Drysuit Certification - Another Question

[snagel]

I didn't want to hijack the other thread on this.

Anyway, I'm seriously thinking about getting the drysuit certification. Can you tell me what this entails. For example, there's classroom - what a couple nights, hours, what? Theres pool sessions - how many? There's open water checkout dives - how many?

What will be covered (I know this is a big question, but basically what is covered?)

I have attended the DUI Rally and dove about 5 times in a drysuit; obviously, under a controlled situation with DUI. To be honest, I wasn't as impressed as I thought. I was still cold and I felt like a tank going through the water - seemed like it took a lot of energy. Typical, stuff for first timers; so, I want to give this a fair shake because so many divers recommend the drysuit.

Anyway, I'm really just looking for very basic information as to what the certification involves.

S. Nagel

[medic001918]

Classroom for me was done in a night. Just goes over the suit, how to care for it and the principles behind how it works. They talk about how to handle the different situations as well.

There was one pool session. This was to practice getting used to the suit since it changes your buoyancy. They also flip you upside down, simulate a stuck inflator and let you get used to the suit.

The open water dives were done in a day. We did two dives. One was the skills. The other was just a nice easy dive to make sure I had no issues.

My wife's course was basically the same.

Shane

[BouzoukiJoe A.K.A. wrecker130 AKA Chuck Norris AKA joeforbroke (banned)]

My course was exactly that. A couple of hours classroom, some pool time and two open water dives.

[SkuaSeptember]

The classroom portion can often be done poolside with a review of the students homework and then gear orientation.
The pool session is as follows:
1. Put on and remove a dry suit with the aid of another diver if necessary for
that model dry suit.
2. Demonstrate how to conduct a buoyancy check at the surface while
wearing a dry suit with undergarments (when needed) and full scuba
equipment.
3. Demonstrate neutral buoyancy by pivoting on the fin tips, or when
appropriate, another point of contact for one minute.
4. Demonstrate neutral buoyancy by hovering (without kicking or sculling)
near the bottom for one minute.
5. Disconnect and reconnect the low-pressure hose from the dry suit inflator
valve while underwater.
6. Demonstrate the ability to maintain neutral buoyancy, near the bottom,
while both the inflator and deflator mechanisms of the dry suit are
depressed (opened).
7. Perform a neutrally buoyant ascent from the bottom, at a rate no faster
then 60 feet per minute.
8. Demonstrate one technique for recovering from excess gas in the feet.
9. Remove and replace both the scuba unit and weight system while on the
surface.

The Dry Suit Diver course is to include two open water training dives.Skills are generally done on dive one and dive two is to help refine bouyancy and trim and to give the student additional experience.

[cummings66]

Originally Posted by snagel

I was still cold and I felt like a tank going through the water

The others have covered the course pretty well, fairly easy stuff. As to the above, you won't be as warm as you would be indoors but by the same token you should not be as cold as you would be in a wetsuit.

The undergarment really determines to what extent you feel the cold, and you can feel it. I can tell the major thermocline, but often the small changes I can't feel in a drysuit. I've had buddies tell me there's 2 and I could only tell of one.

As to feeling like a tank, well, my guess is you had too much air in the suit. I don't feel like that, in fact it's not much different than a wetsuit for me.

[snagel]

Thanks all for the information, this is exactly what I was wanting to know.

S. Nagel

[kancho]

The most I learned from taking the course is the suits maintenance. I saw the video it tells the basics of drysuit operation. It was like learning SCUBA all over again.. If you don't want to buy then rent it once and then buy.. I dive dry and I love.. I will occasionally go back but it is worth it for me I dive in colder temps

[Kingpatzer]

Originally Posted by snagel

I have attended the DUI Rally and dove about 5 times in a drysuit; obviously, under a controlled situation with DUI. To be honest, I wasn't as impressed as I thought. I was still cold and I felt like a tank going through the water - seemed like it took a lot of energy. Typical, stuff for first timers; so, I want to give this a fair shake because so many divers recommend the drysuit.

It took me a lot of dives to start to feel comfortable in my dry suit. The benefits are worth the effort, but for me there were some early dives where I just couldn't figure out how this could possibly be worth it.

It is, but it takes a while to figure it out.

As for feeling cold, that is a function of having proper undergarments.

[kancho]

It took me 4 dives to start feeling comfortable and i am still adjusting to the new feel but I like it.

[cummings66]

Eventually you get to a point where a wetsuit feels wrong...