Ready for drysuits?

[Blackwood]

If it's too cold to dive wet, go dry. There is no reason you should need more wet diving experience. The sooner your get in your drysuit, the sooner you can learn it.

 

[TSandM]

I got certified in a dry suit. Go for it. Taking the class isn't a bad idea; drysuits have some obnoxious buoyancy characteristics, and it's good to have an idea of how to handle them BEFORE you have to do it for real.

 

[NOVIZWHIZ]

just remember rule #1

..never pee in your dry suit.

 

[NudeDiver]

..never pee in your dry suit.

...or your wetsuit.

 

[diveandclimb]

Thanks. I guess there's really no reason not to go for it so I will.

 

[NudeDiver]

Highly recommend you get certified first, and then make a few dives in a rental suit before buying one. Lots of people hate drysuit diving. A saw a craigslist ad recently from seattle - something like "drysuit used once. Made the mistake of buying before trying - I hate drysuits".

Personally, I hate drysuit diving - but for me, it's that or nothing, so there you go. I bought my suit after making, um, 6 or 7 dives in a rental (including my four OW cert dives).

 

[GrandpaScuba]

I've only done a dozen or so dives since my OWs but I have an opportunity to get a great deal on a drysuit and I'm wondering whether I should go for it and do my drysuit training. Is there any reason that I would need more experience before I'm ready? Also, I don't own most of my own gear yet but I will within the next few months. Would I be able to use rental gear with my drysuit (will most LDSs throw an extra inflator hose on a rental reg if you ask when booking the rental) for the drysuit cert class? Should I be waiting until I have my AOW before I get drysuit trained. Thanks.

I prefer that my students and former students perfect their bouyancy skills in a wetsuit before going to a drysuit. But if your bouyancy is good, go for it.

 

[jpx8diver]

Being in NE, you experience the same weather as we do in the midwest. Dry suit diving in the cold water of the great lakes is not required but preferable. If you know someone who's been diving in a dry suit, ask him to show you or get certified first before using the dry suit. Be sure to check the seals and valves. Take it to your dive shop and have them pressure test it. Last thing you need is a dry suit that leaks. I'll tell you this, after diving in a drysuit in cold water, you'll never dive wet again.

 

[1_T_Submariner]

If I where you living in the NE I would go for it and then a mentor or take the class.

 

[kagey747]

Got my cert in a dry suit, will dive nothing else (in WA). Did have the benefit of an instructor while learning the finer points of air migration, and would recommend a class if a trusted and experienced mentor is not available... and get your own reg setup soonest.