dry suit

jeff98208 · Post by **jeff98208** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 8:37 am

if i don't get the dry suit orientation, does some one want to help me out with it?

Cera · Post by **Cera** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 11:28 am

By 'didn't get' do you mean it didn't happen or you didn't understand it?

jeff98208 · Post by **jeff98208** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 11:42 am

it has not happened yet, i've had the dry suit since this past tuesday.

DiverDown · Post by **DiverDown** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 4:57 pm

jeff98208 wrote:it has not happened yet, i've had the dry suit since this past tuesday.

Jeff Mabey I can show You how to use it this weekend, Lemme know.. BTW what did you get??

Sergeant Pepper · Post by **Sergeant Pepper** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 5:51 pm

Diverdown,

Come dive with us at Mukilteo on Saturday morning... splash at 10:30. I need a signature from you anyway.

Tangfish · Post by **Tangfish** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 8:42 pm

I'll sign it for you Pepa (you like how I call you Pepa, as in Salt 'N?), I forge Diverdown's signature all the time. $\:D/$

DiverDown · Post by **DiverDown** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 8:50 pm

Yeah, you gotta bribe DD for a checkout dive.. $\:D/$ Just kidding Its free but no cert!!

Post by **H20doctor** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 9:43 pm

Hey Jeff, let me know if you want me to get you used to that dry suit also... we can dive at the mulk.. on sat or sunday... just let me know ?

Hey calvin, nice to see you on here !!!!!

Sergeant Pepper · Post by **Sergeant Pepper** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 6:21 am

H20 Doctor,

Come with jeff and I on Saturday at 10:30 am.

jeff98208 · Post by **jeff98208** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 6:22 am

deal i'll be at mukilteo sunday for a 2 tanker dd.

Sergeant Pepper · Post by **Sergeant Pepper** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 6:26 am

Was that Saturday or Sunday?

Post by . » Fri Nov 10, 2006 8:03 am

jeff98208 wrote:it has not happened yet, i've had the dry suit since this past tuesday.

What type of drysuit did you get? I never did an orientation class when I first went dry, but would have been better had I done so, I spent several miserable dives getting used to it. Biggest thing was figuring out what kind of undergarments to use with it. My first drysuit was an O'Neil neoprene. It was a good suit for the price, but they don't come with undergarments. Idiot at the shop said the neoprene would keep me warm and all I needed underneath was a t-shirt and shorts. Bull! I wore a dive skin the first time and nearly froze to death.

I then tried some farmer-john snow pants I bought at K-Mart. Plenty warm, but way too bulky and trapped too much air, 50lbs of lead couldn't keep me down. I finally settled on a set of REI expedition weight long-johns. And I bought them a size too small so they would fit snug. I wore those over the dive skin, and it worked fine up until I upgraded to my current drysuit, a USIA shell suit. I still wear the long johns underneath the undergarment that came with it.

Second biggest thing I had to get used to going from wet to dry was moving through the water column. Takes a little more effort in a drysuit because you're not as streamlined.

Other thing is I'm sure you've been told to just put enough air in the suit to keep the squeeze off, don't use it for compensating buoyancy.

I admit I hated mine at first, but I eventually got used to it, and once I did, I'll never go back to wet, at least not in these waters.

jeff98208 · Post by **jeff98208** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 8:22 am

oops, my bad. saturday your right peper. goes to show never use a puter without the morning cup of coffee. ](*,)

jeff98208 · Post by **jeff98208** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 8:32 am

its the apallo crushed neoprene. i've been told i might need to loose a couple of pounds of weight in my bc. and i have been told not to use it for bouyancy, if i get a squeeze though how would i over come that though?

see you all on SATURDAYmorning for the dive.

$\:D/$

gcbryan · Post by **gcbryan** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 12:38 pm

jeff98208 wrote:its the apallo crushed neoprene. i've been told i might need to loose a couple of pounds of weight in my bc. and i have been told not to use it for bouyancy, if i get a squeeze though how would i over come that though? see you all on SATURDAYmorning for the dive. $\:D/$

What are you wearing underneath?

If you get a squeeze you at air. Not using it for buoyancy doesn't mean not using it. Put enough air in to eliminate the squeeze and to keep you warm.

Don't do a deep dive until you are sure you have your weighting correct.

jeff98208 · Post by **jeff98208** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 2:26 pm

deal, thats is totaly understandabl. and it makes sence. for now i'm wearing sweats for the under garments.

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 7:07 pm

jeff98208 wrote:deal, thats is totaly understandabl. and it makes sence. for now i'm wearing sweats for the under garments.

The undergarment that I got with my USIA was WAY too hot for Summer. I might try it in Alaska.

Here's something that worked for me:
I picked up some top and bottom Polypropelene long underwear ($10.00) each. I use these for my inner layer. They are great, keep me warm, and most importantly wick any moisture in the suit away from my skin.

Then on top of them I throw a pair of wader pant undergarments made out of a micro fleece fiber ($34 at sportco) They have stirrups so don't ride up when I put my suit on, and provide plenty of insulation. (I used to wear sweats that were 50% cotton and 50% polyester, but when they got damp it was really unpleasant and gucky [technical term] )

I wear an inexpensive micro / polar fleece jacket on top of the polypro. It works great! It's cheap, keeps me plenty warm, and the layering makes it to where if I was cold it would be simple to add more. There are some great undergarments made for dry suits out there, but most of them cost $300 ++ ...way too rich for my blood!

jeff98208 · Post by **jeff98208** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 11:22 am

than-x tom i'll look for those when i go to the store on monday.

Cera · Post by **Cera** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 11:32 am

TOM NIC
Which undergarmet did you get that was too hot, from USIA?
I am getting a suit and I may want to 'too hot' one... I get cold easily...

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 5:33 pm

I beleive it was the exotherm II. VERY warm...

(Please know that I have YET to be seriously cold while diving in my dry suit... maybe a little chilly after a couple of dives, but I generate LOTS of body heat!)

I am a big guy, so don't need the extra insulation that most of the small and beautiful ladies that dive need! ](*,)

If I was worried about being cold I'd have poly props or a dive skin as the first layer then this as the second.

luv2scuba · Post by **luv2scuba** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 7:11 pm

Cera

I decided to try out some cheaper "non-diving" undergarments before purchasing the expensive warm ones that Tomnic talks of. I use a pair of hot chilly's thermal underwear ($30 for the set) and then a pair of polarfleece pants that I got for $15 from SierraTradingPost.Com and a patagonia fleece sweatshirt. So far I have been toasty but I have not used this setup in the dead of winter (although I am sure it has to be warmer than the wetsuit I used last winter here).
So far the "cheaper" attire has not deemed itself inferior so I would suggest playing around with different ski undergarments if you have them before going ahead and purchasing the scuba undergarments that seem to cost mucho cudos.

Just my 2 cents.

P.S. I forgot to mention that I get cold really easily and am surprised how well this is working for me.

Cera · Post by **Cera** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 9:16 pm

Yea, I have some o'neill themals that I wear with my neoprine suit. But with a shell suit, I was worried about the crunch factor more than the warmth really... I usually wear a pair of thermals under my fleecies and I am ok.... I really appreciate the advice.

Cera · Post by **Cera** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 9:18 pm

I think you usually get an undergarmet as part of the package is why I was asking... I just want to get a good one, if i get the choice.

jeff98208 · Post by **jeff98208** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 10:01 am

i used just a pair of sweats under my dry suit last night and was just fine, and i get cold hella easy. i was surprised that i was warm. i got cold after the dive, do to the rain, other than that i was warm.

girldiver · Post by **girldiver** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 7:14 pm

So, I dive a shell suit and layer using the REI method. Have been toasty through the winter for four years now (new fleece every two years because I don't wash it correctly...)

Currently I'm diving REI MTS long underwear, layered with a midweight fleece top and a heavy fleece bottom. And last winter I came out with the first GirlDiver R-Tek polar fleece...it actually washes better than PolarTec. (I used to be employed at REI as a product guru...so I KNOW my fleece...)

I'm nice and toasty warm. And, I don't look like I'm in my pajamas when I go for pizza after a dive.