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Drysuit instruction?

Posted: Fri May 23, 2014 4:02 am
by KK2242
Hi, I asked in my introduction but figured I'd post here as well. I am currently stationed in Guam but am headed back to the Olympia area for a couple weeks in June and would love to dive in the Sound. However, I chill rather easily (as in 5mm full wetsuit in 85*F waters and still get a little chilled towards the end of the dive) so I know I will want to dive dry in the Sound so am looking for some pointers of where to go for drysuit instruction.


I would also like to take a GUE Fundies course but not sure if that would be advisable while learning to dive dry.

~Jamie

Re: Drysuit instruction?

Posted: Fri May 23, 2014 12:07 pm
by Grateful Diver
Howdy Jamie ...

There are lots of options for drysuit instruction in our area. I teach the class, as does pretty much any local instructor. If you're interested, I'd be happy to talk to you about a drysuit class.

I'd recommend getting at least 10 or 12 dives in the suit before taking Fundies ... it'll take a handful of dives to get the "feel" of buoyancy control in the suit, and as I learned when I took Fundies several years ago it's not a good idea to go into the class with any gear you're not completely familiar with.

Koos DuPreez is our local GUE instructor ... he's a member of this board, so he might drop by shortly with some more direct advice ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Re: Drysuit instruction?

Posted: Fri May 23, 2014 11:41 pm
by ljjames
Bob Bailey is an excellent instructor and could likely get you tee'd up nicely with your drysuit before fundamentals :)

Everything he's mentioned is correct. The nice thing about learning drysuit from someone who understands where you need to go to be comfortable in Fundies is that you learn to balance your kit and use proper body position from the get go. This in itself will make fundamentals easier, you'll be able to focus on the skills and worry less about having that OMG MY FEET ARE FLOATING feeling that can be a bit unnerving at first. This can make all the difference if you are used to swimming around with a more head up/feet down attitude when in a drysuit or have only experienced wetsuit diving (where you don't have to worry about that air in feet feeling).

Re: Drysuit instruction?

Posted: Sat May 24, 2014 6:38 pm
by KK2242
@Grateful Diver - Yes, I am interested. PM sent.

Ok, that was what I was thinking about gaining experience diving dry first before taking the fundamental course. Guess I will put that on my list for the next time I come home to visit. :)

Re: Drysuit instruction?

Posted: Sun May 25, 2014 6:21 am
by Grateful Diver
... and replied.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Re: Drysuit instruction?

Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 11:24 pm
by kdupreez
Hello Jamie!

Welcome to NWDC! :)

My 2 cents are that you would be best served in a fundies class to have some experience using a drysuit and fair buoyancy.

I've had people in classes with very few drysuit dives and invariably your experience will be a better one if the learning curve is applied towards building a solid foundation and learning skills taught in a fundamentals class, versus trying to still find your feet in a drysuit.

In my experience, the amount of dives in a drysuit very much depends on a person to person basis and the best is usually to meetup for a dive and a cup of coffee afterwards so we can establish a baseline and plot a path forward.

For starters, you are in EXCELLENT hands with Bob. He is a local PNW legend of an instructor and he will be able to help and guide you towards your ultimate goal.

feel free to ping me with questions and/or meetup for a dive.

cheers!

Koos

Re: Drysuit instruction?

Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 12:01 pm
by cowpunch
I am trying to do this currently, but since Bob has retired I am wondering if there is something more current. Also, I am unemployed and on a budget so price is a big factor for me :'(

Re: Drysuit instruction?

Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2016 4:30 pm
by waterproofboat
dive fair at underwater sports is coming up. its the last weekend of july i'm sure they will have a super inexpensive class to teach you how to use your drysuit. :calvin: