Dry suit HELP

[TSandM]

Scubakeith, if you think about it, I think you'll figure out why your legs are squeezed when you are in a vertical position. Remember, the air in the suit wants to rise, right? So in a vertical position, all the air in a drysuit will be up around your shoulders, at least until it has expanded the suit as much as possible (if you have the valve closed). If the valve is open, the air just leaves the suit. Once you get underwater and horizontal, you have to add air to the suit to relieve the squeeze, and it distributes itself through the entire suit. Air is pretty clever, and manages to find its way around weight belts and gaiters and finkeepers, but it can't argue with physics -- it has to go to the highest point.

A properly trimmed latex neck seal, brand new, should feel at least vaguely uncomfortable to wear on land. If you aren't eager to get in the water to relieve the discomfort, the seal was probably cut too loose. If there is ANY space between the seal and your neck in ANY position, the seal is majorly too loose.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Thanks to everyone who has helped out with this answer. I am going to take it back in and talk with the manager who cut it. He will probably bitch and complain but thats not my problem.

He cut one ring off with scissors and I tried it on. Seemed to tight, so he cut another one. It seems to be comfortable but may be to loose?? Not sure.

That is exactly the process of "progressive" trial-and-error fitting that I previously described. Cut one ring, try it on, cut another ring, try it on, etc. As a brand new drysuit diver, you probably didn't have any idea how tight the latex neck seal should have been. The manager presumably was doing the best job he could do. Before passing judgment on the shop/manager, I'd wait until your drysuit instructor takes a look at the neck seal fit. It might be OK.

FWIW, you really need to learn how to trim your own seals. If you are reasonably careful with some sharp scissors, it's not difficult at all. Someone just needs to show you how to do it, and you need to know how tight the seal should fit.

When I got into the pool I have noticed that my legs are tight until I am horizontal in the water. I have a weight belt on and it seems that the air can not get into the legs very easily until I am horizontal. Its weird for me to explain.

As TSandM pointed out, that's normal. When you're vertical, air migrates up into your torso and wants to escape at the highest point (your neck seal). When the air migrates up, you'll feel a squeeze in your legs. To alleviate the squeeze you need to add air to the suit and get horizontal.

I wish I had a buddy who used one so I can show him and get more understanding on this thing. But everyone I dive with has a wetsuit.

Hopefully the class will better explain everything..

Yes, you should learn what's "normal" when operating a drysuit during your class. What I don't understand, however, is that you had a friend who gave/sold you this used drysuit. Why didn't your friend help you learn how to use the suit? Using a drysuit isn't rocket science, but it does help to have people around to answer all the little questions you might have. I would think that your friend could have told you how to set up the suit properly (new neck seal, then trim appropriately), how to operate it, and how to store/maintain it. Honestly, this only would have taken about 30 minutes of his time.

Also when I have the suit on without air in it and without me in the water. The neck seal is loose. Not around my neck just sort a hanging there... Like there's extra play in it. Between the seal and the neck on the dry suit itself.

I think you are confusing the looseness of the proximal part of the neck seal (part that doesn't contact your neck) with looseness of the sealing surface (part that does contact your neck).

Let's go over the "anatomy" of the neck of a typical drysuit. There's a neck hole in the drysuit about the circumference of a basketball. To the area surrounding that hole is attached a latex neck seal using some sort of water-tight adhesive. AFAIK, there are 2 styles of latex neck seal: conical design and a bellows style. With either latex neck seal, the "sealing surface" (part of the seal that contacts your neck) is a relatively thin strip. This is all that's needed to keep the water out. Here's a webpage that shows latex and neoprene neck seals on a model. To the right of where it has the word "Seals" in bold-faced type (2nd paragraph from the top), there are two close-up photos of a drysuit model's neck. The photo on the left is a bellows style latex neck seal. Do you see how there's a ring of material that kind of sticks out? That's normal. The latex seal is only contacting a thin strip of skin around the model's neck -- at the level of and slightly below his Adam's apple.

Hope this helps...

 

[ScubaKeith001]

Let's go over the "anatomy" of the neck of a typical drysuit. There's a neck hole in the drysuit about the circumference of a basketball. To the area surrounding that hole is attached a latex neck seal using some sort of water-tight adhesive. AFAIK, there are 2 styles of latex neck seal: conical design and a bellows style. With either latex neck seal, the "sealing surface" (part of the seal that contacts your neck) is a relatively thin strip. This is all that's needed to keep the water out. Here's a webpage that shows latex and neoprene neck seals on a model. To the right of where it has the word "Seals" in bold-faced type (2nd paragraph from the top), there are two close-up photos of a drysuit model's neck. The photo on the left is a bellows style latex neck seal. Do you see how there's a ring of material that kind of sticks out? That's normal. The latex seal is only contacting a thin strip of skin around the model's neck -- at the level of and slightly below his Adam's apple.

Hope this helps...[/QUOTE]



Very helpful. Thank you very much!!

My next seal is the latex one and it does the same thing in the photo.

 

[AfterDark]

WHITES XL DRY SUIT

I recently acquired a dry suit from a friend of mine. I have no experience in dry suits yet and have just used it in the pool a few times messing around with it. When I first received it the neck seal was to big for me and every time I looked around it would exhaust air and the dry suit would constrict me.

I took it in, to have it looked at, at the local scuba dealer down from my house. They said it needed a new neck seal. I paid for the new seal and the scuba manager cut down the neck seal to supposedly fit mine. I brought it home and took it into the pool today and still the same problem.????....WTF. My frustration stills lingers...

My questions are.........

1: Is the suit to big for me? or would that have anything to do with this problem? I am 5'10" about 160lbs.

2: Did he cut the neck seal to short?

3: My experience level is lacking and I need a class? (Already signed up for one)


As always your help on here is appreciated.

Keith

Maybe he cut it to the same size as the one he replaced? Same cut same problem.
I'd take it back to him and ask him how he knew where to cut the seal, because as I understand your post your neck wasn't there when he made the measurement.

You need to roll the seal in towards your neck and make sure it's neat, no folds or wrinkles. The air will become trapped under the roll and push the seal against your neck. It shouldn't choke you but it should feel snug.