What was that, sonny?

dolbersen · Jun 30, 2005

Brief gear background: I've got an Xcel Polar 7mm wetsuit with integrated hood, and an Atomic Z1 with M1 exhaust.

Communicating with my buddy has proven, challenging. Not for me, for my buddy! I can't hear anything through my hood aside from my own bubbles/regulator and power inflator.

Luckily we've learned how to communicate with our dive lights like many others have. We've got the H2Yo rattles but I can't hear that, even from less than 3' away! On the one hand, this is good because it reinforces good buddy awareness. On the other hand I worry that if my buddy runs out of air or gets eaten by a shark I won't know it!

So what should I do? Should I cut some ear holes in my hood? I don't really like that idea: I like to be warm! Should we just keep to the light-based communication? Does this present a problem to other divers? Are drysuit hoods much different from wetsuit hoods? Going to 48 degrees for a couple minutes makes a dry suit look pretty sweet

Also, do the drysuit gloves keep your hands dry, and thus warm? We had to ascend to warmer waters on our last dive because my buddy was too cold and I was starting to get worried about my fingers being able to function properly!

mossym · Jun 30, 2005

dry gloves keep your hands dry, but you need a drysuit to use them, at least any model i've seen. None are designed to work with wetsuits..

i can't hear anything in my hood either...well, i can hear the important things, boat engines, air leaks...but hearing is pretty limited

Kriterian · Jun 30, 2005

dolbersen:
So what should I do? Should I cut some ear holes in my hood? I don't really like that idea: I like to be warm! Should we just keep to the light-based communication? Does this present a problem to other divers? Are drysuit hoods much different from wetsuit hoods? Going to 48 degrees for a couple minutes makes a dry suit look pretty sweet

I wouldn't cut holes in the wetsuit hood, it wouldn't make much of a difference any way. Besides, how often are you going to be talking underwater? The light based communication is a good idea IF you come up with signals for everything. Make sure each buddy knows the "All is well", "All is not well", "Danger Will Robinson" etc. Of course none of this helps if you can't see each other's lights, so position is important.

You could try setting up a position that you're both always in at all times, so that each of you knows you just have to look in a certain direction to see each other. Or using a small piece of rope held in each of your hands (if you're not just willing to hold hands), but DON'T tie it to yourself.

dolbersen:
Also, do the drysuit gloves keep your hands dry, and thus warm? We had to ascend to warmer waters on our last dive because my buddy was too cold and I was starting to get worried about my fingers being able to function properly!

Yes, if you have the gloves installed on the suit, they'll keep you dry and warm. It's worth it if you're going to be diving in a place where a drysuit is needed in the first place. That would suck to call the dive because the rest of you is toasty but your hands are blue/purple.

The DIR folks use their lights as communication (among other folks), so hopefully some of them will chime in since you already seem to be using your light.

dolbersen · Jun 30, 2005

mossym:
dry gloves keep your hands dry, but you need a drysuit to use them, at least any model i've seen. None are designed to work with wetsuits..

Err, yeah. I guess I didn't phrase that as well as I could have. Obviously dry suit gloves wouldn't do me any good in my wet suit :blink:

mossym:
i can't hear anything in my hood either...well, i can hear the important things, boat engines, air leaks...but hearing is pretty limited

At least it's not just me! My buddy's hood is thinner, so they can hear better than I can.

mossym · Jun 30, 2005

dolbersen:
Err, yeah. I guess I didn't phrase that as well as I could have. Obviously dry suit gloves wouldn't do me any good in my wet suit :blink:

reading it now you phrased it fine...whatever way i read it first time i interpreted it differently...apologies...brain freeze on my part..

dolbersen · Jun 30, 2005

Kriterian:
The light based communication is a good idea IF you come up with signals for everything. Make sure each buddy knows the "All is well", "All is not well", "Danger Will Robinson" etc. Of course none of this helps if you can't see each other's lights, so position is important.

I read a post from a much more experienced diver with a pretty simple approach: one buddy is always over the other. The top keeps thier light in the bottom's field of view. The top can always see the bottom, so that's OK. If the bottom doesn't see the top's light for a second or two, it's time to look around. That's pretty simple!

kriterian:
That would suck to call the dive because the rest of you is toasty but your hands are blue/purple.

Some of the gloves I've seen look like glorified surgical gloves!

Cap335 · Jun 30, 2005

mossym:
dry gloves keep your hands dry, but you need a drysuit to use them, at least any model i've seen. None are designed to work with wetsuits..

I have a pair that work with wetsuits. i think they were from OS Systems

Randy

mossym · Jun 30, 2005

cap335..how do they seal? and how do you equalize them at depth?

aquaoren · Jun 30, 2005

mossym:
cap335..how do they seal? and how do you equalize them at depth?

http://www.divingconcepts.com/dryglove.htm
Bottom of page.
They have latex seals but can not be equalized at depth.

miketsp · Jun 30, 2005

Cap335:
mossym:

dry gloves keep your hands dry, but you need a drysuit to use them, at least any model i've seen. None are designed to work with wetsuits..

I have a pair that work with wetsuits. i think they were from OS Systems

Randy

Click to expand...

Actually you can wear latex rubber disposable gloves under your normal neoprene/leather gloves and you will get a significant reduction in heat loss especially if your dive gloves have an elastic strap around the wrist to help maintain the seal.

What was that, sonny?

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