Diving Dry

mountain diver · 16th December 2007, 03:08

look at all the help you got, wasn't so bad was it?
dive safe and have fun.

all the best.

**kevin stone** · 16th December 2007, 03:13

Like everybody else said
#1 proper weighting (don't overweight)
#2 Practice practice

Solitude Diver · 16th December 2007, 03:26

Quote: (Originally Posted by chunter)

I always wear a diaper. It is not only stylish to prance around the boat on, it reduces squeze in important areas and is there if you need it. Whether I use it Depends on how well hydrated I am, and how long the dive is.

LMAO.

You just think it's stylish. Aren't the wet ones a bit saggy after the dive?

Might be time to think about a pee valve.

hoppyinca · 16th December 2007, 04:24

Quote: (Originally Posted by chunter)

I always wear a diaper...

I knew there was something about you charlie!... oh, wait, you're saying you only use it for a "controlled release"?... j/k

One of the first things I did when I bought my first drysuit was install a pee valve. ahh...

hoppy

Joe Botz · 16th December 2007, 04:42

Brings me back, I had this Viking Dry suit that fit great for a vulcanized suit.
Be safe stay safe and have fun and warm aith it.

**jepuskar** · 16th December 2007, 05:09

The most important thing to drysuit diving for me is keeping the minimum amount of air in the suit...just enough to offset suit squeeze. I like to feel a hug from my suit..not painful, or restrictive..just a certain tightness that is hard to describe on here.

If you keep the air volume down to a minimum this will make it much easier to maintain trim and also when the gas starts to expand you'll feel this tightness ease up so then you'll know its time to dump.

Use your BC to obtain nuetral buoyancy. If you use just your suit in most cases this is going to cause a larger volume of air and this will not be comfortable to dive with.

Good luck and take it easy..practice between 10-20 feet for the first few dives.

Jason

RAL · 16th December 2007, 13:13

Quote: (Originally Posted by Dsix36)

I know that I am opening myself up to get a real flaming from some of you divers. I have decided that I don't care and am still going to post this question:

How do you dive with a drysuit?

Go ahead, let me have it. I am not taking a class. I am going to my neighbors pool tomorrow and next weekend off the boat I go.

I have talked to several people who dive dry and gotten a wealth of info, plus all of the online research that I can find. The drysuit even had instructions with it.

I realize that I know most of the initial info needed, but want to make sure that I am not missing any vital info.

I understand purging before diving, venting for ascent, how to deal with ankles full of air, and added bouyancy issues.

My first dive will be next to a shot line that I can grab if my ascent gets out of control.

OK, go ahead and give me hell. I will still appreciate any and all pertinant drysuit diving information.

To me the two most important things are fit & bubble. If the suit is a poor fit you will be fighting for control have added drag & will likely come to regard the suit as a POS. It is best to keep the minimum amount of air in the suit IMHO. Just a squirt or two so you don't get squeezed. In a shell suit you need good undergarments such as a weezle, counting on a large bubble to keep you warm is not going to work. The gas will almost all be at your back & want to migrate to your feet (gators are a good idea if using a shell suit). That makes extra work as you have to control the bubble.
If you get a suit that fits good, have a good undergarment, only use the minimum amount of air to avoid squeeze & leave the exhaust wide open it can be easy as diving a wet suit. Make your first few dives at easy sites you already know. Only you can decide if you need the class. Some people could use a class on boiling water, others can pilot a space ship with notes scribbled on the back of a napkin. Most of us fall somewhere in between.
Be careful & have fun.

RAL

**moley** · 16th December 2007, 15:13

You're a bunch of bloody cheapskates you really are!!!!

Go and pay PADI a Billion dollars/pounds and you would'nt get half that great advice......, or why not try IANTD/TDI they must have a three or five day course that will help, with some interesting photocopied materiels thrown in...I think they call it a shorts and tee-shirt/semi-dry/drysuit/wetsuit crossover!!

Plus play your cards right and you may get to travel to the other side of the world to do it.....Nice.

....thats probably why I'll never get past my Bubblemaker qualification....

...bugger!!!

Please dont flame me....I'm only kidding!!

Janos · 16th December 2007, 15:41

BSAC do a drysuit course, which is normally an informal session with an instructor.

Normally I just do an hour in the pool to first get weighting right, and then practice recovering from inversions.

The BSAC instructor notes are HERE (about halfway down the page)

Janos

Skipbreather · 16th December 2007, 16:43

One other tip: Start out using a lightweight set of ankle weights, say 1 or 2 lb each. They help keep you head above arse a couple of ways: most obvious is the feet down weighting. Less obvious, but just as important, is they restrict the maximum size the suit can stretch to around your ankles, thus keeping air there to a finite amount. A big bubble can indeed blow off your fins.

Most experienced dry suit divers, myself included, consider leg weights training wheels. As your experience grows, you will most likely dive without them.

16th December 2007, 03:08	#11 (permalink)
mountain diver Silent Lucidity Current Rebreather/s: Megalodon Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: edmonton, ab. Posts: 194	Re: Diving Dry look at all the help you got, wasn't so bad was it? dive safe and have fun. all the best.
(Offline)

16th December 2007, 03:13	#12 (permalink)
kevin stone Supporting Member Current Rebreather/s: Sport Kiss Classic Kiss Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: us ct. Posts: 179	Re: Diving Dry Like everybody else said #1 proper weighting (don't overweight) #2 Practice practice
(Offline)

16th December 2007, 03:26	#13 (permalink)
Solitude Diver New Member Current Rebreather/s: Evolution Other Rebreather/s: Evolution Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 36	Re: Diving Dry Quote: (Originally Posted by chunter) I always wear a diaper. It is not only stylish to prance around the boat on, it reduces squeze in important areas and is there if you need it. Whether I use it Depends on how well hydrated I am, and how long the dive is. LMAO. You just think it's stylish. Aren't the wet ones a bit saggy after the dive? Might be time to think about a pee valve.
(Offline)

16th December 2007, 04:24	#14 (permalink)
hoppyinca New Member Current Rebreather/s: MK 15.X Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Laguna Niguel, CA USA Posts: 252	Re: Diving Dry Quote: (Originally Posted by chunter) I always wear a diaper... I knew there was something about you charlie!... oh, wait, you're saying you only use it for a "controlled release"?... j/k One of the first things I did when I bought my first drysuit was install a pee valve. ahh... hoppy
(Offline)

16th December 2007, 04:42	#15 (permalink)
Joe Botz New Member Current Rebreather/s: Other CCR Other Rebreather/s: Other CCR Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: USA, NY Posts: 39	Re: Diving Dry Brings me back, I had this Viking Dry suit that fit great for a vulcanized suit. Be safe stay safe and have fun and warm aith it.
(Offline)

16th December 2007, 05:09	#16 (permalink)
jepuskar NA Current Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Other Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 397	Re: Diving Dry The most important thing to drysuit diving for me is keeping the minimum amount of air in the suit...just enough to offset suit squeeze. I like to feel a hug from my suit..not painful, or restrictive..just a certain tightness that is hard to describe on here. If you keep the air volume down to a minimum this will make it much easier to maintain trim and also when the gas starts to expand you'll feel this tightness ease up so then you'll know its time to dump. Use your BC to obtain nuetral buoyancy. If you use just your suit in most cases this is going to cause a larger volume of air and this will not be comfortable to dive with. Good luck and take it easy..practice between 10-20 feet for the first few dives. Jason
(Offline)

16th December 2007, 13:13	#17 (permalink)
RAL Longbottom Time Current Rebreather/s: Classic Kiss Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: North Florida Posts: 386	Re: Diving Dry Quote: (Originally Posted by Dsix36) I know that I am opening myself up to get a real flaming from some of you divers. I have decided that I don't care and am still going to post this question: How do you dive with a drysuit? Go ahead, let me have it. I am not taking a class. I am going to my neighbors pool tomorrow and next weekend off the boat I go. I have talked to several people who dive dry and gotten a wealth of info, plus all of the online research that I can find. The drysuit even had instructions with it. I realize that I know most of the initial info needed, but want to make sure that I am not missing any vital info. I understand purging before diving, venting for ascent, how to deal with ankles full of air, and added bouyancy issues. My first dive will be next to a shot line that I can grab if my ascent gets out of control. OK, go ahead and give me hell. I will still appreciate any and all pertinant drysuit diving information. To me the two most important things are fit & bubble. If the suit is a poor fit you will be fighting for control have added drag & will likely come to regard the suit as a POS. It is best to keep the minimum amount of air in the suit IMHO. Just a squirt or two so you don't get squeezed. In a shell suit you need good undergarments such as a weezle, counting on a large bubble to keep you warm is not going to work. The gas will almost all be at your back & want to migrate to your feet (gators are a good idea if using a shell suit). That makes extra work as you have to control the bubble. If you get a suit that fits good, have a good undergarment, only use the minimum amount of air to avoid squeeze & leave the exhaust wide open it can be easy as diving a wet suit. Make your first few dives at easy sites you already know. Only you can decide if you need the class. Some people could use a class on boiling water, others can pilot a space ship with notes scribbled on the back of a napkin. Most of us fall somewhere in between. Be careful & have fun. RAL __________________ The sea does not care about you. Last edited by RAL : 16th December 2007 at 13:52.
(Offline)

16th December 2007, 15:13	#18 (permalink)
moley Supporting Member Current Rebreather/s: Megalodon Sport Kiss Other Rebreather/s: Megalodon Sport Kiss Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: wiltshire, Uk Posts: 131	Re: Diving Dry You're a bunch of bloody cheapskates you really are!!!! Go and pay PADI a Billion dollars/pounds and you would'nt get half that great advice......, or why not try IANTD/TDI they must have a three or five day course that will help, with some interesting photocopied materiels thrown in...I think they call it a shorts and tee-shirt/semi-dry/drysuit/wetsuit crossover!! Plus play your cards right and you may get to travel to the other side of the world to do it.....Nice. ....thats probably why I'll never get past my Bubblemaker qualification.... ...bugger!!! Please dont flame me....I'm only kidding!! __________________ *You think I know nothing.....and I do!!!*
(Offline)

16th December 2007, 15:41	#19 (permalink)
Janos "Two Sheds" Current Rebreather/s: Classic Kiss Other Rebreather/s: Classic Kiss Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: East Surrey Posts: 594	Re: Diving Dry BSAC do a drysuit course, which is normally an informal session with an instructor. Normally I just do an hour in the pool to first get weighting right, and then practice recovering from inversions. The BSAC instructor notes are HERE (about halfway down the page) Janos __________________ You can lead a horse to water but you can't climb a ladder with a large bell in both hands - Vic Reeves www.hellfins.com/shed
(Offline)

16th December 2007, 16:43	#20 (permalink)
Skipbreather Reads the fine print Current Rebreather/s: Megalodon Home Build Other Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet MK 15.X Home Build Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA Posts: 544	Re: Diving Dry One other tip: Start out using a lightweight set of ankle weights, say 1 or 2 lb each. They help keep you head above arse a couple of ways: most obvious is the feet down weighting. Less obvious, but just as important, is they restrict the maximum size the suit can stretch to around your ankles, thus keeping air there to a finite amount. A big bubble can indeed blow off your fins. Most experienced dry suit divers, myself included, consider leg weights training wheels. As your experience grows, you will most likely dive without them. __________________ "Entropy RULES! Enjoy the interim."
(Offline)

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode