NAUI Drysuit Diver

Train With Purpose. Dive With Confidence.

Extend Your Diving Season. Expand Your Opportunities.

Cold water shouldn't limit where or when you dive. Whether you're interested in exploring the historic shipwrecks of the Northeast, extending your local diving season, preparing for advanced or technical diving, or simply enjoying greater comfort underwater, learning to dive in a drysuit opens the door to new opportunities.

At Scuba Connection, we believe drysuit diving is about more than staying warm and dry. It requires an understanding of specialized equipment, proper buoyancy management, effective trim, and the ability to respond confidently to equipment-related challenges.

Our NAUI Drysuit Diver course combines comprehensive academic preparation, hands-on equipment instruction, confined-water training, and four progressive open-water training dives.

While many recreational drysuit specialty courses include only two open-water dives, our four-dive program provides additional opportunities to develop proficiency, refine techniques, and gain practical experience under the guidance of an experienced NAUI instructor.

Our goal isn't simply to teach you how to use a drysuit. It's to help you become a more capable, comfortable, and confident diver.

What You'll Learn

Throughout the course, you'll develop the knowledge and practical skills necessary to use a drysuit safely and effectively in recreational diving environments.

Training emphasizes:

• Drysuit Selection and Configuration: Understanding drysuit designs, materials, seals, inflation and exhaust valves, proper sizing, and equipment compatibility.

• Thermal Protection: Selecting appropriate undergarments, understanding insulation and layering, and managing thermal comfort in different water temperatures.

• Buoyancy Control and Trim: Learning to manage gas within your drysuit while maintaining neutral buoyancy, proper body positioning, and controlled movement underwater.

• Weighting and Equipment Management: Establishing proper weighting, understanding buoyancy changes, and developing consistent equipment preparation procedures.

• Emergency Procedures: Recognizing and responding to drysuit-related problems, including excessive inflation, uncontrolled ascents, valve malfunctions, and inverted positions.

• Cold-Water Dive Planning: Understanding environmental conditions, thermal stress, equipment preparation, gas management, and appropriate diving procedures.

• Drysuit Care and Maintenance: Proper cleaning, inspection, storage, and preventative maintenance to protect your equipment investment.

Course Structure

Our training program combines independent academic preparation, instructor-led equipment orientation, confined-water instruction, and four open-water dives typically conducted over two training days.

Each phase builds upon the previous one, allowing students to develop familiarity, control, and confidence progressively.

Phase 1 — Academic Preparation and Equipment Orientation

Your training begins with NAUI eLearning, allowing you to complete the academic foundation at your own pace.

You'll then participate in instructor-led review and hands-on equipment familiarization covering drysuit selection, thermal protection, inflation and exhaust systems, weighting, equipment configuration, and dive planning.

Students will also receive assistance with proper drysuit sizing and fitting. Those using rental equipment will be fitted before beginning in-water training.

Phase 2 — Confined-Water Training

Before progressing to open water, you'll practice essential drysuit skills in a controlled environment.

Training includes proper weighting, inflation and exhaust control, buoyancy management, controlled ascents and descents, body positioning, and recovery from simulated equipment problems.

This session provides an opportunity to become familiar with the drysuit's handling characteristics while developing the fundamental skills needed for open-water diving.

Phase 3 — Open-Water Training: Dives 1 and 2

Your first two open-water dives focus on applying fundamental drysuit techniques in realistic diving conditions.

You'll practice controlled descents, buoyancy adjustments, proper trim, efficient movement, controlled ascents, and equipment management.

Your instructor will evaluate your progress and provide feedback to help improve your comfort, control, and consistency.

Phase 4 — Open-Water Training: Dives 3 and 4

The final two dives emphasize refinement and practical application.

You'll work toward demonstrating consistent buoyancy control, horizontal trim, effective gas management within the drysuit, controlled movement, team awareness, and appropriate responses to simulated equipment problems.

These additional dives are an important part of our training philosophy. They provide more opportunities to reinforce good habits, improve technique, and gain experience using your drysuit in actual diving conditions.

Four dives provide more than additional bottom time. They provide additional opportunities to learn, practice, and build confidence.

Course Tuition — $495

Your NAUI Drysuit Diver course tuition includes all scheduled instructional and certification components of the program.

Included in Your Tuition:

• NAUI eLearning: Required academic training materials and online coursework.

• Academic Instruction: Instructor-led review of drysuit theory, equipment configuration, thermal protection, dive planning, and emergency procedures.

• Equipment Orientation and Fitting: Hands-on instruction covering drysuit selection, proper fit, configuration, and operation.

• Confined-Water Training: Instructor-supervised practice of essential drysuit skills, including buoyancy control, trim, inflation and exhaust procedures, and emergency techniques.

• Four Open-Water Training Dives: Instructor-supervised training typically conducted over two days, emphasizing progressive skill development and practical application.

• Instructor Fees: All instructor fees associated with scheduled academic, confined-water, and open-water training.

• Breathing Gas: Standard breathing gas fills are included when supplied by Scuba Connection as part of the student's equipment rental arrangements.

• NAUI Certification: Certification processing upon successful completion of all course requirements.

Additional Expenses Not Included

The following expenses are separate from course tuition:

• Drysuit rental, if required

• Additional scuba equipment rentals, if required

• Training-site admission or quarry fees

• Transportation, lodging, meals, and other personal expenses

Students are responsible for having appropriate scuba equipment and thermal protection suitable for the training environment.

Equipment Rental Options

Scuba Connection offers equipment rental options for students who do not own all the equipment required for training.

Students are welcome to use their own properly maintained and appropriately configured equipment, subject to instructor approval.

Drysuit Rental

Students who do not own a drysuit may rent one from Scuba Connection.

The $150 complete-course drysuit rental includes use of the drysuit during equipment fitting, confined-water training, and all four open-water dives.

This allows students to train with the same drysuit throughout the program, promoting equipment familiarity and consistent skill development.

Rental drysuits are subject to proper sizing, availability, and suitability for the training environment. Appropriate thermal undergarments are required and may be an additional expense.

Additional Scuba Equipment Rentals

Students requiring additional scuba equipment may select from the following rental options:

Drysuit rental is charged separately. 

Breathing Gas: Standard breathing gas fills supplied by Scuba Connection as part of equipment rentals are included in the course tuition.

Equipment rentals must be arranged in advance to ensure proper sizing, availability, and configuration.

Planning to Purchase a Drysuit?

Receive Up to $500 Toward Your New Drysuit!

A properly fitted drysuit is an investment in comfort, performance, and the ability to enjoy diving throughout the year.

Scuba Connection offers professional drysuit fitting and equipment consultation, featuring premium drysuits from SANTI and Waterproof.

We believe that purchasing a drysuit should include more than selecting the right equipment. It should also include the training necessary to use that equipment effectively.

That's why we offer a special purchase incentive for students completing our NAUI Drysuit Diver course.

Drysuit Training Purchase Credit

Students who purchase a qualifying new drysuit from Scuba Connection within 60 days of completing their course may apply up to $500 in eligible course tuition and drysuit rental fees toward their purchase.

Qualifying new drysuit purchases may also include drysuit training as part of the equipment purchase package.

This allows you to begin your drysuit training before committing to a particular suit, gain practical experience, and make a more informed equipment purchase.

Purchase Credit Terms:

• Maximum purchase credit of $500

• Applies to eligible course tuition and drysuit rental fees

• Valid toward a qualifying new drysuit purchased within 60 days of course completion

• Credit has no cash value and cannot exceed the eligible purchase amount

• Cannot be combined with other promotional offers or discounts unless specifically authorized by Scuba Connection

• Additional purchase eligibility terms may apply

Invest in Your Equipment. Invest in Your Training. Dive With Confidence.

Course Prerequisites

To participate in the NAUI Drysuit Diver course, students must:

• Hold a NAUI Open Water Scuba Diver certification or recognized equivalent

• Meet the minimum age requirements established by current NAUI training standards

• Meet applicable medical and fitness requirements for scuba diving

• Have access to appropriate scuba equipment and thermal protection suitable for the training environment

• Complete required academic preparation before participating in practical training

Students should be comfortable with basic scuba skills, including buoyancy control, mask clearing, regulator recovery, and controlled ascents and descents.

Training schedules, locations, and open-water conditions will be determined by the instructor based on student readiness, weather, water conditions, and safety considerations.

Why Choose Scuba Connection?

More Than a Certification. A Commitment to Better Diving.

At Scuba Connection, our approach to training emphasizes skill development, equipment familiarity, and meaningful practical experience.

We recognize that every diver develops at a different pace. Our structured four-dive program provides additional opportunities to practice essential skills, receive individualized feedback, and develop the control necessary for effective drysuit diving.

Our training philosophy focuses on:

• Purposeful Training: Every skill and exercise is designed to develop practical diving ability.

• Progressive Skill Development: Training builds from fundamental equipment handling to more advanced buoyancy, trim, and emergency-management techniques.

• Equipment Knowledge: Students learn not only how to use their equipment, but how to configure, inspect, and maintain it properly.

• Individualized Instruction: We emphasize student progress, comfort, and demonstrated proficiency rather than simply completing a checklist.

• Preparation for Future Diving: The skills developed during drysuit training provide a foundation for cold-water recreation, Northeast wreck diving, and future advanced or technical training.

Whether you're purchasing your first drysuit, preparing to explore colder environments, or seeking to improve your overall diving skills, our program is designed to help you get more from every dive.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Discover the freedom of diving beyond the traditional warm-water season.

With the right equipment, proper training, and practical experience, drysuit diving can expand your opportunities and make some of the most rewarding diving environments more accessible.

Join Scuba Connection for a comprehensive NAUI Drysuit Diver training experience focused on developing the knowledge, skills, and confidence to dive comfortably and effectively.

Train With Purpose. Dive With Confidence.