newbie norcal diver... straight to drysuit?

[WarrenZ]

I got kicked out of the deep diver class for wearing my personal dry suit without a c card. It got so ugly the instructor wouldn't even let me fun dive with the shops tanks I had to go to the local dive shack to get tanks. Made me look at switching to TDI for any more classes. So your mileage for not taking the drysuit class may vary. The weirdest part it's he said nothing as I went solo diving in front of his students.

 

[eelnoraa]

Dive shops in nor cal are very politically correct about renting drysuit. They will need a drysuit card. I have known of a previous local GUE instructor, torn seals at dive site, went to a Monterey dive shop for rental drysuit and got denied because his GUE instructor card didn't say drysuit on it. On the other hand, one can get through a PADI drysuit course and immediately rent a drysuit. It is stupid but it is what it is.

if you don't need to rent, there is no need to the c card as long as you know what you are doing.

---------- Post added October 14th, 2014 at 11:45 PM ----------

I got kicked out of the deep diver class for wearing my personal dry suit without a c card. It got so ugly the instructor wouldn't even let me fun dive with the shops tanks I had to go to the local dive shack to get tanks. Made me look at switching to TDI for any more classes. So your mileage for not taking the drysuit class may vary. The weirdest part it's he said nothing as I went solo diving in front of his students.

I guess in his class, his rule. But outside of his class, who the heck is him, the scuba policy!

 

[Menk]

Just an update. Had my first dry suit dive yesterday. My 7th dive. It really was a great choice to move early, I don't see myself in a thick wetsuit any time soon.

 

[fisheater]

Another vote for the Otter Bay hood (or "neoprene helmet").

 

[Menk]

Funny you should mention that, got measured by cricket that day, that should be here in a couple of weeks!