This is the third demo that i have attended since getting certified, and as usual it was a fun event for all that attended or volunteered. This event has always been the closing event for the dive season as after this point the water gets to cold for me to dive in a 5mm wetsuit and be comfortable. The turn out for the Demos has always been very good and this year was no expection in that on saturday alone there where over a 150 divers that we processed through the fitting stations to dive.
This year i helped with the crew for the event, part of the morning i was in the tent helping divers get ready. After that i geared up in a TLS 350 and hit the water. before hitting the water i was warned by dave of DUI that the bneck seal on this suit would be a little loose so i needed to be careful how i positioned myself in the water as it might cause a little water to come in (remember that as its part of a punchline). Besides helping with the event i was also using it as a testing time so i could make a final decision on the Drysuit im going to buy next year. For which im settling with a TLS 350 but instead of the normal overlay im going to go with the tought duck material which is between the normal and CLX 450 material (a lightweight but durable suit, which is the best of both options that i was wanting for my suit)
With keeping daves comment in mind and i hit the water. I have dove drysuits in the past so i knew what to expect for the most part. Well the first dive i was paired up with a instructor that i know to follow trail with the group of 4 divers that hadnt been in drysuits before. Well i will be the first to admit that the first dive was a total walking charlie foxtrot as i was all over the place as i was trying to get comfortable with the suit and get my trim inorder I didnt hit the bottom like a couple of the divers in the, and the instructor said i wasnt that bad in the water for someone who has dove dry in 2 years, but he told me that like anything the first couple of dives are going to be akward as its something your not used to. The first dive was 33min runtime with max depth of 33 feet and average of 25. After the first dive i needed to change tanks as i was burning through air at a rate much faster(like 3x) then i normally do.
After Changing out tanks i got some lunch that DUI was providing (burgers and dogs) then i got back in to the water to help with another set up divers. This dive was much batter as i was able to hold my trim much better(but still needs work) and i was able to run most of my dive at 6 inches off the bottom and not stir the bottom up. This dive was 49 minutes with max depth of 43 feet, average 28ft. During this dive i also found a fair number of golf balls that the DUI team had hidden in the lake (6 in total) and as the dive finished i decided to do a impression of what my dog had done earlier this week. Well i had put the balls in a plastic baggy and rolled it up. so when i was close to the surface i put the bag in my mouth and did a golfball grin similar to something like this
and when i surfaced i scared a diver on the dock as they werent expecting that, and at the same point when the dock master saw that there was a roar of laughter from him and the others around the dock master got a good laugh out of it. Well no deed goes un punish and it was when the laughter was in full swing when that loose neck seal stopped sealing and i got a cold bath down my back. WEll after getting out of the water and draining my suit i took the golf balls i found and turned them in for a Dui Owners Group (DOG) Fleece jacket to help me warm back up.
Then that night dinner was catered by eddie deans which was good as usual and then there was a presentation by faith on where DUI has gone on trip and then the history of drysuits and DUI which was very good.
Also a thank you to Jeanie of Diversitea for providing Tea for the event as i had a fair amount over the course ofthe day and kept me hydrated.
On the recruiting front i think that we will get some new members from the evewnt as i was wearing my SD tshirt and talked to a fair number of people about our group at the event.
Couple of things i learned from the event
1. dont wear any t-shirts under the undergarmets as they just turn into a sponge and makes you cold
2. underarmour is going to be a good option for clothing beneth the undergarmets to wick moisture
3. going to need a much thicker undergarmet as 100 weight wasnt gutting it for me, and will need probably a thinsulate type undergarmet as i prefer to dive a suit with a slight sqeeze as i know thinsulate will kep warm even when compressed.
4. check all your seals before going in as just before i did my second dive i noticed my undergarmet under the seal.
5. remember to go to the bathroom before suiting up as its not fun to have to go when your about to jump off the dock, and having to take all of your kit off and run for the portapotty. so i will definately be having a P-valve installed on my suit.
Well thats all i have for now, im off to the Texas EMS Convention so i will log back in after i get back from that.
Tooth
