The ABC of drysuit diving

[rabe]

Don't pee in it.

Plus what other folks said. Think of it as diving in a bubble. 'Cuz you know, you're diving in a bubble. And the air will move around. So you want just enough in there to keep "stuff" from getting squeezed, and not so much that if that bubble shifts from one end to the other, it's going to cause a huge problem. A lot of this has to do with proper weighting.

Some people nail it in a couple of dives, others seem to take forever.

But really, don't pee in it. Or put a P-valve in.

Have fun.

I won't pee in it, I promise!

 

[rabe]

That sounds like a bad idea. If you're planning to do tech dives dry, learn from the start in your intro/fundamentals classes.

You know what? After literally 1 minute that I wrote I thought "Why not?". I was saying that because I was thinking I was putting together too many things to learn...
But it actually makes sense to start from 0 with the DS and tec...

 

[rabe]

Question: what's the highest water temperature that is comfortable do dive with?

 

[BazzaB]

I dive it from 2-30 Celcius, just change the undergarment.
(I only dive wet when my suit has a leak )

Get a P-Valve !

 

[FinnMom]

Question: what's the highest water temperature that is comfortable do dive with?

A trilamsuit like the aquila can comfortable even at 20-24C. At warmer temps just wear no gloves, no hood, thinner wool socks and thin full-length long underwear underneath, i.e. no thermal undersuit at all. Drysuits aren't very nice against your bare skin, therefore the full-length long underwear, as always underwear of some fabric that does not absord moisture. Merino wool is very nice: soft, dries quickly and remarkably odor-free even if used all week on a liveaboard. It's remarkable how cooling it can be just to have your head & hands exposed.

I agree that using the drysuit for your classes is the best idea: no reason to miss the learning opportunities.

 

[Superlyte27]

That sounds like a bad idea. If you're planning to do tech dives dry, learn from the start in your intro/fundamentals classes.

Well, that depends.
I have students that buy a Drysuit the day before they come to me for Cavern or Cave. They’ve never dove a Drysuit before. What are the chances they pass my cave class with brand new buoyancy issues? Pretty much none.
So, do your class in what you are comfortable in. If you suck in a drysuit, you probably don’t want to show up for class in it.

 

[broncobowsher]

Question: what's the highest water temperature that is comfortable do dive with?

I just hung the drysuit up the other month due to heat. Locally the air temp is still over 100°F, surface temps in the mid 80s and bottom temps in the mid 60s. There is something nice for the simplicity of a wetsuit. But I do like the (thermal) stability of going dry. It really hides the thermoclines that those diving wet complain about. I was overheating on the surface in the 100+ heat. That is when I pulled the 5mm wet back out. Time at depth is still fairly short, but it is refreshing. As soon as the air temp drops enough to dive dry I will be back in it.

 

[JohnnyC]

I dive a drysuit even in the Arizona summer. I'll put it on last after everything else is done, right before it's time to get in the water. I'll zip up and get in the water to cool off, and take advantage of the evaporation of the water on the outside of the suit to cool off for the last couple minutes it takes to throw tanks or rebreather on.

It's easy enough to keep a hood and gloves off until the last second, if I wear them at all. When the water and air is cooler, I just throw on a thicker undergarment. When it's cold, thicker still. The only time I'm not diving dry is it it's single tank recreational stuff in the tropics, then I'm in a rash guard and board shorts. I've always got a hood and gloves just in case, but that's much more for physical protection than thermal protection.

 

[boulderjohn]

Well, that depends.
I have students that buy a Drysuit the day before they come to me for Cavern or Cave. They’ve never dove a Drysuit before. What are the chances they pass my cave class with brand new buoyancy issues? Pretty much none.
So, do your class in what you are comfortable in. If you suck in a drysuit, you probably don’t want to show up for class in it.

When I was first learning technical diving and purchasing equipment, the person I talked to about the equipment ( a technical instructor) said that I should not even think of starting a technical diving class unless I had completed at least 20 dives in my drysuit. I have since seen that same recommendation in at least one agency manual.

 

[Fin Finder]

Briefs, not boxers.