Cosmographer
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I posted this in the exposure suits section a few weeks ago, but seeing as how no one there was able to assist, I thought I'd give this forum a try since it's more frequently visited.
The problem: Too buoyant. In my new 5mm jacket/pants combo, I need more than 8kgs to avoid a runaway ascent near the end of the dive. 5-6kgs is enough for descending, but as my tank lightens towards the end of the dive, nothing seems to be able to keep me down - no chance of a safety stop whatsoever, even when finning full force straight downwards. 8kgs wasn't enough, so next time, I'll try 10?
Background: I normally use 3.5kgs (without a wetsuit or in a 3mm shorty) and maybe 4kgs (in a 3mm full suit). My new suit consists of a 5mm jacket and 5mm pants: not a farmer john style overall - these pants end just above the waist.
Potential issues: I'm thinking that the extra weights needed going from a 3mm to this new 5mm is unusual. Obviously, a more buoyant suit like a 5mm will need more weights, but that much more?! So I suspect that the problem might be one of two things:
Any advice would be much appreciated.
The problem: Too buoyant. In my new 5mm jacket/pants combo, I need more than 8kgs to avoid a runaway ascent near the end of the dive. 5-6kgs is enough for descending, but as my tank lightens towards the end of the dive, nothing seems to be able to keep me down - no chance of a safety stop whatsoever, even when finning full force straight downwards. 8kgs wasn't enough, so next time, I'll try 10?
Background: I normally use 3.5kgs (without a wetsuit or in a 3mm shorty) and maybe 4kgs (in a 3mm full suit). My new suit consists of a 5mm jacket and 5mm pants: not a farmer john style overall - these pants end just above the waist.
Potential issues: I'm thinking that the extra weights needed going from a 3mm to this new 5mm is unusual. Obviously, a more buoyant suit like a 5mm will need more weights, but that much more?! So I suspect that the problem might be one of two things:
- Since this is a new wetsuit, it is exceptionally buoyant and will become more manageable as it gets broken in. But is there really THAT much of a difference in buoyancy between used and new suits?
- Air is getting trapped inside somehow. This seems likely because throughout my dives, especially when I angle my head downwards, I can hear and feel lots of bubbles rushing down my suit towards my legs. I'm not sure where these bubbles come from. Maybe my reg? Also, the neck seal isn't particularly tight (there is actually a golf-ball sized opening where the collar sticks out from the back of my neck), and I can imagine air from the reg floating into it that opening. Would that make sense? Is this just the nature of 2 piece wetsuits?
Any advice would be much appreciated.