Dry Suit and OW Cert at the same time?

[Jax Teller]

As I've stated numerous times, I've got my intro to scuba class this week. If I do end up pursuing scuba further, I know that I'm going to want to dive with a dry suit.

What's the general consensus on getting your dry suit certification at the same time as your OW certification? Is it a good idea if you only plan on dry suit diving, or is it frowned upon doing both at the same time?

 

[muddiver]

A dry suit is just another form of thermal protection. On long and deep working dives, commercial and military divers use hot water suits. Cave divers, and the popcicles of the northern latitueds have to use dry suits.

If you live in an area where the water is always cold like the pacific northwest or around the great lake, it would be counter productive to not learn to dive with a dry suit. Just make sure that the instructor you are working with is not only familiur with dry suits, but that you want to do your basic SCUBA starting with a dry suit. If you are taking a course like some of the senior members on this board promote that includes buoyancy awareness right off the bat diving dry should not be that difficult. With the automatic dump valves on the suits now days it really isn't that much different than diving in a really thing wet suit.

 

[snowflake4727]

It can be done. There are some shops that teach them together because it is cold. If you want you can also do it after with no problem. Depends on the shop and instructor.

 

[SteveAD]

I tell everyone that diving dry isn't difficult, it's just different. If you don't learn wet and then transition to dry, then it isn't even different, it's just how you learned. If you're diving in conditions that require a drysuit then just go dry from the start.

 

[Jax Teller]

That's what I was hoping to hear! I live in MN and would be diving in MN. Even in August, the water can be a little chilly; and I'd rather not restrict myself to a small window of opportunity to dive in a year. I think Ice Diving sounds interesting, but that is a long way off before I pursue that avenue of diving.

Thanks again!

 

[ligersandtions]

If your instructor will allow you to do your OW course in a drysuit, then definitely do it! Some instructors don't dive dry, so they don't teach students to dive dry. Though, if you're in MN, I would have to guess that your instructors will dive dry....hopefully they rent drysuits as well. If that's the case, the easiest way for you to learn to dive dry is to learn to dive in a drysuit....then there's no weird transition!

 

[Pitchblack]

It can sure be done! Go for it!
Diving dry is the most wonderfull feeling there is.

Best regards, Pitchblack

 

[Blackwood]

If it's cold, dive dry. It's much more likely that you'll continue diving rather than doing it now and again in warm destinations.

As Steve said, at this point it'll just be 'how you learned'.

And, FWIW, all a drysuit brings over a wetsuit one an additional task; specifically the filling and venting of the suit in addition to the BC. It's pretty simple and may eventually become muscle memory (another dry diver and I decided to dive wet last saturday for the first time in a few years, and both of us caught ourselves lifting our arms to vent our suits).

I
Diving dry is the most wonderfull feeling there is.

Correction: using the p-valve in your drysuit is the most wonderful feeling there is

 

[TSandM]

I did my OW cert in a dry suit. It does add complexity to one's buoyancy control, but it is definitely doable.

 

[HJeffreyM]

Jax

You may not have seen this as it was posted in one of the other half-dozen threads you've started this week. But I wonder if, between deciding whether to spend your wife's borrowed student grant money on your diving equipment, figuring out what to eat while diving and adding to your possible DCS woes by deciding to dive primarily in cold water...if you have bothered to ask either your prospective dive instructor or DAN about the correlation between DCS and obesity.

Please read below:

Gee, hate to throw a wet blanket on this thread, but Jax...I didn't get his age, says he's "5'11 between 260 and 275." That ht and wt gives a BMI of 36+. 30 being the level of obese. Two things come to mind....

1) DAN says that obesity can increase the chances of DCS (specifically the bends). This can be avoided for the most part by diving conservatively, but the fact is the more tissue you have, the more nitrogen you absorb.

2) Most certifying agencies require at least the minimal ability to both tread water for a period of time and swim a number of laps in the pool without the assistance of fins or flotation devices.

While it is true that adaptive techniques have allowed differently-abled divers to enjoy the sport, there is still a certain level of cardio-vascular health needed for diving. You may also be required to carry tanks over a distance for a shore dive or be able to swim to or from a dive site from a boat. Are you doing a triathlon? No, but only you can decide if diving is right for you.

You may want to find a local dive shop (LDS) and speak with an instructor about your concerns. You can also call or write the Diver Alert Network (DAN) about the correlation between obesity and decompression sickness.

Good luck!

You may also want to read Jim Lap's recent post about who is responsible for what. Bottom line is the only person responisble for your dive safety is you.