If you thought that diving in a dry suit is too ‘tekkie’, or you want to get straight into UK diving then this course is for you. Diving in a dry suit offers many advantages over a wet suit, for example the ability to stay warmer longer, or to enable you to dive all year round in UK waters.
You’ll also notice that staying drier and warmer increases your enjoyment, allowing you to spend more time in the water.
Once you have dived in a dry suit there’ll be no going back!
The ‘PADI Dry Suit Diver’ specialty course is to familiarise you with the skills, knowledge, planning, organisation, procedures, techniques, problems, hazards and enjoyment of diving
Course Details
- The maximum number of students on each course is 4
- Each course is led by an Instructor, with an additional safety diver and surface support
- You will need to undertake the independent study of the Dry Suit Diver Manual, bringing the completed knowledge reviews with you
- There is one pool session, conducted on an evening, and two open water training dives, conducted during one day.
- Cost of the course is £115.00 inclusive
Before Starting The Course
- You must be certified as an Open Water Diver or above
- You must be aged 12 years or older
- Please read and understand the medical questionnaire
- If you would like to use your own equipment then please check this against the minimum equipment required for this course.
Course overview
Within this course we are going to:
- Develop your knowledge of dry suits; when to use them, types of dry suits available, dry suit accessories, their maintenance, and how to make minor repairs.
- Develop your ability to perform the skills needed, or that may be needed, when diving in a dry suit.
- Enable you to plan, organise and conduct dives using a dry suit.
Knowledge Development
Before starting the open water training you’ll need to complete the two knowledge reviews. These are found in the manual, with further information found on the DVD (both items supplied).
Confined Water Training Dive – Swimming Pool
With all of our equipment on, and the pre dive safety check carried out, we enter the water and perform a buoyancy check. With this completed we make a controlled descent to the bottom to carry out our skills. You’ll carry out two buoyancy skills, two emergency uncontrolled inflation drills, and a technique to recover from excess air in the feet, and finish with BCD/Weight removal/replacement at the surface.
Open Water Training
Training Dive One – Depth Range 6 to 18 mtrs
You start this dive by donning the dry suit, BCD and remaining equipment, and after the pre dive safety check, enter the water and carry out a buoyancy check. Once completed we will then make a controlled decent, avoiding a suit squeeze, to the bottom. You’ll carry out a fin pivot, and then a hover for one minute, after which we can then enjoy the rest of the dive. During our dive you’ll need to demonstrate good buoyancy control, and avoid accidentally kicking up silt, or touching the bottom.
We end this first dive with a neutrally buoyant ascent from the bottom, and whilst on the surface conduct a weight belt and BCD removal/replacement.
Training Dive Two – Depth Range 6 to 18 mtrs
Like dive one, we’ll get ourselves ready to enter the water, then after the pre dive safety check, enter and make a controlled descent to the bottom, avoiding suit squeeze. There is only one skill on this dive; to disconnect and then reconnect the low pressure inflator hose from the dry suit.
With this completed we are then free to enjoy the remainder of our dive, ensuring that we maintain neutral buoyancy, and avoiding accidentally kicking up the bottom.
We finish the dive with another neutrally buoyant ascent, from the bottom.
Course Fee Includes
- Dry Suit Diver Crew Pack – includes Manual, DVD, Diploma & Chevron
- Certification costs
- All equipment* and air fills
- Possibility of transport to and from the site (please contact us for details)
*If you are using your own equipment then please read and complete the Own Equipment Liability form
When Can I Start?
We run these courses to suit individual needs, so please contact us to discuss your requirements. The next course will be starting sooner than you think!
Other Relevant Courses
Now that you can dive in a Dry Suit, why not try some deeper diving with our Deep Diver Specialty? And if you are going to go deeper, you’ll appreciate the extra time allowed by Enriched Air Nitrox Diving.