MSilvia
Contributor
My house could use a coat of paint if you aren't busy.
How many New Englanders own drysuits?
- Thread starter King Kong Matt
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My house could use a coat of paint if you aren't busy.
gmbaker
Contributor
I am pretty good with a brush and some spackle, here is the last house worked on
livestodive
Contributor
I will dive until Nov sometime. I dove in April at 44 degs and never got a chill. For me it is the surface interval that is too chilly.
When I went to the Sea Rovers last spring the dry suit man told me I was a full custom suit and then priced it outside of my limits. Hopefully this year I will have the money saved.
It is also nice to know there are others that will dive through the year. That was another thing that stopped me from getting the dry suit, no one to dive with.
A question for those of you that do dive dry. Is it that hard of an adjustment?? That may cause me to rethink my timing on ordering the suit.
When I went to the Sea Rovers last spring the dry suit man told me I was a full custom suit and then priced it outside of my limits. Hopefully this year I will have the money saved.
It is also nice to know there are others that will dive through the year. That was another thing that stopped me from getting the dry suit, no one to dive with.
A question for those of you that do dive dry. Is it that hard of an adjustment?? That may cause me to rethink my timing on ordering the suit.
Soggy
Contributor
Maintaining neutral bouyancy in shallow water is much more difficult and you have to be more careful on ascent, as there is an additional (and much larger) airspace to deal with. Take a drysuit class. They will explain everything you need to know about using the suit. It isn't a passive piece of equipment and you will feel slightly task loaded for a bit.
Probably the best bet is to use the suit for bouyancy alone until you get a feel for it...maintaining two airspaces is more difficult than it sounds when you don't have the instinctual reaction of raising your arm/shoulder when you start ascending. Then, once you are comfortable, use your BC for bouyancy and adjust the suit to comfort...but always adjust the suit first. Practice getting inverted and righting yourself frequently...the most dangerous thing you can do in a drysuit is do an inverted ascent.
Once you try it, you'll likely never dive in a wetsuit in cold water ever again. Getting out and being dry is the best part.
Depending on your size, I would take that statement with a grain of salt. My former LDS told me that I was a full custom suit. My current LDS, which stocks different brands, fit me in a stock Andy's 2XL Trilam. I'm 6'3" and 260 lbs. I could be a little taller and much larger and still have this thing fit.
Your buoyancy is affected, but it is relatively easy to compensate, particularly if you take some lessons. My LDS includes a couple of pool sessions and, I believe, some OW time, when you purchase the suit.
The degree to which you are affected depends upon the type of suit. Trilams change buoyancy more than crushed neoprene.
That said, diving dry is not at all difficult after you get used to it. That should take between 4 and 20 dives.
Its worth it in the end.
dkerr
Guest
Does that mean that you need more weight to submerge a trilam? I would have guessed it the other way but truly know very little about dry suits.
Thanks
Doug
Soggy
Contributor
I use 26 lbs with a trilam, 100 wt undies, and a HP 72 steel in salt water. With a 6.5mm wetsuit and same other equipment, I need 16 lbs.
MASS-Diver
Contributor
When you go dry you will need a little more weight, although this can be minimized by diving with argon. You should take the class, but, it's not very hard to learn. It's really worth it, I went dry so I could take advantage of the great winter vis and now I stay dry year round, only going wet for free-diving.
It is a skill, but, a pretty easy one to pick up with some training and practice.
It is a skill, but, a pretty easy one to pick up with some training and practice.
That is my understanding. There is quite more air space in a trilam. However, I've never been diving in a crushed neoprene.
If you buy the drysuit, splurge on a weight harness. It is a weight belt with shoulder straps. The weights fit into 4 pockets that can be individually released. It distributes the load nicely, fits like a glove and won't move.
Paul168341
Guest
I dive dry year-round up here.
The only wetsuit I own is a 2.5mm shortie for pool sessions and tropics
The only wetsuit I own is a 2.5mm shortie for pool sessions and tropics
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