Drysuit Specialty

2 Days

Course may be completed in sidemount or backmount

The Drysuit Specialty Course will open up a whole new world of diving to you. Many of the diving environments around the world are better experienced in a drysuit. Why? These areas have an abundance of marine life waiting to be seen and photographed – they just happen to be a little colder! Drysuits are also used in tropical water during the cooler months or on longer dive run-times.

This course allows the student to develop the knowledge and skills to properly use a drysuit. It will discuss the types of dry suits, accessories, maintenance and how to make basic repairs.

Who this course is for:

The certified diver looking for advanced training in drysuit equipment, selection and diving techniques. This diver can extend their diving season, spend more time diving in cooler environments and/or enjoy enhancing their dive experience by staying warm and cozy in a drysuit.

Course prerequisites:

  • Open Water Scuba Diver or equivalent

  • Minimum age 18, 15 with parental consent

What you can expect to learn:

The Drysuit Specialty course takes an in-depth look at all of the following and more:

  • Types of dry suits

    • Shell style

    • Crushed neoprene

    • Neoprene

  • Types of seals

    • Latex

    • Neoprene

  • Features

    • Self don

    • Rear entry

    • Boots

    • Zipper guard: protect waterproof zipper from chaffing

    • Warm neck collar

    • Suspenders

  • Dive wear insulation (often times called undergarments)

    • Cut to be close to the skin

    • Compression resistant

    • Components

  • Drysuit valves

    • Inflator and deflator considerations

  • Buoyancy control

  • Maintenance and care

    • Cleaning

    • Zipper care

    • Minor repairs

  • Dry suit emergencies

The required skills you will have to demonstrate include all of the following and more:

  • Planning a dive

  • Proper donning of a drysuit

  • Review functions of the dry suit

  • Buoyancy check and proper weighting

  • Practice dry suit skills

  • Inflate and deflate drysuit

  • Roll out from an inverted position

  • Buoyancy skills such as hovering in a fixed position

  • Emergency procedures for drysuit malfunction

  • Safety stop

  • Ascend and exit

  • Log dive

What’s in it for you?

Upon successful completion of this course, graduates may engage in drysuit diving activities provided the following limits are adhered to:

  • The diving activities approximate those of training

  • The areas of activities approximate those of training

  • Environmental conditions approximate those of training

Course Fees

The fee for this course is NZD $295 incl. GST. Course fees include instruction. Course manual, and certification fees, boat fees, accommodation and gases are at additional cost. Note: Instructor boat and accommodation costs are shared amongst course participants.

The Drysuit Specialty certification counts towards a single specialty rating to complete the SDI Advanced Diver Development program or SDI Master Scuba Diver Development program

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