The ABC of drysuit diving

[Diver0001]

People diving in cold water do indeed often put a little extra air in the suit (and thus carry more lead) in order to stay warmer. A sadly departed ScubaBoard regular, TSandM, offered the equation lead = warmth.

Tomorrow it's exactly 3 years to the day. Every year on this day I still cry. Of all of the people I've ever dived with the click with her was almost physical. We both felt it. It was like we were co-joined twins underwater. The only other person I've ever had this with was my regular dive buddy with whom I can communicate without using hand-signs..... She was truly and in many respects, unique.

On my next dive I'll take her a bottle of wine (she loved wine) as I do every year. I always take off the label and tape a wetnotes page in its place that says, "Lynne, you are one with the ocean and in the ocean I visit you. Rest in peace, my friend".

Then the day after some wino comes and takes the bottle home again xD. Every year I need to get more creative about where I hide it because I think the guy (and it must be a guy) has it figured out that I do this.

R..

 

[boulderjohn]

Tomorrow it's exactly 3 years to the day. Every year on this day I still cry.

Yes, she was special, and, as you said, the perfect dive buddy, whether in a cave or in the open ocean.

 

[Diver0001]

It just turned midnight and I think i'm going to pop a bottle of wine. Bloody POS the universe handed us that day.

R..

 

[Marie13]

I started counting. I think it was 4 years. I think i'm going to pop a bottle of wine. Bloody POS the universe handed us that day.

R..

I think it was 3 years because it was about a year before I joined SB in summer 2016.

 

[Diver0001]

Yes, she was special, and, as you said, the perfect dive buddy, whether in a cave or in the open ocean.

My friend Dave, who is not a diver, was along when I was diving with Lynne and Peter. We met them in the evening for dinner and I drove back home with my friend who said something to the effect that, "Murphy must be afraid of that woman. She would eat him alive".

Ultimately he was wrong in the most sour of possible ways.

R..

 

[Diver0001]

I think it was 3 years because it was about a year before I joined SB in summer 2016.

yeah it was. I counted wrong. 3 years. I still can't quite get my head around it.

 

[boulderjohn]

It just turned midnight and I think i'm going to pop a bottle of wine. Bloody POS the universe handed us that day.

R..

I will join you--it just turned 5:00 here.

 

[Diver0001]

I will join you--it just turned 5:00 here.

To health and old friends!

To long life and happiness!

To hell with Murphy!

R..

 

[Edward3c]

To the OP.

There are strongly held options on using the suit or BC/wing for buoyancy. It really, doesn’t matter and is down to personal preference.

* With the suit the gas is in one compartment, but you can never forget where the bubble is.
* Using the BC/wing initially appears easier as it’s like diving wet. The challenge is controlling 4 air spaces during a rescue; your BC/wing and the casualty’s.

I dive on my suit and find I’m warmer than those who use their BC/wing.

For what it’s worth. Give both a go and see what works for you.

But don’t do the course until your comfortable driving your suit.

 

[Frontpointer1000]

Well, that depends.
I have students that buy a Drysuit the day before they come to me for Cavern or Cave. They’ve never dove a Drysuit before. What are the chances they pass my cave class with brand new buoyancy issues? Pretty much none.
So, do your class in what you are comfortable in. If you suck in a drysuit, you probably don’t want to show up for class in it.

When I was first learning technical diving and purchasing equipment, the person I talked to about the equipment ( a technical instructor) said that I should not even think of starting a technical diving class unless I had completed at least 20 dives in my drysuit. I have since seen that same recommendation in at least one agency manual.

In my preparations for advanced nitrox/Deco procedures, we have been planning to do the checkout dives in a cold water location. I told my instructor I would be diving in my dry suit and he said “not unless you have at least 50 dives dry”.

So now I’m accumulating my dry dives...