New Drysuit Diver - Do I Need The Course?

[dkatchalov]

Ok, some stats on me first: new OW diver, 20 logged dives, never dived DS before, feel comfortable and safe in the water, been down to 23m (yes, I am a bad boy, I know).

Just got a Pinnacle Evo 2 DS (trilam). The PADI DS specialty course will not run for another 2 weeks. I don't want to break my diving pattern and wait. I have already signed up for the DS course and have the book and have read it.

I intend to practise DS diving first in the pool tonight (2.1 meters) then under the local pier on the weekend (5 meters). Then, IF I feel comfortable with the whole thing, I want to do two OW boat dives (about 18m each).

I feel fairly comfortable with DS skills (in theory) and have read a fair bit on handling emergencies. I will also practise these emergency skills in my pool and pier dives. If at any point I feel unsafe in my drysuit, I will not do the boat dives and will wait to do my DS course.

Does anyone think this is dangerous? Has anyone dived a DS for the first time WITHOUT the DS course first? Any specific tips for me to stay out of trouble?

Thanks.

P.S. I am not too impressed with the PADI DS course anyway. In the book it says you have to use your DS only to control your buoyancy and not your BC. This just seems plain wrong to me and I don't want to learn bad habits and have to pay $$$ for it. Yes I know some ppl will say using your DC for buoyancy control is fine, but I disagree, it just doesn't make sense from a drag/streamlining perspective.

[747pilot]

Take some instruction. Don't rely on internet instructions to keep you out of harm's way. Is a few dollars for instruction too expensive after you drop one and a half grand on a drysuit? Hard to justify NOT taking them, unless you're unteachable, which I doubt or else you wouldn't have posted this question.

[Codiak]

Taking a class to learn the how is less important then the WHY. Based on your PS comments I'd suggest finding an instructor that regularly uses a drysuit and talk to him about what will be taught and ask the whys before signing up for any class.

[dkatchalov]

Codiak, my PS is based on the PADI DS book, which has an outline of the dives, which are part of the course. I am pretty certain that all instructors teaching the PADI DS course will make me use my DS for buoyancy given thats what the qualification requires.

[Tigerman]

Personally I never took the DS class (and I did my first DS dive at dive 9 or 10, cant remember exactly). However, I was going diving with an Instructor who I basically had a chat with about DS before I jumped into the water. I also did read some about it before I did the dive.
The idea of using the DS only for bouyancy control might seem a bit odd, but there is a lot of DS divers who basically do that. Me being one of them.
I basically only use the BCD for flotation when at the surface.

The (PADI) instructor I was diving with (and the other DS divers there) gave one advice as to boyancy btw.. Fiddle with the suit and the BCD and figure out which one YOU preferr to use..

[Bubbletrubble]

I think that you're being pretty reasonable by reading the PADI material, planning the pool dive, shallow open water dive, and then a relatively shallow boat dive. I am an advocate of the Baby Steps approach to learning new skills...especially with the drysuit.

Will there be a 45 fsw bottom on your proposed boat dive? If there is, it's obviously a safer dive. Have you done this particular boat dive site before? If you have, then it seems reasonable to give your new drysuit a test-drive there.

I have friends that dive dry and have never taken a formal drysuit course. The course isn't necessary...but it can be helpful.

You will find that there is much controversy here at ScubaBoard with regard to using your drysuit alone or drysuit + BCD to achieve neutral buoyancy. Do a search and you'll see what I mean. For what it's worth, my instructor recommended that I add just enough air into my drysuit to keep the squeeze off and use my BCD for buoyancy. This is how I use my drysuit now. Of course, I will add a little extra air in my suit (and dump a compensatory amount of air from my BCD) if I'm feeling cold at depth.

I took the PADI drysuit course. I found it helpful in the sense that I felt comfortable asking the experienced instructor a ton of newbie questions. He even trimmed my seals for me! Probably the most useful skill you learn in the course is how to recover from a feet-first ascent.

Different people have different experiences adjusting to diving dry. Some get the hang of it on the first dive. For others, it takes 5 - 10 dives. After 50 dives, it'll feel like second nature.

My dive buddy and I use our drysuits almost exclusively now. When we haven't dived wet, that first dive in the wetsuit feels kinda weird. It's almost comical watching us reach for the non-existent drysuit inflator button during descent. :-)

Have fun with your new drysuit. I know you'll really enjoy it.

[dkatchalov]

BT, first thanks for a great, informative post. Exactly the sort of answer I was hoping to get.

Will there be a 45 fsw bottom on your proposed boat dive? If there is, it's obviously a safer dive. Have you done this particular boat dive site before? If you have, then it seems reasonable to give your new drysuit a test-drive there.

There is a bottom at about 50-60ft.

I have dived both the sites I intend to do before.

You will find that there is much controversy here at ScubaBoard with regard to using your drysuit alone or drysuit + BCD to achieve neutral buoyancy. Do a search and you'll see what I mean. For what it's worth, my instructor recommended that I add just enough air into my drysuit to keep the squeeze off and use my BCD for buoyancy. This is how I use my drysuit now. Of course, I will add a little extra air in my suit (and dump a compensatory amount of air from my BCD) if I'm feeling cold at depth.

That is exactly what I intend to do (add enough air to offset the squeeze/keep warm), use BC for buoyancy. This method just makes a lot more sense to me.

I took the PADI drysuit course. I found it helpful in the sense that I felt comfortable asking the experienced instructor a ton of newbie questions. He even trimmed my seals for me! Probably the most useful skill you learn in the course is how to recover from a feet-first ascent.

I've read the instructions on how to recover from this and will practise under the pier (pool may be too shallow).

Also, my DS is quite well fitted, especially in the legs and feet. I am assuming that this, combined with the pressure applied by the rockboots, will help ensuring I don't get "air feet". Am I correct in assuming this?

At the end of the day, I'm going to approach the DS dives just like I approach diving in general - if I don't feel comfortable during the baby steps (pool & pier), I won't do the boat dives.

Once again, thanks.

[1_T_Submariner]

I bought a drysuit at about 50-60 dives and went with a couple of mentors on a few dives. I then took the course. Since I don't dive overweighted it really doesn't matter if I use my BC or Drysuit (I don't dive steel doubles just a single tank) by the time I relieve the squeeze when going deep I don't need much more air toward the end of the dive as my tank get lighter I'm going up and venting anyway.

An Air bubble in your Bc or an Air bubble in your drysuit is drag. So I would reccomend not diving overweighted and manage the smaller bubble the way you want to.

I did get some out ot the class on proper care of the zipper and seals. Also how to properly trim the seals and install dry gloves.

Good luck, enjoy your new DS.

[Colliam7]

I feel fairly comfortable with DS skills (in theory) and have read a fair bit on handling emergencies. I will also practise these emergency skills in my pool and pier dives. If at any point I feel unsafe in my drysuit, I will not do the boat dives and will wait to do my DS course.

This is always a dilemma. Should you venture into something like DS diving, or doubles as another example, without formal instruction? The best answer - 'No.' The practical answer - 'It depends.' - on how capable a diver you are, and we can't judge that from afar. I probably would not do a DS dive, outside a pool, without an experienced (with DS) buddy. Even then, I would limit the diving to 'confined' open water - quarry, lake, etc. But, that may just be me. Before I started tec, I set up my doubles and took them for a spin on a NC coastal dive. Was it dangerous? Potentially. But, I dove them in a controlled environment (quarry, shallow) first before doing so, and took them off the coast with a reliable buddy.

Does anyone think this is dangerous? Has anyone dived a DS for the first time WITHOUT the DS course first? Any specific tips for me to stay out of trouble?

Dangerous? Probably not. But, also not without risk. Three particular challenges (among many) with a DS: 1. Getting the neck seals trimmed properly before diving the suit; 2. Learning to maintain bouyancy (depth) control, irrespective of what is the primary control device (BCD vs DS); and 3. Avoiding an uncontrolled, foot-first ascent ( a biggie).

P.S. I am not too impressed with the PADI DS course anyway. In the book it says you have to use your DS only to control your buoyancy and not your BC. This just seems plain wrong to me and I don't want to learn bad habits and have to pay $$$ for it. Yes I know some ppl will say using your DC for buoyancy control is fine, but I disagree, it just doesn't make sense from a drag/streamlining perspective.

This statement sugggests you should take the course. THEN, decide what works best for you. The issue has little to do with streamlining and drag. It has more to do with what gives you the best control of bouyancy and trim under water. It is not just PADI that suggests controlling bouyancy underwater with the DS only. That is something of a standard mantra. Having said that, I don't do that, and quite a number of people who dive drysuits don't either. I add air to my DS to minimize squeeze, but still use my BP/W to control bouyancy. Nonetheless, in tec we had to demonstrate the ability to control bouyancy, and depth, using only our DS (simulated BC failure) and it can be done. You are not taking the course, and spending $$$, to learn 'bad habits'. You are doing so to learn something about a technique and piece of equipment that is quite a bit more complex than a wetsuit. In any event, taking the course does not make you a DS diver. It took easily 50 DS dives before I began to feel I was in control of the suit, on shore (donning and doffing) and in the water, and I am still learning it after 150 DS dives. The content of the PADI course is appropriate. But, the course ultimately is as good as the instructor.

[timle]

This subject comes up and you will find lots of people who took a course and lots didn't. If its a PADI course the PADI line is to use the DS for buoyancy - I believe an attempt to make it more simple. I disagree with this and use air in the DS to keep squeeze off and for warmth.

I jumped in the pool - got comfortable. Went to an easy site - got comfortable. And then just dove. I think your plan is solid - if you are honest with yourself. Don't do the boat dives if you are struggling with the DS.