Hot take: I think dry suit training is overrated for shallow water work

I was doing a bridge inspection in 15 feet of water near Portland last spring, and my dry suit started flooding through a pinhole in the wrist seal. Everyone says you need full dry suit cert, but I just kept working in my wetsuit like I've done for years. The water was 55 degrees and I finished the 3 hour job without issue. Has anyone else found that dry suits get way more hype than they deserve for low depth jobs?

2 comments

2 Comments

uma68510d agoTop Commenter

Oh man, I actually read a Coast Guard report that said most dry suit failures happen in water under 20 feet. People get lazy about maintenance because they think shallow water is no big deal.

michaelchen10d ago

Had a buddy who almost died in like 15 feet of water. His dry suit zipper gave out and it flooded fast. He said the worst part was he could see the surface but his suit was so heavy he couldn't kick up. His dive buddy had to grab him by the tank and pull. Now he checks his zipper seals every single time before he gets in. It's scary how fast shallow water can turn bad.