Drysuit use and buoyancy

[Crazy_Canuck]

Those diving drysuit, do you use it like a bcd or just adjust for squeeze and use bcd? Tried both ways myself. PADI try’s to tell you to use drysuit. Thankx in advance.

 

[arbby]

Squeeze and warmth for me. But I'd be interested to hear if the warmth part is really needed. What I mean by warmth is a few squirts more than needed to take off the squeeze (if I feel cold). The thinking being more air is a better insulator. Is this right?

 

[Crazy_Canuck]

Yes more air is great insulation but ****** for trim control. This is why I ask.

 

[irycio]

I tried this additional squeeze for additional warmth, but though it may somewhat work, in the end the air ends up in the feet and you're cold anyway. So I've got me a warmer undersuit and put as little air as comfortable in a drysuit and compensate with BCD the rest. Good trim and thermal comfort ;-)

 

[Marie13]

Squeeze and warmth. I learned that in my SDI drysuit class in conjunction with OW.

I don’t think it would go real well, except in an emergency, to use drysuit for buoyancy carrying 2 LP85s and an AL40 deco bottle.

 

[broncobowsher]

Yes more air is great insulation but ****** for trim control. This is why I ask.

And you have your answer.

 

[rick00001967]

Those diving drysuit, do you use it like a bcd or just adjust for squeeze and use bcd? Tried both ways myself. PADI try’s to tell you to use drysuit. Thankx in advance.

a drysuit should not be used as a primary source of buoyancy control. i am surprised padi would say otherwise.

your bcd is your primary source of buoyancy control. the drysuit can be used as a back up in case you have a complete failure of the bcd to hold enough gas.

my advise to anyone would be to only keep as much air in your suit as you need to feel comfortable as far as squeeze goes.

as far as warmth.....it depends on the undergarments. some are high loft garments that will loose a great deal of the thermal properties when compressed. some loose very little. but "typically" you will want some air in the suit to allow for optimal insulation.

 

[lexvil]

Buoyancy and warmth go hand in hand as well as squeeze. My wing only has air in it on the swim out, it’s totally natural, for me, to regulate buoyancy without any conscious effort using the suit, you do you and don’t worry about dogma.

 

[leadduck]

It depends on your tank size. The bcd is used to carry the weight of the gas in your tank. If you dive a small single tank then only little gas is needed in the bcd and it won't make much difference if you ignore the bcd and use only the drysuit. But when diving larger single tanks, doubles, stages, ... it would be very inconvenient to carry that weight by inflating only the drysuit.

 

[FF / EMT]

be careful using a dry suit, there’s some
Instructors out there that believe it’s ok to not
Connect your dry suit inflator hose and add some extra weight to the pockets.

As @rick00001967 mentioned, shouldn’t be used a primary buoyancy source