Dedicated Drysuit inflation ?

[Trace Malinowski]

Has anyone else had a 6 fail hydro? I had one 6 fail its first hydro. I used a 14 for years and all my 40's, 80's, and steels have passed every hydro for decades. I currently use an AL6, but I was wondering if mine was just a fluke or if other people have had 6's fail a hydro test?

 

[lv2dive]

Both of mine have passed hydro at least once since I’ve had them. I’d vote fluke.

Has anyone else had a 6 fail hydro? I had one 6 fail its first hydro. I used a 14 for years and all my 40's, 80's, and steels have passed every hydro for decades. I currently use an AL6, but I was wondering if mine was just a fluke or if other people have had 6's fail a hydro test?

 

[KenGordon]

Thinking of getting a dry suit inflation system, while size I am sure matters dependent on dives is there a good size tank to start with? Also, do you dive with a drysuit hose on your breathing air for redundancy and if so any recommendations on stowing it? I dive both doubles and single tank but not tech.

Thanks

I don’t think you need one in your current circumstance.

Recently-ish I got a steel 1l suit inflation cylinder. I use it on CCR when none of my bailouts are reasonable for suit gas, so that means a deep bailout with lots of He and a shallow with lots of O2.

Before that I didn’t bother. For a normal twinset of air or 32 I use the backgas. For a Trimix dive I either use the deep deco gas or if using weak Trimix the backgas or the single deco gas. I don’t use 100% as a deco gas so for a single deco gas dive it is probably suitable. If 8 was doing 25/25 and 80% I might be tempted but actually I would probably just use a weaker deco gas.

There is a case for CCR just to avoid depleatimg bailouts.

 

[Remy B.]

I dive sidemount and drysuit in EU and Adriatic sea, I just play with my undersuit all year.

With the sidemount you can take it from your main gas no problem, I did 2 easy deco dive in Croatia between 45 and 50m both on 20/20 with the water at 16*C / 70*F, and did a 40 and 45m dive just with air, I really didn't feel any difference regarding cold all dive were 1hr to 1.25hr, I guess because the concentration of He is to small.

If you are not doing any high He concentration or cold water dives with deco I don't see why you need a dedicated system, just use your back gas, but that is just my opinion.

If your bouyancy is good, you will need air in your drysuit on your way down, little to nothing in the bottom and nothing on your way up, so getting cold from those small burst of back gas even with high He, I don't see how that will cool you down with the proper undersuit for the dive.

I really can't say how it will affect your cooling if you are constantly compensating your drysuit if you use High He mixes.

 

[rddvet]

Actually, there is some debate.

I was on a dive boat on the way out for a technical dive in South Florida, and I overheard two people talking about how they used to be so foolish as to use a dry suit inflation system. I looked around the boat and saw that i was nearly the only one with an inflation system. This was for dives typically using something like 21/35 in 72-74 degree water.

I was taught that unless it's a really long dive(5-6+ hours) that separate suit inflation is not necessary for normoxic helium mixes. People are taught it's needed for all helium dives, but my instructor disagreed based on his 1000s of trimix dives and a couple studies (I believe, it's been a while). Separate gas for hypoxic.

 

[decompression]

I was taught that unless it's a really long dive(5-6+ hours) that separate suit inflation is not necessary for normoxic helium mixes. People are taught it's needed for all helium dives, but my instructor disagreed based on his 1000s of trimix dives and a couple studies (I believe, it's been a while). Separate gas for hypoxic.

Noted that both this and Johns post are “Florida”........interesting. Could be the warm water Divers are going against the grain, but if it’s working so be it. Safe to say those in 45 degree water will avoid freezing our nipples off with Helium as an inflation gas.

 

[boulderjohn]

Noted that both this and Johns post are “Florida”........interesting. Could be the warm water Divers are going against the grain, but if it’s working so be it. Safe to say those in 45 degree water will avoid freezing our nipples off with Helium as an inflation gas.

I have done it with normoxic mixes in Florida, but for a long dive in the 58 degree water where I dive most of the year, I use air.

 

[Jack Hammer]

I used 18/45 bg once for inflation for a 30min dive in 68f/20c temps. I got chilled. Normally I transfill air or nitrox, whatever is handy, into a al6. That's usually enough for 2 short tech dives. If I'm staying longer I use an al13. Argon gets nicer the closer the water temp gets to freezing and the longer the dives get. Above 50f/10c there is little if any noticeable difference unless your dives are very long.

 

[lermontov]

Thinking of getting a dry suit inflation system, while size I am sure matters dependent on dives is there a good size tank to start with? Also, do you dive with a drysuit hose on your breathing air for redundancy and if so any recommendations on stowing it? I dive both doubles and single tank but not tech.

Thanks

as has been stated its optional and if your in warm water id just use the backgas and avoid the extra clutter particularly if you doing deep dives with say 4 bottles

 

[rddvet]

Noted that both this and Johns post are “Florida”........interesting. Could be the warm water Divers are going against the grain, but if it’s working so be it. Safe to say those in 45 degree water will avoid freezing our nipples off with Helium as an inflation gas.

I'm from warm water, but that doesn't mean my instructor is. I suspect there's a small difference in 21/35 over air, but even in cold water I think it's a negligible difference that's very overstated(when we're talking normoxic gases).