OW Checkout in a Dry Suit

[jdavenport]

Any divers or instructors have experience with this?

I have a friend who is scheduled to do his check out dives in a local quarry this December. Apparently, the class is going to do the dives in dry suits. When I asked him if they were going to practice with dry suits in the pool first, he said no.

I was shocked. Although a specialty course in dry suits may not be necessary, it seems a bit premature to task load new students like that. I've seen divers with 50 dives under their belts ascend feet first the first time they dove dry.

Any thoughts?

 

[nereas]

I have always seen this practiced with drysuits in the pool as well, normally on the last pool day. For the first pool day, it is ok to simulate a tropical dive with swimsuits only. But normally by the last pool day, you would want to do all the work that day in the drysuit.

 

[rakkis]

An instructor is required by agency standards and common sense to give students time to learn how to use a dry suit in a confined water environment. Going without is dangerous and putting students at risk.

 

[oly5050user]

Any divers or instructors have experience with this?

I have a friend who is scheduled to do his check out dives in a local quarry this December. Apparently, the class is going to do the dives in dry suits. When I asked him if they were going to practice with dry suits in the pool first, he said no.

I was shocked. Although a specialty course in dry suits may not be necessary, it seems a bit premature to task load new students like that. I've seen divers with 50 dives under their belts ascend feet first the first time they dove dry.

Any thoughts?

sounds like a violation of both standards and common sense..hope no one gets hurt too badly.

 

[Eileentk]

PADI standards require that the student do a confined water dive in the dry suit before he/she does their OW check out dives. If anything goes wrong (hopefully not), the instructor will find himself all alone in the court room.

 

[scubawally]

well you have to ask yourself what is confined water.....5-10 feet deep in a calm quarry is the same as 5-10 feet in the pool if you ask me

 

[robway034]

Just because the NewBee said "no" doesn't mean that they couldn't be mistaken. Further more JDavenport did not reference any particular certification body, regardless of what PADI standards may dictate. On the other hand, I have to admit I find it hard to believe any OW/basic course would impliment DS without proper oreintation/certification as an add-on.

P.S.
Open water is pretty clearly defined in PADI, NAUI & TDI as differing from confined water.


Happy Holidays to all of you who are into that kind of thing

 

[LouieLouie]

Can't say I'm shocked. In Norway, all OW checkout dives are done in dry suits.

We used wet suits for the confined water dive as dry suits would have been way too warm for the pool.

 

[String]

In cold areas doing OW in a drysuit is a sensible idea. Students will be warmer, more alert, more comfortable so more relaxed and will enjoy it more.
I see far too many people shaking after 2 dives in wetsuits who are then put off local diving or diving all together for life.

If drysuits are the norm in the area then learn in one.

However, they do need usually at least an hour or so in the pool before going into open water.

Im firmly convinced if i'd have done my first dives in a wetsuit i'd have been cold, hated it and not gone any further.

 

[TSandM]

I did my checkout dives in a dry suit, but we did have one pool session before doing so. I don't think I would have wanted to be in 40 feet of water without having done that.