You Are a GUE Diver and.............

[Nesher]

I need some guidance and direction from the local GUE community.

Here are the questions:

You are a GUE Diver and you want to make a few purchases:

1 - A drysuit for cold water diving

What exactly are you looking for and from whom?

(please be as specific & as detailed as possible...be mindful that you're talking to a guy that knows NOTHING about drysuits)

Brand, accessories, .best colors, fabric, pockets, undergarments.....etc...

1a - Who can help with the proper use of the drysuit when there are no Drysuit Primers listed on the GUE website for this area?

2 - You what to purchase a Halcyon rig...........

Do you want the new Infinity with the Cinch? If not, why not?

Do you need the weight pockets? What extras do you need with that kit?

If you dive a single, what's the lift capacity? 30 or 40lbs?

What about dbls - do you want 50 - 60lbs of lift?

3 - Where do you make most of your purchases in the Bay Area?

4 - Which local dive shops are GUE friendly and knowledgeable?

Whose the guy or gal in that shop that can make things happen for you?

6 - What questions should an aspiring GUE diver ask that most don't ask?

7 - What are the answers to those questions?

8 - Does any dive shops in the Bay Area rent Halcyon gear?


Thanks for you assistance in advance.

 

[Misa]

Most of your answers are in this book. I recommend it before buying anything because you`ll find out what type of gear you really need if you want to become a Gue Diver. Doing It Right: The Fundamentals of Better Diving | Global Underwater Explorers. Then go here Recreational | Global Underwater Explorers and see what courses will suit you.

 

[Adobo]

1. For drysuits, the main thing is fit. If a drysuit fits properly, you will have reasonably good mobility. In other words, a properly fitting drysuit allows you to reach down to put fins on/take fins off and reach back to turn tank valve on/off.

Several good brands of drysuit are available locally. The ones most commonly purchased by local GUE divers are:

1. DUI
2. Diving Concepts
3. Bare

I am sure there are other brands but these three are listed in order of popularity.

For undergarments, most go with some form of thinsulate undergarment. The most popular one seems to be the DUI version (currently, that is the XM450). Bare and Diving Concepts also have thinsulate undergarments though they are less popular than the DUI undergarment.

Regarding the color of drysuits, for sure, any man that is looking to get into GUE diving, there is only one color of choice - pink.

1a - My choice for instructors regarding the use of drysuits would be Beto Nava, Susan Bird, Robert Lee and Don Chennavasin (listed in no particular order).

2 - Personally, I like diving backplate and wing systems. Knowing what I know now, if I was to buy again today, I would stick with all Halcyon gear. Having said that, Halcyon is not the only manufacturer who makes good backplate and wing systems. DSS and Oxycheq are at least two others that make great systems. I am sure there are others as well.

My only other thought in this area is to forget the doubles consideration for now. Focus on single tank diving and worry about the doubles related questions later.

3 - Any Water Sports is where I make most of my purchases.

4 - Which local dive shops are GUE friendly and knowledgeable?

That is a tricky question. There are several shops that sell gear that fits the GUE diving style. However, I am not sure if that necessarily makes them "GUE friendly".

I guess for me, the litmus test on whether a dive shop understands my needs is this.. do they carry bungee cord and bicycle inner tubes?

A really good reference for gear is a book authored by Dan Mackay called Dress for Success. You can get a copy from GUE's website.

The thing I would most encourage you to do at this point is to get yourself into a class with a proper instructor. There are lots of people that will be happy to give you opinions in person and in the internet. Personally, what I have seen regarding opinions from the non-instructors is that they are not always spot on. Once you are committed to taking a class, you can work closely with the instructor to pick out the right gear for you.

I need some guidance and direction from the local GUE community.

Here are the questions:

You are a GUE Diver and you want to make a few purchases:

1 - A drysuit for cold water diving

What exactly are you looking for and from whom?

(please be as specific & as detailed as possible...be mindful that you're talking to a guy that knows NOTHING about drysuits)

Brand, accessories, .best colors, fabric, pockets, undergarments.....etc...

1a - Who can help with the proper use of the drysuit when there are no Drysuit Primers listed on the GUE website for this area?

2 - You what to purchase a Halcyon rig...........

Do you want the new Infinity with the Cinch? If not, why not?

Do you need the weight pockets? What extras do you need with that kit?

If you dive a single, what's the lift capacity? 30 or 40lbs?

What about dbls - do you want 50 - 60lbs of lift?

3 - Where do you make most of your purchases in the Bay Area?

4 - Which local dive shops are GUE friendly and knowledgeable?

Whose the guy or gal in that shop that can make things happen for you?

6 - What questions should an aspiring GUE diver ask that most don't ask?

7 - What are the answers to those questions?

8 - Does any dive shops in the Bay Area rent Halcyon gear?


Thanks for you assistance in advance.

 

[Peter Guy]

Nesher, I am NOT part of the NorCal GUE diving community (nor will I be formally part of the GUE community for long since my one GUE card is about to expire and I see no reason to have it reissued) so take this for what it is worth.

Your questions highlight what I believe is terribly wrong about the Agency fixation. Don't buy gear that fits some agency's idea of what is Right, but, to the contrary, what fits you and your style of diving.

Want a dry suit? Get one that fits and keeps you warm -- what else is important? (OK, pockets!)

Want a BC? Get one that fits your body, keeps your tank stable and allows you to keep your configuration clean. IF you are thinking about "growing" in the sport, then get one that will grow with you (that means, in general, a BP/W -- I'm a DSS fan BTW).

But whatever you do, do NOT buy gear just because you think it will allow you to fit in with "the right people." IF you dive well, the right people will dive with you -- period, end of story.

(BTW, I know that because I get the opportunity to dive with some of the NorCal people who are members of some "exclusive club" when I come down to the Bay Area even though I do NOT have Blue H's on my gear nor is my dry suit "Dry Until Immersed.")

 

[Bob Sherwood]

If I wa you I would contact beto, link beow. He is the most knowledgable and capable person to get you everything you need. He lives dives and teaches in Montery. He will guide you through all your questions. best, bob

GUE Instructor résumé | Global Underwater Explorers

I need some guidance and direction from the local GUE community.

Here are the questions:

You are a GUE Diver and you want to make a few purchases:

1 - A drysuit for cold water diving

What exactly are you looking for and from whom?

(please be as specific & as detailed as possible...be mindful that you're talking to a guy that knows NOTHING about drysuits)

Brand, accessories, .best colors, fabric, pockets, undergarments.....etc...

1a - Who can help with the proper use of the drysuit when there are no Drysuit Primers listed on the GUE website for this area?

2 - You what to purchase a Halcyon rig...........

Do you want the new Infinity with the Cinch? If not, why not?

Do you need the weight pockets? What extras do you need with that kit?

If you dive a single, what's the lift capacity? 30 or 40lbs?

What about dbls - do you want 50 - 60lbs of lift?

3 - Where do you make most of your purchases in the Bay Area?

4 - Which local dive shops are GUE friendly and knowledgeable?

Whose the guy or gal in that shop that can make things happen for you?

6 - What questions should an aspiring GUE diver ask that most don't ask?

7 - What are the answers to those questions?

8 - Does any dive shops in the Bay Area rent Halcyon gear?


Thanks for you assistance in advance.

 

[elan]

need some guidance and direction from the local GUE community.

Here are the questions:

You are a GUE Diver and you want to make a few purchases:

1 - A drysuit for cold water diving

What exactly are you looking for and from whom?

(please be as specific & as detailed as possible...be mindful that you're talking to a guy that knows NOTHING about drysuits)

Brand, accessories, .best colors, fabric, pockets, undergarments.....etc...

Though I'm not a part of your local community but we dive cold water and I can share you what I have observed.

"from whom" is a matter of taste, many companies make good suits.

The thing number 1 is the fit. You should be able to do all the movements required to complete the tasks yet the suit should not be bulky or you will have hard time managing air. In particular snug boots and calf areas help a lot to eliminate air traveling to the feet and floaty feet as the result in horizontal trim.

General consideration it should be shell suit to avoid buoyancy changes due to suit compression and eliminate unnecessary weight.

Proper exhaust valve positioning simplifies air dump w/o making funky movements with the hand.

Pockets should be big enough to be able to store all the required equipment you need , spools SMBs spare mask ,wet notes. They must also be comfortable for you to work with them with dry gloves using the appropriate liner.

"Dress for Success" by Dan MacKay contains a lot of information about criteria of equipment selection.

 

[Anti-Hero]

I second what Bob Sherwood said: Talk to Beto, he can discuss your needs and make any recommendations.

 

[TSandM]

There are two good essays on equipment on the GUE website, that will give you a lot of information about the DIR views on the desirable characteristics of various pieces of equipment. There are MANY workable brands. I have taken a variety of DIR classes from GUE and UTD, and I have never had any comment from anyone about the brand of equipment I was using. There have been comments about the utility of the particular items I had, but it was not related to brand.

 

[cdolphin]

Proper exhaust valve positioning simplifies air dump w/o making funky movements with the hand.

I see this in most threads regarding drysuits. Where should the valves be?

 

[Ben_ca]

Color
IMHO Avoid bright colors that may fade due to wear and tear. Black is great because it hides wear pretty well. This helps with the resale value for after Fundies when you've been beaten down and feel like you never want to get in the water again... (not that wasn't me in the video was it?)

Shops
Any Water Sports is very popular amongst the long hose crowd.... but the best thing to do is hold off on your shopping spree till you make contact with your instructor or at least someone who knows what hes doing.

Harness
Get the simple harness. Read the Fundies book and the GUE website and then the reasons should be obvious. Not everything that Halcyon makes is "DIR"