Dry Suits

[dsudiver]

Me and a friend were planing on takeing a trip to Monterey over Christmas vaction and doing a few dives. i know it would be cold so we checked the water temp. in monterey via the internet. the water level was at about 54 F. I have read that, that temp. is a little to cold for just a wetsuit. so i read a little more into the details of dry suits. I discovered that in order to stay bouyant with dry suits there is a valve on the suit itself,in addition to your bc.
i also found out that there is a speciality cert. for dry suit diving. is the cert. needed in order to learn how to operate a dry suit?

anyone who can help please respond..

thanks

-dsudiver

 

[jenmichigan]

Dear dsudiver,

When taking on a new piece of equipment it is important to know how to use it properly. Although the class is not "required" it is certainly in your best interest to take it. There are a lot of things to learn about dry suits and their use while diving. Just ONE of the things the class will teach you is how to get out of a feet first ascent should you become inverted due to air going into the legs of the drysuit. I don't want to scare you off from drysuits because they are great. You just need to learn how to properly use it to avoid disaster.

This is of course simply my opinion or as we say here on the board my .02 cents.

Jennifer,
http://www.MichiganShipwrecks.com

 

[dsudiver]

thanks. i am definently not scared off. i agree that i should take the training. thanks for youre help..

-dsudiver

 

[Mario S Caner]

DSU Diver,
Dry suit diving is great, but if you don't plan on diving often with it, you probably plan on renting one don't you. If that is the case you will find that most dive shops will not rent to you (from a liability stand point) without a specialty cert. Bottom line is that without the proper training you will probably have to sit in a pressure pot.

If you do plan on diving often with a drysuit (which is the way to go) then you will find that most reputable dive shops will give you the training for free for purchasing one. If you are going to buy, there really is only one big name out there (it's pricey) DUI. Chech them out, they're great!

Mario

 

[ScubaBaby]

Quote from Mario:
"Dry suit diving is great"

GREAT!? I wish was was drysuit diving where you dive!
But then again, i find drysuit diving uncomfortable but that isnt neccessarily due to the suit but due to the people i dive with.
Cause my b-friend is an instructor and most of our friends are instructors they all try to take care of me as i am only young. The best example is when I did my last dive in Lakeside Lake in Essex. I was fine, sorting my gear out and getting ready. They decided to help with my weights - got them all ready for me. I ended up with 6 in my intergrated weights in my BC, 2 on my ankles, another 4 on a weight belt and then a further 3 on my tank. I am only weak! I struggle enough with the weight of SCUBA gear and i was convinced not even with my BCD inflated i'd sink!!!!!

So, my opinion of drysuit diving is that it is very restrictive. You get a lot more freedom in a wetsuit!

:cold:-x-abby-x-:cold:

 

[Mario S Caner]

Abby, LOL! Sorry to hear all that. But have all of your instructor buddies talked to you about using a steel cylinder yet? What kind of underwear are you wearing? (just kidding but you see where I'm going with this) Sometimes if you go too thick it creates unnecessary buoyancy that you have to compensate for... is it rude if I ask you how much you weigh?

Sorry but I can't help but laugh at the mental image!
Mario

 

[Warhammer]

Originally posted by Mario S Caner
What kind of underwear are you wearing?
Mario

Naughty, naughty, boy.

 

[ScubaBaby]

Ok Mario
Tad concerned where this conversation is leading - i like you, but boy slow down lol =-x

Anyway, I tend to wear thongs - and obviously an underwired bra - does that answer your question????!

Warhammer - dont worry about Mario - he's obviously a tad excited about me drowning when my "supposed" instructor friends try to kill me off!

I am 8 stone 8 last time I checked. Why do you need to know? - fat floats???!

Steel cylinders? To tell you the truth i have kitted my self out with everything other than tanks and weights cause i dont tend to dive in the Uk and lugging it to other countries is just to much like hard work (and too much in extra baggage costs!)

I just use whatever tank I am given. I am quite lucky in the way that the people I dive with tend to know I am not very strong and give me kiddy baby cylinders which i am ok with and as I am not too big and quite relaxed i tend to be able to stay down as long as the rest of them!

-x-abby-x-

 

[Mario S Caner]

HAHA LOL! very funny guys! Are you all done beating me up here! LOL! wait a tic I'm still laughing! LOL!

Just between me and you Don told me he wears the same things... only his thong and underwire are reportedly leopard print to match his wetsuit. LOL!

Resident board Perv? I think not! LOL!
Mario

 

[Tom]

It depends on how big the wire is. That could actually count as a weight.

Tom