drysuit diving?

[scuba_freek2000]

Is there any special courses you have to take to dive with one and if so how hard and expensive are they?
thanx

 

[Scubarescuepd]

it is always a good idea to study and have a thorough knowledge of anything when it comes to diving..

I'd suggest a Dry Suit Course to familiarize yourself with the basic fundamentals and maybe the differences of dry suits on the market today.

As far as cost, shop around.. but know this if you go through your LDS they're gonna promote dry suits they sell. So ask and shop around...

 

[divindown]

You can take a Dry Suit Specialty Course........... but.........

Play with it in a pool and do a few shallow dives first... not that difficult to dive with.
I wouldn't recommend using it to control bouyancy.. leave that to your BCD.

I own a neoprene drysuit, needed more weight than wet suit plus ankle weights..

 

[ages]

Being an Alaskan diver, I dive exclusively with a dry suit, putting in over 150 dives a year in one. I love diving dry, and even when traveling to warmer waters such as California, Washington, etc., I still take my dry suit.

I recommend the class. There are things to learn, such as what type of drysuit will really work for you and what to do in case you get up-ended and find yourself making a feet-first ascent!

I disagree with divindown....My drysuit is used for sub-surface bouyancy and my BC is used for surface bouyancy.

ages

 

[Rick Murchison]

There's a difference in what is optimal, I think, based on your drysuit material. In a shell suit, it makes sense to use the suit as your primary buoyancy control device, since if you are properly weighted at the surface all you'll be doing is adding enough air (or argon) to retain the insulative qualities you had there. With a neoprene suit, however, you must overcome the loss of buoyancy of the suit material as well, so a combination of suit inflation for insulation (and to avoid squeeze) and BC inflation to compensate for the loss of buoyancy from suit compression makes sense.
Rick

 

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by Rick Murchison
In a shell suit, it makes sense to use the suit as your primary buoyancy control device, since if you are properly weighted at the surface all you'll be doing is adding enough air (or argon) to retain the insulative qualities you had there.

Rick...

The bouyancy compensation device is used to compensate for the buoyancy change as gas is used from the tank(s)...

Weighted so that you remain neutral at 10 fsw with only 500 psi in the tank(s) you will need to have extra buoyancy to offset the weight of the gas in full tanks. This extra buoyancy compensation (can be 16#s with doubles full of air or Nitrox) is best handled by the aptly named buoyancy compensator....


IMO

 

[SubMariner]

A drysuit is NOT just another passive piece of equipment like a pair of fins that you just put on and use.

Take a course from an Instructor acredited in the specialty so you can learn to use it safely & effectively.

~SubMariner~

 

[Rick Murchison]

Originally posted by Uncle Pug
The bouyancy compensation device is used to compensate for the buoyancy change as gas is used from the tank(s)...

Listen to your Uncle, lads & lassies...
He's right, of course, and has properly expanded the scope of my previous post.
Rick

 

[scuba_freek2000]

would it be a bad idea to buy a suit off the internet or is there alot more too them, like buying a b.c and it fitting you right, the comfort, etc... BTW thanx for all the help.