Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Need advice on recreational gear configurations? Look no further than this equipment forum.
User avatar
McGlencoe
Dive-aholic
Posts: 279
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 8:50 am

Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by McGlencoe »

In a different thread I had blathered the following:
McGlencoe wrote:The cold hasn't bothered me with my longest dives being one hour and I'm currently diving wet. Will be going dry at some point this year so I can do more winter dives. Have gotten chilly a couple times, but nothing serious, usually on the second dive of the day. I know people are different and have heard various dive partners talk about how cold a dive was and I was thinking it was awesome!

That statement has now changed. Yesterday diving Pt. Hudson and I got cold :eek:, like a shivering, not good cold at 85' with a 53* water temp , I ended up thumbing the deep part of the dive and went up the hill to the 35'-40' range to warm up (still got in a 45 min dive). The funny thing is we did the same dive two weeks ago where we hit 97' with a 50* water temp (at depth) on both Sat and Sun. Then it was a different story, with a good dive on day one with no complaints, then day two on the same profile I was a little cold, not shivering, but not all that comfortable either.

Soooo yesterday, it went from dive time to drive time, to hop the K/E ferry, sit in traffic and hit the UWS Diver's Fair, where I promptly found that the big fancy drysuit manufacturers do not have an off the shelf suit for my tall, lanky frame. As luck would have it, Apollo did have one hanging there that fit pretty dang good, so that went in the shopping cart along with a pair of Arctic long-johns and a new hood. Tried it all on and holy hell, waaay hotter than my wetsuit (pre-dive) even on the 90* days!

Today at 11:00 I'll be hopping in the water with 60South to try out the new suit and see how bad my buoyancy is messed up; hoping for a good dive…. will report back later.
User avatar
GearHead
Submariner
Posts: 517
Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2012 10:32 am

Re: Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by GearHead »

Have you ever dove with a drysuit before? It's a very different game from a wetsuit. I'd recommend taking a drysuit orientation first.
Iqjumpuw
Avid Diver
Posts: 82
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2013 9:15 pm

Re: Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by Iqjumpuw »

I would recommend taking a drysuit class too for your safety
User avatar
Scubie Doo
I've Got Gills
Posts: 3027
Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2009 3:13 pm

Re: Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by Scubie Doo »

A drysuit course is a good idea. However, mine consisted of paying to swim around. Minimal drills. When I was done, I thought, I could have simply dove with a good buddy and saved money. If you pay for the course, just make sure you get your money's worth and take it from a recommended source.
User avatar
Scubie Doo
I've Got Gills
Posts: 3027
Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2009 3:13 pm

Re: Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by Scubie Doo »

BTW- congrats on that suit. You will love it, it is a very comfortable suit.
User avatar
diverden
Compulsive Diver
Posts: 375
Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2009 3:55 pm

Re: Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by diverden »

Congrats! I was super-psyched with my brand new first drysuit!! Yes, being warm underwater pays a price at the surface on a hot day.
User avatar
60south
Pelagic
Posts: 985
Joined: Sun Aug 10, 2008 1:24 pm

Re: Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by 60south »

We ran through the basics at Fort Flagler today, keeping the dive to ~35ft max. Some of the skills covered:
- Donning and suit care
- Buoyancy check
- Venting on ascent
- Adding air on descent, suit squeeze issues
- Use of the BCD on the surface (not during the dive, for now)
- Correcting an inversion
- Disconnecting the inflator hose in an emergency

We need to adjust your weighting some more, but otherwise I thought things went great. Next: more practice -- the fun part! What I find especially tricky are slow, highly-controlled ascents without a visual reference: an important skill.

The Apollo drysuit has vents at the ankles as well as the shoulder/arm dump. We ended up shutting off the ankle dumps because too much air was being lost there, which may be due in part to trim issues; my thought is that these are unnecessary if the weight and trim are correct. For those of you who use a drysuit with ankle dumps, do you use them?

g
User avatar
Linedog
I've Got Gills
Posts: 1268
Joined: Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:53 am

Re: Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by Linedog »

I have an Apollo and always have the ankles closed.
Pop tarts and gravy,
It's what's for breakfast.
User avatar
McGlencoe
Dive-aholic
Posts: 279
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 8:50 am

Re: Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by McGlencoe »

As 60South has already mentioned, we dove on Sat and had some fun playing with the inversion correction, we had a bit too much weight so I was chasing a fairly big bubble.

Got another dive in tonight (weds 7-29) over at Salt Water St Park with the Fed Way UWS crew. Cool place, never dove there before, would love to do it again when the viz is >10'!

Pulled 4 lbs out of the pockets and it was definitely better. Used the suit air just to take the squeeze off and could hold trim much better. Still feel I am a bit overweight as the bubble was still a bit bigger than I felt I wanted, but definitely better than what I had on Sat.

Going to try to dive Sunnyside tomorrow if my dive buddy can meet up and we'll spend a bunch of time playing around with weighting. Think I can lose another 2-4lbs and still be comfortable.


Thoughts so far:

Definitely liking the suit. except for the lower legs, I feel that it fits pretty good; obviously have some fit limitations by buying an off-the-shelf suit. Kind of thinking that next spring, I'll order up a custom suit and this one can become a back-up.

Def staying warmer throughout the dive, though might want to try a thinner liner for more shallow dives, this Arctic liner is pretty dang warm. Hit 70' tonight and there was never any sort of chill. Even had to pull a cheek out a time or two on the hood to cool off.

I really am disliking the boots on this suit. They are big and floppy and pretty soft and flexible, making shore entry over sharp rocks a pain (literally), also don't like the ballooning effect and having my fins feel loose on my feet. I can see why many people like the sock style suit and then a lace up boot or Chuck Taylors.

The lower legs are baggy, so when the air starts moving towards the feet, it can really balloon out. Might look into some gaiters to tie them in a bit and control the ballooning.

I assume that there is someone out there that does drysuit mods and swap out these boots for a sock style foot? Any suggestions? Any idea on what that would cost?

Thanks to all who chimed in, NWDC is an awesome site because of all the feedback.
User avatar
Linedog
I've Got Gills
Posts: 1268
Joined: Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:53 am

Re: Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by Linedog »

I'm pretty sure Tacoma Scuba could retro fit socks on to the suit.
Pop tarts and gravy,
It's what's for breakfast.
User avatar
BillZ
Aquanaut
Posts: 687
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 12:23 am

Re: Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by BillZ »

McGlencoe wrote: I really am disliking the boots on this suit. They are big and floppy and pretty soft and flexible, making shore entry over sharp rocks a pain (literally), also don't like the ballooning effect and having my fins feel loose on my feet. I can see why many people like the sock style suit and then a lace up boot or Chuck Taylors.

Fin keepers will help with the floaty boots.

http://www.extreme-exposure.com/node/628

Most dive stores have them. Get a medium unless you wear a size 15 shoe.
User avatar
McGlencoe
Dive-aholic
Posts: 279
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 8:50 am

Re: Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by McGlencoe »

Got another dive in with the Apollo suit this past Thursday over at Sunnyside.

Dropped another 4 lbs and now things are starting to come together. Can definitely feel the buoyancy smoothing out and I'm much more trim, not as much feet up or head up to correct the feet up problem. I'm thinking that I can still lose another couple lbs, but will play where I'm at for a couple more dives before shedding more weight.
Last edited by McGlencoe on Sun Aug 02, 2015 2:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Gdog
NWDC Moderator
NWDC Moderator
Posts: 3984
Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2008 7:41 pm

Re: Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by Gdog »

+1 on the fin keepers...
User avatar
Dusty2
I've Got Gills
Posts: 6388
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2007 9:04 pm

Re: Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by Dusty2 »

Don't try to get to light with a suit that has loose legs. Better to be a tiny bit heavy then to be chasing the bubble all day. best to do weight drills with an almost empty tank and in shallow water. If you can hold position in 10' with 500psi then you are properly weighted! It will all come together over time. Soon you will find it all becoming automatic. The ankle vents are the worst feature of an otherwise good suit. My dive buddy has been diving an Apollo for a long time and they hold up well.
User avatar
McGlencoe
Dive-aholic
Posts: 279
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 8:50 am

Re: Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by McGlencoe »

Thanks for the input Dusty.

Next couple dives coming up, I'll muck about at 500lbs and see where I am.

As far as the loose legs, I'm serious about having the boots replaced with socks and going to some Converse tennies or rock boots, then maybe they can take an inch or two out of the leg diameter while they're at it. Just need to talk to a shop who can do it, get a price and budget it out.

Too much cash going out right now, just bought a set of double 100s and Apexs regs, now shopping for a stage and an Ar bottle.
User avatar
diverden
Compulsive Diver
Posts: 375
Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2009 3:55 pm

Re: Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by diverden »

For the record, I hate both fin keepers and rock boots.

The DUI tri-lam, neoprene, or latex socks never really seem to be comfortable (folds), seem to develop leaks pretty fast, and then you have remember to bring your diving shoes. A friend mentioned that he only gets about 50 dives out of his Chuck Taylors before they disintegrate in salt water. Laces don't seem to stay tied underwater. Fin keepers only keep air out of the bottom of your foot, are expensive, break and to have be the right size and get lost. But, sounds like you need to so SOMETHING.

Floaty legs/feet suck. I had an ill fitting suit in the legs and the solution was to put more gas in the wing and got really good at keeping the legs slightly down, got some heavy jet-fins. (Hogs are even heavier.) Maybe gators are the way to go. Some suits have a velcro strap around the ankles to keep the air out of your feet and your foot in the bootie. Maybe the suit is too big in spots but it can really depend on type and size of undergarment: bubble sloshing around bad, poofier undergarment could help this.
User avatar
Dusty2
I've Got Gills
Posts: 6388
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2007 9:04 pm

Re: Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by Dusty2 »

Hog F1's really help. I used to wear ankle weights before buying them and found that I didn't need the weights afterwards. not to mention I really like the control and extra thrust they give you. I know Tacoma Scuba can do the change to socks but I am not sure they would want to tackle the tailoring but the time to do it is when the change over is done so everything is matched at installation. However, I would highly advise that you give it some time before investing in a lot of changes. A lot of the nube problems tend to work themselves out with time rather than money. Be patient and work with it and you will find that what seems to be a mountain now will become a molehill later when all the multitasking becomes automatic.
User avatar
McGlencoe
Dive-aholic
Posts: 279
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 8:50 am

Re: Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by McGlencoe »

Had dive #4 on Tuesday at Dickman Mill on the Tacoma waterfront, once below 20' I think I've got this pretty good. My buoyancy was as good as it was before going dry, if anything it is a bit better as I can more easily control the bubble in a smaller area as opposed to my big 65# BC wing.

Coming back up through the shallows was another story. We called it just about perfect and I came up through the 20'-15'-10' zone with 400 psi and wow, that was a fight. The feet kept ballooning and though I could flip to get the air back up in the chest area, when I stand up in 15' of water, my head is just about sticking out, LoL! so staying at a 15' safety stop is no fun. Adding a little weight to the bottom of the tank (steel HP120) would help some I'm sure as it is always a bit tail light at low pressures.

Dusty2 wrote: A lot of the nube problems tend to work themselves out with time rather than money. Be patient and work with it and you will find that what seems to be a mountain now will become a molehill later when all the multitasking becomes automatic.
I hear you Rich, however the boots are going away, too soft on the bottom, no fun walking through rocks on the shore dives and might as well get the legs taken in while they're at it. An ill fitting suit is an ill fitting suit. Will I get better diving this suit as is? Undoubtedly. Will I get better diving this suit faster if it fits better? I would think yes.

I'll keep you all posted as I go.
User avatar
CaptnJack
I've Got Gills
Posts: 7776
Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2006 2:29 pm

Re: Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by CaptnJack »

No you won't get better faster with a better fitting suit. The floaty feet thing is typical for a 4 drysuit dives divers. Even a "perfectly" fitting suit is going to be a fun time in <20ft of water for awhile.
I would not waste your money altering an Apollo (I had one). Putting different socks on it is a drastic expensive alteration that will cost about what the suit is worth. And still won't fix your shallow water buoyancy control.
Sounder wrote:Under normal circumstances, I would never tell another man how to shave his balls... but this device should not be kept secret.
User avatar
McGlencoe
Dive-aholic
Posts: 279
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 8:50 am

Re: Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by McGlencoe »

Dive #5 tonight at Les Davis.

Again at depth, no issues, really getting the feel for this suit.

This time coming up, I started dumping as much air as possible, putting on a fair squeeze at 20', but it paid off with real nice control as we hit 15' for a safety stop and then up to 10' before popping to the surface; no floaty feet.

No you won't get better faster with a better fitting suit. The floaty feet thing is typical for a 4 drysuit dives divers. Even a "perfectly" fitting suit is going to be a fun time in <20ft of water for awhile
Thanks Captn Jack, but I don't understand, in most other threads about a custom drysuit, everyone talks that it is the best they've ever had and they should have done it to begin with and how much easier a perfect fit is to dive. If it is easier to dive, then why would a person not get better faster? Not trying to be argumentative, just trying to understand.

I got a quote for socks from Hoodsport-n-dive and it was very reasonable. I get that the Apollo is a cheap suit, tried to buy something nicer, but this was the only suit that fit. It is destined to be a back-up suit, but I don't mind spending money on gear to help optimize it. The big thing was to get into a dry suit and start diving it; a custom, higher end suit will come later.

I post up pics of the oversized boots after the next dive, maybe once people see that they are easily twice the size of my feet, they'll understand why I'd like to make changes.
User avatar
Dusty2
I've Got Gills
Posts: 6388
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2007 9:04 pm

Re: Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by Dusty2 »

Ah Ha! new info! I didn't get the part where you said the boots were way to big. Boots that are too big are a big deal! they are dangerous in that you not only have control problems you take the risk of them slipping off and leaving you in a very dangerous position. Fighting an inversion is one thing but fighting an inversion with your boots and fins floating loose and restricting your movement is a very scary thought that I certainly wouldn't want to deal with. Rockboots can be a pain but they do have their pluses to. Much better support for your ankles and more sure footing as well as protection for your feet on rocky bottoms are the 3 big ones. If you are reasonably limber and able to reach them without cutting off your air like us fat guys they are just fine.
User avatar
McGlencoe
Dive-aholic
Posts: 279
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 8:50 am

Re: Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by McGlencoe »

McGlencoe wrote: I really am disliking the boots on this suit. They are big and floppy and pretty soft and flexible, making shore entry over sharp rocks a pain (literally), also don't like the ballooning effect and having my fins feel loose on my feet. I can see why many people like the sock style suit and then a lace up boot or Chuck Taylors.

Sorry if I wasn't clear enough Rich. Yes, these boots are waaay oversized for my feet. Sorry I didn't get pics yesterday, but the boots are just too big.

That said, I'm really figuring out how to control the bubble in this suit. We had two dives yesterday at Les Davis and both dives, I had great control over the feet.

As many alluded to, more experience will go a long way with a suit. However, the boots are just uncomfortable, so I've got the new HoodsportNdive in Tumwater gearing up to replace the dry boots with dry socks; hopefully that will take place sometime next week. Getting close to my AN/RT/ART classes coming up in Sept, time to get things moving!
User avatar
Dusty2
I've Got Gills
Posts: 6388
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2007 9:04 pm

Re: Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by Dusty2 »

for anyone using rock boots I would highly recommend you consider the lace in boot zippers like the military uses. They make donning and doffing your rock boots way easier and quicker. I used them for years and they were the only way I would do rock boots
User avatar
bradmond
Submariner
Posts: 571
Joined: Fri May 31, 2013 1:50 am

Re: Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by bradmond »

Dusty2 wrote:for anyone using rock boots I would highly recommend you consider the lace in boot zippers like the military uses. They make donning and doffing your rock boots way easier and quicker. I used them for years and they were the only way I would do rock boots
thanks for the tip!!
User avatar
ljjames
I've Got Gills
Posts: 2725
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2007 9:46 pm

Re: Just bought a drysuit at the UWS Divers Fair.

Post by ljjames »

Are you wearing insulation inside your boots? There needs to be enough room for something like 300g fluffy stuff and a pair of warm when wet (aka not cotton) hiking socks. Boots that are too small suck worse.

Rock boots are nice, kind of a love em or hate em thing. They work really well for me and if you follow the directions and cut the laces shorter then they are hugely more pleasant. The up side of them is that it seems like I never suffer the foot leak issues that my turbo-sole compatriots experience. The down side is that yes, its two more things to forget when gearing up. I solve this by never separating them from the rest of my kit, they are always in the 'drysuit' bin.

Fin keepers will help with the 'boot too big' thing for sure, historically when buying off the shelf suits I had a horrible time getting boots that fit. My Harvey's, Viking and Andy's all had boots that were mis-sized and the problem was corrected and they were totally dive-able with fin keepers and appropriate sized fins. so + 1 for fin keepers, just remember to buy two sets so you always have a spare.

On the flip side, now a-days i'm so used to properly fitting boots that if i accidentally forget my hiking socks, the mm of difference makes my feet feel like they are swimming in the boots and I've been known to call a dive cause of floppy feet :)
----
"I survived the Brittandrea Dorikulla, where's my T-shirt!"
Post Reply