Standards - can I use a drysuit without a certification

[wannabe]

Experience is all you need -- certs are a joke IMHO

OW class, 5+ years of diving in current, off boats, at night, spearfishing, navigation...... all but overhead. No instructor buddies or anything. This is not rocket science change one thing at a time get familiar with how change play into your whole way of doing things. Get comfortable in the water.

I did do the drysuit class but that was because it was tossed in with the suit and I bought it before I was done with OW. I know numerous people that bought suit and jumped in the water got a feel for it and moved on.

 

[otter-cat]

To have become a divemaster (and thus a role model) in the first place, you already had to demonstrate good judgement and good diving skills, by agency standards. If someone asks you if the drysuit course is necessary, you can be completely honest, without being a bad role model. You can recommend the course, and advise that they not try diving a drysuit without some training. It is not required to have a card, and if you tell them that you tried it after doing the pool/classroom session, but before you finished the certs, you can also tell them that you were already a divemaster when you did that, and it might not be adviseable for them to do the same thing if they are less experienced. (If they are more experienced or skilled than you, then you won't really have to worry as much about being a role model.)

In the end, you did what you should have. The key is safety, not the card. You learned how to dive your drysuit safely before you tried it, and others should emulate that. If they do that, neither you nor they need to get the cert.

otter-cat

 

[Alvin Slovinsky]

I have a Bare Supra Dry drysuit 7 mm neoprene I’m taking AOW course this spring I signed up for the Drysuit course but decided against it the dive shop informed me I didn’t need to do the pool time session dive only the lake dive. I’m allowed to use my drysuit for my deep dive that’s part of the AOW course and plan on some pool time to learn the emergency procedures and buoyanc.In this situation I didn’t see the need to get certified at a $150.00 with books when there is a chapter in the AOW course book about Drysuits. I would like to hear other individual divers thoughts on this issue as well.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

If you were to learn through trial and error what an instructor will teach you in a day under supervision, then you must be ready to perform and unstable underwater circus for the first thirty or so dives.

 

[Marie13]

So you want to do a deep class without much, if at all, drysuit experience? If you’re not going to take the drysuit class then you need someone experienced with drysuits to show you the methods to get out of a foot first ascent.

You think a chapter in the AOW is enough info? If you’re such an expert, have to ask how many dives you have?

A real reason to have the drysuit cert is to be able to rent one if yours is in for repair. Many shops won’t rent drysuits to someone without the cert due to liability reasons. Also to get your weighting dialed in quicker than messing by yourself.

 

[Lorenzoid]

You do know this thread hasn't been posted to in 20 years? Anyway ... I took a Drysuit course and found it very useful. We not only went over the obvious--how to add gas, dump gas, recover from the dreaded "feet-up ascent," tips on suiting up, caring for the suit, etc.--but then put it into practice. For example, the instructor had us follow a course he laid with some line along the underwater topography, going upslope and downslope. We received feedback from the instructor on how to refine what we were doing. Anyone can put on a drysuit and swim around, but if you really want to learn how to be the suit's master and not the other way around, either take a course or have an experienced drysuit diver tutor/mentor you.

 

[happy-diver]

You must understand that when this thread was erected the capability of people was greater
and as it appears hard for you to formulate your own plan, what do you think you should do

 

[Alvin Slovinsky]

So you want to do a deep class without much, if at all, drysuit experience? If you’re not going to take the drysuit class then you need someone experienced with drysuits to show you the methods to get out of a foot first ascent.

You think a chapter in the AOW is enough info?

A real reason to have the drysuit cert is to be able to rent one if yours is in for repair. Many shops won’t rent drysuits to someone without the cert due to liability reasons.

I have a number of friends that are willing to assist me with the emergency procedures outlined in the AOW course manual. I’m also booking 2 days ( 2 hour session) in a pool setting practice these procedures.

 

[Alvin Slovinsky]

You must understand that when this thread was erected the capabilities of people was higher

I should of made a new post asking this question still pretty new on posting article.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I should of made a new post asking this question still pretty new on posting article.

It's fine. More of a personal choice whether to add on to an old thread or start a new one.