purchase. You'll use it for a few years then upgrade to a brighter light and sell the 10w hid to a new diver, just like the guys who are selling their 10w hid's now. It's like cave diving tradition.
You can use the $1000 you save buying used on better regs from Edd. I would not take a yoke reg into a cave. Din valves are cheap, din regs are much more flexible than yoke regs, being usable on din or yoke valves with a small adaptor, and I perceive that they are much more robust than a yoke reg. I've seen three bent yoke regs. Din valves can bend if dropped right, though, so nothing is perfect. Spend the $50 on two din valves and buy some nice din regs from Edd
120's are huge tanks. I dove with them for years, and they are nice as they provide tons of gas. In sidemount, I don't enjoy carrying multiple stages. 120's are roughly equal to 95's plus a stage, when cave filled. However, I have come to love lighter tanks as I move away from tourist caves.
CamG
Contributor
Greetings Sabbath999 and you have gotten some great advice. On the light issue buy two used or reconditioned that you can afford.
Then my advice would be to buy the rest from Edd. Not only will he steer you into the right size, technique that works best for you, and offer tips that will put far ahead.
Rob will offer this type of service as well. Both are great guys.
I have pieced my rig together and can see the wisdom in just saving up and starting all out. It is easy to develop bad habits that will take valuable training time to fix.
This being said there is a ton of information out there to research and different rigs to look at and critique.
I would trust the people who know what they are talking about, who dive SM, who developed the techniques, and have awesome references as these fellows do!
Good luck and safe diving! There are some caves in your area as well get the training and go play!
CamG Keep diving....Keep training....Keep learning!
Then my advice would be to buy the rest from Edd. Not only will he steer you into the right size, technique that works best for you, and offer tips that will put far ahead.
Rob will offer this type of service as well. Both are great guys.
I have pieced my rig together and can see the wisdom in just saving up and starting all out. It is easy to develop bad habits that will take valuable training time to fix.
This being said there is a ton of information out there to research and different rigs to look at and critique.
I would trust the people who know what they are talking about, who dive SM, who developed the techniques, and have awesome references as these fellows do!
Good luck and safe diving! There are some caves in your area as well get the training and go play!
CamG Keep diving....Keep training....Keep learning!
I've not done a dive yet that required a drysuit
Just wait until your first dive in one. You'll change your mind...
ucfdiver
Contributor
Yes you have.I've not done a dive yet that required a drysuit
Kevin Carlisle
Contributor
SuPrBuGmAn
Contributor
Just wait until your first dive in one. You'll change your mind...
Why? Nah, half the caves I dive are better done wet anyway, the other half the time I'm diving with "dry" divers complaining about being cold and/or wet.
Nah
Kevin Carlisle
Contributor
Why? Nah, half the caves I dive are better done wet anyway, the other half the time I'm diving with "dry" divers complaining about being cold and/or wet.
Nah
Now I have seen you freeze after a dive
Kevin, they are different tanks. Jonathan has the newer Asahi HP 100s and they trim out completely different than the older HP 100s, which is what you have. We had to move the bands all the way down to the bottom and add some trim weight at Jonathan's shoulders to get him in trim.
SuPrBuGmAn:Why? Nah, half the caves I dive are better done wet anyway, the other half the time I'm diving with "dry" divers complaining about being cold and/or wet.I used to think of some caves as better done wet. While that still holds true for some, it's a lot less than it used to be since I bought a Black Ice. My Black Ice trims out as well, if not better, than my 8/6 wet suit. I have yet to be cold in my Black Ice, and that includes 3 hour long dives. You have also limited yourself to one dive a day throughout the winter because you didn't want to get back in that frozen wet suit!
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