Bouyancy problems with drysuit

[silverfish88]

I have a question for the experienced dry suit divers out there . Last season I purchsed a 7mm O'Neil neoprene (not crushed) dry suit. It is not the best suit in the world, but it was a "left over" and the guy in the shop only wanted $250 for it to make room for new stuff in his shop. How could I pass up a dry suit for $250? Now, after doing 12-15 dives in it, I have become sort of comfortable using it. My biggest problem with it is the top 20 feet. The suit goes though a LOT of changes in boyancy. I need to wear a lot of lead to get it down but once under water, it compresses and I need a lot of air in the wing to keep the lead off the bottom. Air shifting around makes it difficult to change pitch and yaw b/c it shifts quickly. If I take out lead, it makes shallow stops difficult. Any suggestions on how to deal with these issues? Thanks in advance for any help you guys can offer other than get a different dry suit which is what one of my richer friends told me.

 

[String]

Unfortunately non compressed thick drysuits will always have this issue.

Your only real hope is to get used to it and start dumping sooner and more frequently the shallower you get.

 

[scuubaadoo]

great suit. My friend pointed out that my given how long I've had my DUI it cost about 3x as much per year and keeps me no drier. Don't forget that the suit keeps you dry and warm so that you can get away with very less underwear. I found that oncde I got used to the suit I needed no more weight than with a wet suit. Judicious use of the power inflater button will go a long way. Also if you are diving from an anchored boat or any line you can use "drop weights" 3 to 5 pounds that are clipped on and can be removed at depth where they are not needed. The problem is that if you do not make back to the drop weight before ascending safety stops are that much harder. Also be sure to vent air as you ascend I know this is fundamental but often over looked. Enjoy you got a steal.

 

[BarryNL]

I need to wear a lot of lead to get it down but once under water, it compresses and I need a lot of air in the wing to keep the lead off the bottom. Air shifting around makes it difficult to change pitch and yaw b/c it shifts quickly. If I take out lead, it makes shallow stops difficult. Any suggestions on how to deal with these issues? Thanks in advance for any help you guys can offer other than get a different dry suit which is what one of my richer friends told me.

Yeah, I'm afraid that selling it and putting the money towards a nice trilaminate is the best solution. Unfortunately, you have the combination of a thick wetsuit AND a drysuit which means terrible buoyancy characteristics at shallow depths and a lot of compression at greater depths. Using your wing for trim and keeping just enough air in the suit to avoid squeeze will help with the shifting air problems but there aren't any great solutions.

 

[silverfish88]

I agree with all the responses so far. I am working on finding more days to dive, but that stupid job keeps getting in the way. Thanks to everyone who answered though. I appreciate it.