Dressing in the Rain

[ArcticDiver]

Please don't snicker too loudly. But, I have an anxiety over getting into my dry suit in the rain. Of course if I'm in a dry suit it is cold water. So, if I dress in the rain I'm getting wet and cold inside only to dive in cold water.

So, how do you stay dry while dressing so the dry suit will do its' job when in the cold water?

[Pez7378]

I totally feel your Pain. I hate diving in the Rain...... mainly for that very reason. I've got a '01 Durango so I can stand under the back hatch when it's open. It's about the only thing I can do to stay dry.

[gcbryan]

I dislike it as well. If the weather is cold enough to make it practical I put on my undergarments at home and wear them to the dive site so at least all I have to do in the rain is to quickly slip on my drysuit.

[Grateful Diver]

I know a bunch of people who purchased their car based on it having a hatch they can stand under while dressing in the rain. For anyone not in the market for a car, perhaps rig some kind of temporary shelter out of tarps (I believe Georgia does that). Dressing at home's an option if it's not too hot out, or you don't have far to go. Choosing dive sites that have some sort of shelter nearby (like a bathroom). Or wearing a pancho over your undergarments and waiting till you've got the lower part of your suit on to take it off, then quickly putting on the upper part of the suit.

One advantage of diving in the rain ... for some reason it seems like you never have to wait for a parking spot ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[SquishyDuck]

I'm not sure how much room you have at any location, but when shore diving in AZ and Mexico, we would sometimes use Easy-Up shelters to keep out of the sun. I don't see why they wouldn't work to keep rain off.

[Joshua Smith]

I just get inside my giant green sprinter van. Six foot-one of headroom in there, I can walk around without slouching. Of course, parking garages are a distant memory.....

[dwashbur]

I usually put the bottom half of my dry suit on before I drive to the site. That way, I don't get overheated in the car, but when I get there, all I have to do is put my arms and head in and I'm dry. I can do that sitting in the car seat if necessary.

[CaptnJack]

How slow are you dressing? Is it raining that hard and are you really getting that wet?

Around here its a rare day when its sooo rainy that you get significantly wet inside (wetter than you'll be from condensation anyway).

[Sounder]

I've also seen plenty of "pop-tents" around dive sites. I'm thinking I may start bringing a couple alligator clips and a blue tarp to just clip to the canopy window on my "dive mobile." It'd from a loose tent that would probably give me just enough coverage on those really wet days.

True though, it's a rare day when it's pouring enough to soak you before you can get the top-half of your suit on.

...or just do what Jake did, dive wet!

[Nwbrewer]

I have my dryuit now thank you very much!

But that is one thing I've noticed, I never really had to worry about the rain before. So far it hasn't really been a problem though, I just get in the dryuit quickly. They wettest I've been wasn't from the rain, it was getting in the suit on a hot day, and stood around for a while waitng for my buddy. The suit was soaked inside after the dive, I thought I had a leak!

[lurch]

What Nwbrewer said. Dress quickly. And he's right sweating in your suit waiting for a buddy is worse. A few drops of rain aren't going to make you cold. I'm one of the lucky ones with a mid-sized SUV that has a hatch I can dress under so that helps.

[ArcticDiver]

Thanks for the comments. just knowing others have the same challenge is a help. Maybe some visqueen and clothespins in luggage? Or, just come back to Puget Sound and Bob's wonderful Divemobile?

Oh yes, sweating in the suit is The Worst. I'm one of those people who sweat a quart at the drop of a hat. So, for a dry suit to work for me I have to minimize the time between donning and water. I've even been known to have to take a swim before finishing kiting up.

[dwashbur]

Thanks for the comments. just knowing others have the same challenge is a help. Maybe some visqueen and clothespins in luggage? Or, just come back to Puget Sound and Bob's wonderful Divemobile?

Oh yes, sweating in the suit is The Worst. I'm one of those people who sweat a quart at the drop of a hat. So, for a dry suit to work for me I have to minimize the time between donning and water. I've even been known to have to take a swim before finishing kiting up.

I'm one of those, too. But when I only have the suit up to my waist it doesn't get to be a problem (most of the time).