PADI Dry Suit Class

[Jim Lapenta]

You got a good class. I also had a discussion with Wendy about drysuit classes. Most I've heard of and the one I took myself was nothing like yours. The one I will be teaching will be though. I may even save your post to model some of my own things after. The agency I teach for gives alot of leeway to instructors to add material and give the student what they need. But I will say that in most cases by the time someone chooses to dive dry, adding a second inflate/deflate is not task overloading but a required skill that should be introduced right away. I was taught the book way and then told by the same instructor the real way.

 

[Cave Diver]

Great post.

It's interesting that you mention overheating as a potential issue. I can't imagine being overheated in any environment where I am going to wear a drysuit. Even in the warm, warm, warm waters of Australia, I had a full 5mm suit and could not describe myself as overheated (although people did seem to think me strange)

Overheating may occur for a variety of reasons:

* Gearing up in the summer on a boat and waiting for them to tie in and for other people to get in the water.

* Having to gear up for a shore dive with a long walk from parking area/entry area.

* Diving in areas where there is a large difference in air temp/water temp at depth.

Even in cooler weather it doesn't take long to start sweating in a drysuit with minimal amount of activity.

YMMV.

 

[Cave Diver]

D_B Good report, thanks for posting.

For those of you concerned about the "drysuit for bouyancy control" issue, keep in mind that the instructor is likely teaching according to agency standards.

IMO, it's more important to know how to manage the air in your drysuit when it's full, rather than with minimal inflation.

How you choose to run it once you're familiar with the pros/cons is up to you.

 

[NudeDiver]

Overheating may occur for a variety of reasons:

* Gearing up in the summer on a boat and waiting for them to tie in and for other people to get in the water.

* Having to gear up for a shore dive with a long walk from parking area/entry area.

* Diving in areas where there is a large difference in air temp/water temp at depth.

Even in cooler weather it doesn't take long to start sweating in a drysuit with minimal amount of activity.

I was referring to the previous poster's statement about overheating while in the water and actually diving - "Heck, I've switched from one method to the other in the middle of a dive just to keep from overheating....".

 

[Sas]

It's interesting that you mention overheating as a potential issue. I can't imagine being overheated in any environment where I am going to wear a drysuit. Even in the warm, warm, warm waters of Australia, I had a full 5mm suit and could not describe myself as overheated (although people did seem to think me strange)

I have been severly overheated in my drysuit. I was wearing two thermal t-shirts, a tank top + a pair of trakkies in a 4mm neoprene drysuit. Air temperature was 20C and water was 17C. So the water was warm and the air temperature was warm. I nearly considered flooding my drysuit at one point but after about 30mins or so I was ok. My bottom t-shirt was soaked with sweat at the end of the dive (the top t-shirts were dry so I presume it was not a leak ).

Went out in my 7mm semidry this weekend and FROZE in water temp of 16C so seems I am too hot in my drysuit and too cold in my semi dry Going to dive in my drysuit + a pair of bathers next week and will how that goes! Or maybe a t-shirt as well...

 

[Cave Diver]

I was referring to the previous poster's statement about overheating while in the water and actually diving - "Heck, I've switched from one method to the other in the middle of a dive just to keep from overheating....".

Sorry, missed that part in his post, but have to agree.

I've done dives with significant temperature changes due to thermocline. Using undergarments warm enough for bottom temp can be a bit overkill during deco, even with the reduced activity.

Adding, venting, or flushing gas through the suit can have a substantial impact on body temp.

 

[Anti-Hero]

I wish to have this thread stay on topic ... I know, that's funny right there :laughing:
Because .. I want to know ... I want reasons why someone thinks what they do ... Just making a statement like "I wish they would stop" doing something , really needs an explanation of your reasons why you think that.

thanks guys
DB

One is called a DRY SUIT, one is called a BUOYANCY COMPENSATOR. They each have specific rolls and each does them well. I would absolutely love to see some freshly minted drysuit diver maintain correct trim in a stay-puffed drysuit.

Have you tried putting just enough air in the suit to relive squeeze and keep warm while using your BC for buoyancy? Try it a few times.

Otherwise do it however the hell you want!

 

[String]

Correctly weighted single tank diver should have no issue at all maintaining trim using the suit for buoyancy. The amount of gas is minimal.

95% of all drysuit problems i see are a result of the diver being overweighted.

 

[diverbob]

can we argue about diving with the vent open, closed or partially closed now, too?

 

[Anti-Hero]

Correctly weighted single tank diver should have no issue at all maintaining trim using the suit for buoyancy. The amount of gas is minimal.

95% of all drysuit problems i see are a result of the diver being overweighted.

While I agree, the amount of gas is proportional to the weight. The problem arises because the amount of weight governed by many variables such as: Dry suit composition (neoprene vs shell vs hybrid), undergarments, body type, gear choices.

To simply say the amount of gas is minimal is not entirely accurate.

Also why would you want a bubble moving around the suit when you could avoid the situation completely by using the equipment you're already wearing to adjust buoyancy, the BC?