New Kentuckian with one question

[Marjorie]

Hi,
My husband and I are new divers. We are finished with class and doing our checkout dive this weekend. We bought some equipment. I hope we didn't rush into things. We bought aqua lung regulators, Sea quest bc's. Our biggest question is the Henderson trilaminate wet suits we bought. Are they OK? Should we exchange them for neoprene?? Any comments would be welcome.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I assume you are talking about a trilaminate dry suit, as opposed to a wet suit.

A Henderson trilaminate suit should be ok but whether it is suitable for you and your inteded diving is another question. Good bouyancy control is normally a little easier for a new diver to achieve in a wetsuit, but it is not unheard of for a relatively new diver to start out in a dry suit.

If the water you will be in is extremely cold a dry suit makes sense, if not, than you may be better served in a wet suit.

You may also want to consider some training in drysuit techniques. Most certification agencies offer a drysuit specialty course and for a relatively new diver it would be a good idea. More experienced divers can often get away with reading the book and taking a few dives with a dry suit experienced buddy, but it isn't a good idea for a newly certified diver.

If you bought the suit from a local dive shop, the extra training should be included as part of the purchase. If you bought the suits mail order, it may cost you $75 or so for the specialty class.

 

[Mgnau]

She is speaking of the Henderson Trilaminate Wetsuit.
The dealer said it has the same benefits and the 3mm wetsuit only more comfotable.

 

[wreckchick]

but most of the diving around here needs a bit more thermal protection than a 3 mil can offer. If the suits you're looking at are the 7mil one-piece Henderson Hyperstretch, add a hood, gloves, and thick booties and you'll be ok for most local diving.

Check out the Kentucky Piranha Patrol section down the NDI chapters also. There are a bunch of regional folks diving around here.

Rachel

 

[Mgnau]

Thanks for the info. We are going to dive in the quarry this weekend. We are hoping the trilaminate suits are OK for the tropics and OK for the quarry with a shorty.