Purpose

GUE’s Dry Suit course is designed to prepare divers for dry suit diving using proper equipment and

techniques.

The GUE Dry Suit course is designed to provide a diver the opportunity to develop proficiency using a dry

suit, thereby developing more comfort, confidence and competence in the water.

Prerequisites

1. Must meet GUE general course prerequisites as outlined in section 1.6

2. Must be a minimum of sixteen years of age

3. Must be a certified open-water diver from a recognized training agency

Duration

The GUE Dry Suit Course must be conducted over at least two days, encompassing both classroom and inwater

work. Course requirements include a minimum of 6 hours of academics & land drills and a minimum

of four in-water sessions; at least two of these dives must include a depth of at least 40ft/12m. Course time

should total at least 16 hours encompassing classroom, land drills and in-water work.

Course Limits

1. General training limits as outlined in section 1.4

2. Student-to-instructor ratio is not to exceed 6:1 during land drill or surface exercises, but cannot

exceed 3:1 during any in-water training, and should be adjusted downward to account for bad

conditions and/or poor visibility.

3. Maximum depth 60 feet/18 meters

4. No decompression

5. No overhead environment diving

Course Content

Combining lecture and in-water sessions, this course focuses on cultivating the basic skills required. The

GUE Dry Suit course is focused on increasing dry suit proficiency through proper control of the buoyancy,

trim, propulsion, teamwork and other GUE principles.

Training Materials

• GUE Dry Suit Presentation

Academic Topics

1. Class Overview

2. GUE Introduction

3. Dry Suit Introduction

4. Developing Diver Capacity

5. Dry Suit Selection

6. Undergarment Selection

7. Dry Suit Inflation

8. Cold water equipment considerations

9. Cold water dive planning and logistics

10. Buoyancy and Trim

11. Dry Suit skills overview

12. Pre dive sequence

13. Situational Awareness

14. Dry Suit maintenance and field repairs

Land Drills

1. Pre-dive sequence

2. Team positioning

3. Communication

4. Equipment fit and function

Required Dive Skills and Drills

1. Demonstrate proficiency in safe diving techniques; this would include pre-dive preparations, inwater

activity and post-dive assessment.

2. Must be able to swim at least 300 yards/275 meters in under fourteen minutes without stopping.

This test should be conducted in a swimsuit and, where necessary, appropriate thermal protection.

3. Must be able to swim a distance of at least 16 yards/15 meters on a breath hold

4. Demonstrate proficiency with required course equipment and an understanding of the GUE

equipment configuration.

5. Efficiently and comfortably demonstrate how to donate gas to an out-of-gas diver.

6. Efficiently and comfortably demonstrate how to donate gas to an out-of-gas diver, followed by an

ascent to the surface, utilizing minimum decompression.

7. Demonstrate proficiency in executing a valve drill, including dry suit inflation if appropriate.

8. Demonstrate the ability to connect/disconnect the dry suit inflation hose.

9. Demonstrate the ability to manage a dry suit inflation valve that is stuck in the open position by

disconnecting the inflation hose and dumping gas.

10. Demonstrate the ability to connect/disconnect the buoyancy compensator inflation hose.

11. Demonstrate the ability to manage a primary inflator that is stuck in the open position by dumping

gas and disconnecting the inflation hose.

12. Demonstrate good buoyancy and trim, i.e. approximate reference maximum 30 degrees off

horizontal while remaining within 5ft/1.5m of the target depth. Frequency of buoyancy variation

and the divers control of their buoyancy and trim are important evaluation criteria.

13. Demonstrate proper management of a free flowing second stage regulator.

14. Demonstrate safe ascent and descent procedures.

15. Demonstrate a safe and responsible demeanor throughout all training.

16. Demonstrate proficiency in underwater communication.

Equipment Requirements

Each student should have, and be familiar with, all of the following equipment:

1. Tanks/Cylinders: Students may use a single tank cylinder with a K-, H- or Y-valve. Students may

also use dual tanks/cylinders connected with a dual-outlet isolator manifold, which allows for the

use of two first-stages.

2. Regulators: One of the second-stages must be on a 5- to 7-foot/1.5- 2-meter hose. One of the first

stages must supply a pressure gauge and provide inflation for a dry suit (where applicable).

3. Backplate System: A rigid and flat platform of metal construction with minimum padding, held to

a diver by one continuous piece of webbing. This webbing should be adjusted through the plate

and should use a buckle to secure the system at the waist. A crotch strap attached to the lower end

of this platform and hoped through the waistband prevents the system from riding up on the divers

back. A knife should be secured to the waist on the left webbing tab. This webbing should support

five D-rings; the first should be placed on the left hip, the second should be placed in line with the

divers right collar bone, the third should be placed in line with the divers left collar bone, the

fourth and fifth should be affixed to the crotch strap to use while using a DPV or towing/stowing

gear. The harness below the diver’s arms should have small restrictive bands to allow for the

placement fo reserve lights. The system should retain a minimalist approach, with no unnecessary

components.

4. Buoyancy Compensation Device: A diver’s buoyancy compensation device should be backmounted

and minimalist in nature. It should be free of extraneous strings, tabs, or other material.

There should be no restrictive bands or “bungee” of any sort affixed to the buoyancy cell. In

addition, diver lift should not exceed 50 lbs / 25kg for a single tank and 80 lbs / 40kg for double

tanks. Wing size and shape should be appropriate to the cylinder size(s) employed for training.

Wet Notes

5. Wet Notes

6. One primary light: A primary light should be minimalist in design; it’s power source should

consist of a rechargeable battery pack residing in a canister powering an external light head via a

light cord. Primary lights should produce the equivalent output of 50-watt halogen/10watt HID or

greater.

7. Two reserve lights: Reserve lights should be powered by two or three in-line non-rechargeable ccell

batteries, with a minimum of protrusions and a single attachment at its rear. The light should

be activated and de-activated by twisting the front bezel.

8. At least one time-/depth-measuring device with stop watch and/or seconds display

9. Mask and fins: mask should be low-volume, fins should be rigid, non-split

10. At least one cutting device

11. Dry suit and undergarments appropriate for the duration of exposure