All I can say is I hate drysuits!

[DiveTub]

Yes I agree Drysuits rule, on a multi dive day I live in mine, get into at 8am get out at 5pm, 3 or 4 dives in the day. Toasty warm :07:

I cant rember how many dives it took to get comfy but once the water drops below 20c I am into it and dont come out till it warms up again.

Go do a drysuit course, seek out divers that have been diving them for ages ask questions, listen look and learn.

Cheers
Chris

 

[ozarkjim]

I hate my drysuit too. But only because when I have it on I know I'm not in the Carribean!

 

[theskull]

Yes I agree Drysuits rule, on a multi dive day I live in mine, get into at 8am get out at 5pm, 3 or 4 dives in the day. Toasty warm :07:

I cant rember how many dives it took to get comfy but once the water drops below 20c I am into it and dont come out till it warms up again.

Go do a drysuit course, seek out divers that have been diving them for ages ask questions, listen look and learn.

Cheers
Chris

All good advice so far, and this one was the best. A drysuit is an awkward piece of gear -- until you get used to it. There is a quick learning curve, but it takes most folks actually a couple dozen dives before it becomes a natural-feeling deal. THEN, you're likely to fall in love with diving dry.

When my drysuit was new, I wore it whenever the water was cold enough for me to NEED it. Now I wear it whenever the water is cool enough that I CAN use it.

Dive dive dive, and do get some decent training, whether it be a formal specialty course or just a few dives with a very good diver who will coach you.

theskull

 

[scubadoguk]

Where are you located ?

 

[Tobagoman]

Another thing you need to remember, to dump air from the shoulder valve you need to make it the highest point, to do that raise that arm like you are an Englishman taking a tote of tea and either press the valve to release excess air or have it opened enough that it auto purges.

 

[Web Monkey]

It took me a few months to make friends with my drysuit. The only time I use a wetsuit now is in the carribean.

I'll bet almost anything that you're overweighted. When you're properly weighted (assuming the suit is a reasonable size for you), there shouldn't be enough air in the suit to flip you over or inflate your legs. When you're overweighted, and managing your buoyancy with the suit, it's like diving with a garbage bag full of air, and almost impossible to manage.

Try taking off weight until you have just enough to let you submerge with a tank@500 PSI, and the excess air vented from the suit.

Also, make sure the exhaust valve on the suit is open all the way.

You should find diving a whole lot easier.

Also, check out the threads here on whether you should manage your buoyancy with the suit or your BC. A lot of people find it much easier to use the drysuit to keep dry and warm, and the BC for buoyancy.

Terry

Like the title states, I hate drysuits. Got mine today and I wore it for the first and last time! The most uncomfortable, bouyant, irratating, thing I have ever tried to swim in. And I mean tried. Wasn't much swimming to it. Just alot of floating around with my damn feet straight up over my head with air pockets in the feet so big they knock my fins off.

On a different note, anyone interested in buying a like new drysuit. I'll make you a sweet deal.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

As previously stated it takes a few dives to get used to diving a drysuit. There are basically two ways to dive a drysuit by using your suit for bouyancy control or adding just enough air to the suit to eliminate excessive squeeze and using your BC for buoyancy. I prefer the latter as it eliminates a lot of the feet up problems especially when in a heads down position looking under rocks and such.

This is good advice but what is essential is that you not be overweighted.

As long as you are diving with a normal sized single tank (no doubles, pony, stage, deco bottle, cannister light, etc) and are properly weighted so that you are neutral at the surface qt the end of the dive with 500 psi in the tank and as litle air as is comfortable in the suit, you will be fine using just the suit for bouyancy control and would not have to mess with the BC.

If you add any extra weight or use larger tanks with a greater swing weight, the air needed in the suit to be neutral becomes too much to control in the suit and you get that out of control or balancing on a bubble feeling. In cases where you have to take extra stuff along, carry some of the air for bouyancy in the BC. It increases task loading but is far easier to manage than having excess air in the suit.

So on your next dive focus on paring your weight to an absolute minimum to enable you to maintain neutral bouyancy with a minimum amount of air in the suit. Keep only enough air in the suit to offset most of the squeeze and if you find you are overweighted and need more bouyancy, use the BC. At the end of the dive, remove weight until you are neutral with a slightly snug fit in the suit, 500 psi in the tank, and no air in the BC. Once proper bouyancy is established, dry suit diving will be a lot less work regardless of what bouyancy management method you use.

Personally though even after 20 years in drysuits, I still prefer the lower drag of a wetsuit in the water. A neoprene drysuit has reduced the drag difference substantially and is more comfortable than a trilam in my opinion but still, when the water gets warm enough, I go back to diving wet. And contrary to popular opinion, it is ok to own both and use whichever suit is most appropriate to the conditions.

 

[kevink]

I know as an instructor I should say 'take a specialty class', but in all honesty AT LEAST seek out someone that has a lot of dry dives under their belt. Take at least two shallow(er) dives and really nail your bouyancy, dumps, and roll skills. You should be able to dump air and straighten yourself out, no matter what position you have underwater. Pick up all the small tricks as to how to keep yourself horizontal and under control.

GET OR BORROW A STEEL TANK. It doesn't have to be doubles, it doesn't have to be huge, but it will take weight off your waist and add a little bit to your back. Learn to use trim and ankle weights as well.

my 2 cents.

 

[ScubaSarus]

Looks like you have had no drysuit training or very inadequat training. Or have very boyant breast implants in your feet. Before criticizing drysuits, get some proper training. You need pool sessions with your suit to achieve proper weighting, trim, and exhausting.

Since you have not had proper training and may not even want to bother with it, get some 2 lb ankle weights then convert to 1 lb ankle weights later on after 10 or so dives and God forbid don't embolize yourself or cause danger to a dive buddy because you didn't get proper training.

Good luck. I trained with divemasters who watched over me carefully and I took the course in theory by myself. I didn't pay for the course but my buddies wanted me to dive dry with them so they instructed me.

I wear 1 lb ankle weights and they make all the difference to me.

Chris

 

[simbrooks]

10 dives, really? WOW. I guess I can give another try. I knew it would be alot different from a wetsuit, but not expecting what I got. I will keep working on it and check into a speciality class too.

Really give it a few more dives. I hated mine on the first day of using it, thought "why did i buy this expensive POS?", that was only using pointers from SB and little additional training. I then got in some time with an instructor buddy and for a modest fee and things started coming together. I am still not 100% comfortable with it, but its coming along after about 12-15 dives so far this year (i got it just after the turn of the year). Hopefully it will become second nature to me eventually, but i am still probably not adding enough air to the DS as i still get a little squeeze after the dives, its a learning curve as others have mentioned. I took mine shallow for a couple of dives, then in a controlled environment went deeper and finally i started back into the caves with it. The extra warmth/dryness and nice feeling on the surface make it worthwhile for sure!