Dry suit apprehension

[tracydr]

I'm diving tomorrow for the first time with my new dry suit. I'm learning from my husband, private class, as he's an instructor. He's very patient and we had our pool class two days ago. For some reason, I got a bit anxious in the pool. I'm not really sure why. I don't know if it was the task loading, extra weight, the slight squeeze, the bouyancy issues, what caused my anxiety but I certainly didn't feel comfortable like I normally do.
We're at Catalina Island and I hope everything goes smoothly. I have a bunch of wetsuit dives, including about 20 in Puget sound and a trip to Galapegos, so cold water is not new.
One question I do have. The PADI class teaches using bouyancy control with the DS, which is how my husband has always done. I know that GUE teaches using your wing.
We plan to take GUE classes together when we can. Any pointers on managing my bounancy, the right way? My husband is okay with me using my BC instead of my DS, since I showed him the GUE information.

 

[UWRCN]

I would recommend using you BC/wing for buoyancy and just adding enough air to your suit to prevent squeeze. This way you don't have a big air bubble that moves around from you neck to feet. This will let you dive your suit almost like a wet suit.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[a22shady]

+1 Drysuit manage squeeze and wing for buoyancy. We also took the drysuit course (Only cause we had to to in order to use them for check out dives) But book does say drysuit for bouyancy but my instructor had said proper way is drysuit for squeeze/wing bouyancy. He explained that padi teaches that way as for a new to drysuit student using one is a lot easier to do and manage than attempting to add air/ remove air from two different sources. Me personally I had no troubles with this and done it that way from the class till now. My G/F also dives this way with no issue's.

Diving in this format also helps elimate from having too much air into your suit and helps prevent floaty feet (IMO)

 

[TSandM]

I started out trying to do things the way I was originally taught (dry suit for buoyancy) and I had a lot of difficulty with buoyancy control. Air can get a long way from the dump in a dry suit, and it takes a while for the diver to feel when the suit is getting too loose, or the boots are getting too roomy. When I switched to the concept of the "20 foot squeeze" (meaning not putting any air in the dry suit until you were at 20 feet, but instead putting buoyancy gas in the wing), I was colder, but my buoyancy control was much better. I would vent the wing on the way upslope until the gas in the dry suit had expanded enough to vent easily -- I had much better control.

Eventually, I worked with an instructor who wanted me to use my suit as much as possible (to the point of disabling the dump valve on my wing). I learned to control the bubble in the suit, and now I put as much gas in the suit as the suit will hold, and any remaining gas needed goes in the wing. I am much warmer that way, and if my hands are occupied on ascent, it takes very little to lift the elbow to vent the suit.

 

[drbill]

The one and only dive I've done with my dry suit was filled with such apprehension before hand. I didn't have to worry though as the dry suit leaked so badly I had at least four gallons inside and most of it went to my legs so I never had a problem with air "bubbles" entering that region. I had been told to check the seals when I was given the suit and they looked fine. Turned out that there were a "few" leaks in the suit itself. Oh, and the dive was in Jan or Feb here on Catalina.

 

[flots am]

I'm diving tomorrow for the first time with my new dry suit. I'm learning from my husband, private class, as he's an instructor. He's very patient and we had our pool class two days ago. For some reason, I got a bit anxious in the pool. I'm not really sure why. I don't know if it was the task loading, extra weight, the slight squeeze, the bouyancy issues, what caused my anxiety but I certainly didn't feel comfortable like I normally do.
We're at Catalina Island and I hope everything goes smoothly. I have a bunch of wetsuit dives, including about 20 in Puget sound and a trip to Galapegos, so cold water is not new.
One question I do have. The PADI class teaches using bouyancy control with the DS, which is how my husband has always done. I know that GUE teaches using your wing.
We plan to take GUE classes together when we can. Any pointers on managing my bounancy, the right way? My husband is okay with me using my BC instead of my DS, since I showed him the GUE information.

Go back and work on tuning your weighting some more.

With a single tank, and properly weighted, you won't have a lot of suit squeeze, and you also won't have a big air bubble to manage, and you also won't need to use your wing.

flots.

 

[Hawkwood]

I started out trying to do things the way I was originally taught (dry suit for buoyancy) and I had a lot of difficulty with buoyancy control. Air can get a long way from the dump in a dry suit, and it takes a while for the diver to feel when the suit is getting too loose, or the boots are getting too roomy. When I switched to the concept of the "20 foot squeeze" (meaning not putting any air in the dry suit until you were at 20 feet, but instead putting buoyancy gas in the wing), I was colder, but my buoyancy control was much better. I would vent the wing on the way upslope until the gas in the dry suit had expanded enough to vent easily -- I had much better control.

Eventually, I worked with an instructor who wanted me to use my suit as much as possible (to the point of disabling the dump valve on my wing). I learned to control the bubble in the suit, and now I put as much gas in the suit as the suit will hold, and any remaining gas needed goes in the wing. I am much warmer that way, and if my hands are occupied on ascent, it takes very little to lift the elbow to vent the suit.

It's kind of interesting how the evolution takes place as you get more experience in the dry suit. I and others that I dive with pretty much have pretty much gone down the same path you describe. One extreme to the other and now something in between. Once you understand how to operate or control the suit, it then is a matter of "learning" or "figuring out" where to best place the air.

Students and I discuss this at length when I teach the DS class.

Bill

 

[tracydr]

Well, things went pretty well, although I'm so tired now. I'm out of shape and this is a lot more work, of course!
I need to get my butt in the lake or gym. Unfortunately, the lake is a pretty long haul from our house.
On the first dive, I was about 4 pounds too light so had a hard time getting down but once I got down, using the float rope, I was good. I relaxed once I caught my breath and went with it. A little trouble managing my bubble, mainly because I wasn't able to really have much bubble, which caused me to get cold on that dive. Second and third dive were better. I did get cold on my third dive, which was our longest, but, I think I need to add another layer and probably buy a real undergarment, too. Once I went to 20 lbs, I was pretty good. A little problem with floaty feet, which caused an incredibly tired back, but not too much apprehension. I was relaxed underwater.
i noticed some calf cramping when I had a little squeeze? Does anybody else get that? It makes sense and it went away with some air.
Had a little kelp entanglement on the surface on the way back one time. That taught me to stay down until ready to get out! I've actually never dived with kelp before.
overall, love the dry suit. It's so nice to get out dry and even nicer not to have to deal with a 7mm or evn worse, the farmer john two layer (I think it was about 13mm on the torso?) in Puget Sound.
Their calling for possibly 25 knot winds tomorrow so I hope we don't get blown out. Although, maybe good to give all the sore muscles in the old neck and back a rest. I broke my neck in 2001 so I don't have the greatest spine in the world, this humping gear on the Island is tough. I was pretty sore to start the day after hauling gear up and down the boat ramp to get here yesterday. Ugh!
I had a small amount of air in my suit most of the time to keep me warm but never did put any in my BC, either. I just added a squirt here and there and let air out by lifting my arm. It didn't seem to ever be much air at all but we never went much deeper than 70 feet.

---------- Post added ----------

The one and only dive I've done with my dry suit was filled with such apprehension before hand. I didn't have to worry though as the dry suit leaked so badly I had at least four gallons inside and most of it went to my legs so I never had a problem with air "bubbles" entering that region. I had been told to check the seals when I was given the suit and they looked fine. Turned out that there were a "few" leaks in the suit itself. Oh, and the dive was in Jan or Feb here on Catalina.

Are you here on Catalina this week? Would you like to meet up for a non-diving fun activity tomorrow if it's too windy to dive? Maybe a drink or cup of coffee?

---------- Post added ----------

Go back and work on tuning your weighting some more.

With a single tank, and properly weighted, you won't have a lot of suit squeeze, and you also won't have a big air bubble to manage, and you also won't need to use your wing.

flots.

Thanks, flots. I'll be working all week on tuning my trim and weighting. I didn't have much weight bubble and not too much squeeze, either. Also didn't need to use the wing much, if at all.
overall, it wasn't too hard, although the current got a little strong later in the day. I sure noticed the increased drag of my suit and slightly floaty feet at that point! Need to learn to keep more air in the chest area, less in the legs somehow.
One thing I'm dealing with, with the increased weight, is that I seem to have too much weight towards the back and not enough weight forward, which throws me on my back on the surface and keeps me straining my back below. I don't really have many options on the weight belt or BC. I have 2 pounds each shoulder, which sit on the rear-side of the shoulder. The weight belt, with 16 pounds, pretty much wraps around my entire waist, with nowhere else to readjust the weights.
Any ideas as to how I can adjust my trim?

 

[flots am]

Any ideas as to how I can adjust my trim?

"Move weights around"

You can slide your tank up or down a little, or move a few pounds to a tank strap, however the easiest way is with something like a DUI Weight and Trim harness, which has an adjustable height.

Also, the first two items will make you more top-heavy, which isn't going to be helpful with floaty feet.

flots.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I use something like this for floaty feet. My dry suit was used, so the fit is not perfect and I tended to get some air in my lower legs and struggled with trim. These pretty much prevent that from happening by constricting the suit around you calf and ankles.

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I also use the DUI harness flots am suggested and love it, but if you have billowing legs like I did it might not be enough on its own.