Buoyancy Control: Dry suit or BC?

[nunomix]

Hi guys,

I read in the manuals for dry suit diving that you should control your buoyancy under water always using your drysuit and not your BC.

I also read somewhere that controling your buoyancy with the drysuit, means pumping new (cold) air all the time inside your suit which decreases your warmth.

What do you guys have to say?

Thanks

Cheers

Nuno

 

[Lightning Fish]

Have a look at the following links. They might help.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=99160&highlight=drysuit+bouyancy

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=109677&highlight=drysuit+bouyancy

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=113599&highlight=drysuit+bouyancy

 

[George Scherman]

I am a newbie to drysuiting, only three dives, but I found it easy to control bouyancy and that introducing new cold air was not that big a deal. Air warms quickly, so it is not a big drain on your body warmth. You need some air in there anyway to counteract the squeeze.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I am a newbie to drysuiting, only three dives, but I found it easy to control bouyancy and that introducing new cold air was not that big a deal. Air warms quickly, so it is not a big drain on your body warmth. You need some air in there anyway to counteract the squeeze.

Uh huh ... been through all those rationalizations myself. But after putting a few hundred dives on the suit, I found that while my overall skills had improved, the practice of having all that air shifting around in my drysuit really impeded my ability to use them effectively.

Since I changed over to only keeping minimal gas in my suit for loft ... and using the BCD to compensate for buoyancy changes with depth ... I have markedly increased my ability to modify trim to whatever position I choose ... something that's particularly important if you decide to get into doing underwater photography, where you will undoubtedly want to invert from time to time ... :11:

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Rick Inman]

I agree with Bob (well, there's a no brainier!).

However, in reality I find that if I'm weighted properly (talking singles, here), a little squirt in my drysuit to get rid of the squeeze brings me pretty close to neutral. But any more than eliminating the squeeze and I prefer the extra lung sack located over my back! :05:

 

[charlieo]

http://www.thedecostop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16028
You can keep asking, but the answer won't change.

 

[coach_izzy]

Beautifully said Bob and Rick! I found a world of difference afer I started combinining both the BC and Drysuit for buoyancy. Like Rick says, if you're properly weighted you don't really need that much air in either. A quick pump on the inflator is all it takes.

 

[nunomix]

Thanks guys for the tips. This will make my life a lot easier when I start my drysuit dives (cant wait to get my suit from DUI). My main concern while diving is diving safe and therefore I really appreciate all the help I have been receiving from all you guys!!!

 

[nunomix]

http://www.thedecostop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16028
You can keep asking, but the answer won't change.

Hi Charlieo. I keep asking because as you can see in the post you kindly refer, the thread was closed right from the begining because it is not a technical diving question. So the point here is not getting a different answer but is getting as much knowledge as possible about the subject. I guess that helps. At least to me.

Regards.

 

[The Kraken]

Nunomix,

I'm VERY new to dry suit diving, but I completely agree with what Bob and Rick posted.

Seems I must have lucked out and got my rig properly set up from the get-go!

The only air I need to add is that which offsets the increased pressures at depth in order to prevent suit squeeze.

the K