Do You Do Your Own Underwater Maintenance ?

[hummingway]

I guess it begs the question, are wet suits cheaper then dry?

[Bash]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

Yeah! That was more then 30 years ago. Technologies change. He may have been using ear plugs, relieving the pressure on the way down.

Hummm! I wonder if they make ear plugs with check valves?

Don't dive with ear plugs. In other words: DON'T DIVE WITH EAR PLUGS!!!

(I suspect you were joking here, my friend, but just in case some gullible person with an inadequate knowledge of physics is reading, I feel it important to point out that the pressure of descent will force ear plugs INTO YOUR HEAD.)

Most unpleasant.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by hummingway

I guess it begs the question, are wet suits cheaper then dry?

Most wet suits are far cheaper than most dry suits.

The added advantage is that you can relieve yourself in a wet suit.

Well, you can do that in a dry suit as well, but then it becomes a "damp suit."

[hummingway]

LOL ... cuts down on the zippers I guess

[hummingway]

10 minutes later and I'm still laughing!

[tallyhorob]

watch close on like Craigs list and e-bay and traders papers you will be surprised how many people have stuff and never use it anymore. Me for one outgrew opps most of my stuff, wet suit and maybe BC so I'm looking for someone who wants my old stuff. The wet suit fit me when I was 6'4 and 175 now 205 and 8mm just won't strech that much anymore.

[Stillraining]

Did you pee in them ?

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by Bash

Don't dive with ear plugs. In other words: DON'T DIVE WITH EAR PLUGS!!!

(I suspect you were joking here, my friend, but just in case some gullible person with an inadequate knowledge of physics is reading, I feel it important to point out that the pressure of descent will force ear plugs INTO YOUR HEAD.)

Most unpleasant.

Yeah, half-ass joking but it was 30 years ago and don't remember the details too much. Heck, I can hardly remember yesterday anymore. But do remember my first address, SS#, military serial #, the anniversary of my birthday and sometimes my wedding anniversary.

[Kirok]

Originally Posted by Bash

Don't dive with ear plugs. In other words: DON'T DIVE WITH EAR PLUGS!!!

(I suspect you were joking here, my friend, but just in case some gullible person with an inadequate knowledge of physics is reading, I feel it important to point out that the pressure of descent will force ear plugs INTO YOUR HEAD.)

Most unpleasant.

There's a fairly new product out-- vented ear plugs. Doc's Proplugs: The Doctor's Choice for Ear Protection

My girlfriend used them diving successfully-- she had no trouble equalizing, and the plugs prevented the pain she would otherwise get from cold water in her ears.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Stillraining

Did you pee in them ?

We don't say "pee." Divers call it the "Automatic Hydronic Heating" system. Better known by the acronym: AHH!

Again, this system is not advised for dry suits. I once owned a drysuit that had an optional "comfort zipper" installed a crotch level. Not for use underwater, unfortunately, but it made a big difference during back-to-back boat dives if you were working out of an inflatable.

[bastonjock]

im an ex scuba diver who became a commercial diver on the North Sea Oil rigs.

The coldest dive that i have ever done was an ice dive,we were wearing 6.5 mm wetsuits and cut a hold in the ice of a small Scottish loch,it was absolutely freezing numbing experience.

in the North Sea we had hot water suits,they kind of spoiled you.

Out in the middle east we were working just wearing wetsuit tops,one guy decided to go for a poop,so he unzipped his jacket and let it go,on deck he was undressing and the smell gave it away,the poop had floated up between his jacket and his back.


It was not the sharks that used to scare me,it was the conical shells,chicken fish and sea snakes.

[downunder]

I can smell it through the screen!!!!!!!! Phew!!!!!!. Most pro's come across this at some stage.

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by Bash

We don't say "pee." Divers call it the "Automatic Hydronic Heating" system. Better known by the acronym: AHH!

Again, this system is not advised for dry suits. I once owned a drysuit that had an optional "comfort zipper" installed a crotch level. Not for use underwater, unfortunately, but it made a big difference during back-to-back boat dives if you were working out of an inflatable.

Sorry Bash..I should have used the quote button..

Originally Posted by tallyhorob

watch close on like Craigs list and e-bay and traders papers you will be surprised how many people have stuff and never use it anymore. Me for one outgrew opps most of my stuff, wet suit and maybe BC so I'm looking for someone who wants my old stuff. The wet suit fit me when I was 6'4 and 175 now 205 and 8mm just won't strech that much anymore.

Hence my " Did you pee in them" coment...just being my goofy self as usual...

[LakeSuperior]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

Dry suites are nice but they have to fit well, which mean$$$ custom made.

I bought one that was a little loose (maybe not anymore, gett'n fat) and it use to pinch me so much I would come up with line bruises across my chest and back. And the neck piece felt like it was choking me while I was out of the water. It had to be tight otherwise water would seep in.

The nice thing is one can use them as a survival suit in a pinch.

Dry suits are normally sized fairly large so that you can layer up the insulation as a function of the water temperature and dive duration.

To avoid suit squeeze you need to put air in the suit as you descend via a low pressure regulator port, hose, and suit valve. This has the added benefit of maintaining the correct bouyancy.

On deep cold dives we attach a small bottle of argon to use as the suit gas. It has a much lower thermal conductivity than a helium gas mix and therefore keeps you warmer.

When you ascend you must bleed off the gas you put in the suit to maintain bouyancy.

You also need to cut the neck seal to fit properly. A neck seal that is too tight can cause some major issues including loss of consciousness at the wrong time.

[Stillraining]

Must be why they have a separate certification for Dry Suits to learn all this stuff.

What are some of the best tools/materials you have all found for scrubbing the bottom?