Drysuit ?'s

[jesstotheocean]

I live in Ohio (brrr) and am a very new diver. I plan on purchasing a drysuit by the end of the year. I couple of questions because I haven't even purchased a bcd, regulator, wetsuit ect. (I only have the basics like the mask, snorkel & fins). What gear would i need for a wetsuit that I wouldn't need for a drysuit or visa versa? Do you use the same Bcd?

 

[Dapher]

The gear is the basically same for a drysuit and a wetsuit with the exception of a drysuit whip added to your regulator and your undergarments. There are also gloves and a hood that you will need if you don't dive with one in a wetsuit. I would highly recommend you take a drysuit specialty or at least an intro class. Drysuits can take some getting used to, there are little things like does your hood go under or over the neck seal (OVER) and how much air do you put in the suit. There are also very important things like "How do you get the air out of the suit" and my personal favorite "WHOA... I am going up feet first!!" (Forgot to open the valve all the way and my buddy thought I was showing off when I was doing the somersaults trying to get the air out of my feet.) It is nice to know the techniques BEFORE you experience them. Also drysuits are expensive to replace or repair broken/ripped seals.

 

[theskull]

Usually, you will need larger fins for the drysuit than the wetsuit. I also use a larger BC with my drysuit, though I do know many divers who manage to make do with one for both setups.

You will probably also need just a little more weight to wear with the drysuit, but this can vary as well.

The drysuit class with a rented drysuit would help you answer alot of these questions for yourself.

theskull

 

[steve2281]

Take your time on your purchases!!! Every diver I know (including me) has made purchases they regret. Try out different kinds/types/brands of gear; talk with divers who have similar interests (eg. wreck, cave, reef, warm, cold, ect). Also, lots of great info on this board. As far as the drysuit, some classes include the use of a suit. A DUI demo-day is a great way to try out more than one type drysuit. Myself, I love my tri-lam.
The only differences in my wet and dry setup is the large footpocket fins when diving dry and, of course, regular boots/fins when diving wet. hope this helps. steve

 

[jesstotheocean]

There is a DUY demo day at my local dive shop and I'm going to call today to sign up.

 

[Dogboy]

Drysuits are the way to go. Undergarment selection is a very important point. Too heavy, you will sweat away pounds, too light, you will be cold (might as well be in a wetsuit). You will have to experiment some to get the layering right, and this can change depending on activity. For example, you need much more insulation when taking macro shots with your camera than when you are chasing fish with a speargun. The main thing is to enjoy the dive!

 

[Dive-aholic]

Fin size depends on the type of booties on your dry suit. BC will also depend on the dry suit and undergarments you wear. Decide on the dry suit you want and purchase your BC keeping in mind that it will have to be large enough to fit over it.

 

[Bob3]

I strongly recommend getting a drysuit with an attached hood; diving a drysuit with a wet head is like being in a raincoat with no hat on.
Down the road a person's ears can become messed up from repeated exposure to cold, sometimes resulting in hearing loss, difficulty clearing & increased chances of outer ear infection.
http://www.scuba-doc.com/entprobs.html

 

[Dive-aholic]

I strongly recommend getting a drysuit with an attached hood; diving a drysuit with a wet head is like being in a raincoat with no hat on.
Down the road a person's ears can become messed up from repeated exposure to cold, sometimes resulting in hearing loss, difficulty clearing & increased chances of outer ear infection.
http://www.scuba-doc.com/entprobs.html

it makes it a pain to get the dry suit on and off. I wear a dry hood with a zipper down the back. Keeps everything just as warm. Ended up cutting wife's hood off and now she just puts it on afterwards. Now she can get the thing on herself and take it off herself. Before I had to help her.

 

[CALI68]

I want to echo some previous advice: Take - Your - Time !!!!

Read, post, read, post, read, post!!!! There are so many nice helpful people around here with wildly differing opinions....and that's cool! Make up your own mind but my advice would be to get all the info you can first.

Without a hesitation I'll throw out the Dry Suit recomendation right now, DUI TLS 350.


Have fun!

-Chris