Drysuit bouyancy question

[Brian1968]

Hi all.

I did the drysuit course last weekend. Went thru the texts and video myself then did the pool session and two OW sessions with the instructor. Not rocket science but takes some practise and there's always more than one way to skin a cat.

I know what the text says, but out there in the real world...how do you drysuit divers manage your bouyancy at depth...with your bc or your suit? And why do you do it the way you do.

My thinking is that inflating the suit just enough for insulation and reducing squeeze then using BC as normal is perfectly reasonable.

Thanks in advance.

 

[David Evans]

There's a reason a drysuit is called a drysuit and a buoyancy compensator is called a buoyancy compensator.

One is designed to keep you dry, and the other is designed to manage your buoyancy.



-d

 

[sidney]

i dive a drysuit here in the uk and i always dive on my suit, i only use my jacket at the surface or when entering the water.

Some people do dive both jacket and suit, depends on what you prefer, the only downside is that if you ever did get into trouble with a rapid accent for example you have to dump the air from both your suit and jacket at the same time which sometimes isn’t easy.

Sid

 

[Snowbear]

...how do you drysuit divers manage your bouyancy at depth...with your bc or your suit? And why do you do it the way you do...

This drysuit diver prefers to use the suit for dryness and the BC for buoyancy. Why? Better control. My trim is better and I'm more stable when the gas has less room to move around.

I too learned the way you were taught (My OW class was in a DS). Didn't take long (before I even found this board!!) to figure out it really was easier to manage venting both DS and BC than it was to manage that big moving bubble, especially at the beginning of a dive when full tanks cause a few extra pounds of negative buoyancy. That said, usually by the end of the dive, the wing is empty and if I get below ~ 500psi, the suit is getting pretty snug

 

[String]

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This question has been asked SO many times before, PLEASE USE SEARCH.

Look what i found in 20 seconds:

http://www.scubaboard.com/t52148.html
http://www.scubaboard.com/t36091.html
http://www.scubaboard.com/t37175.html
http://www.scubaboard.com/t30692.html
http://www.scubaboard.com/t17943.html

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This is a personal preference question, you will never ever get a consensus on here as each camp with vigourously defend their own personal choice and give reasons for it. There is no right way OR wrong way here for a properly weighted single tank diver at least.

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FWIW ive used both methods and chop/change depending how the mood suits me. Normally removing squeeze puts me neutral anyway so its not an issue (im properly weighted and single tank). If im diving a drift towing SMB i tend to use suit only as it frees up a hand as ive already got a reel and winding handle in hand. If its a different type dive i may try and use my BC if i can remember or be bothered.

There really is no right or wrong way of doing this until you start diving with stages or twinsets. A properly weighted single tank diver will not have a moving bubble of air to mess with.

But please use the search to avoid constant repetition in threads.

 

[aquaoren]

I inflate my drysuit only so much that I am comfortable and use the BC for buoyancy.
I don't feel comfortable looking like the Michelin man

 

[DA Aquamaster]

It is a simple question but one where more than one answer may be correct depending on the situation. .

Basically if you are properly weighted, are wearing a properly fitting suit and are only diving with a single 72-80 cu ft tank, managing bouyancy with the drysuit works just fine and simplifies things as you are only managing one air space.

But sometimes this may not be the case. The current fad is to use the BC to manage the buoyancy and to only add enough air to the BC to keep the squeeze at bay. This makes a lot of sense for a tech diver with doubles and possibly a stage or deco bottle or two who will consequnetly have a large amount of change in bouyancy and will be substantially negative at the start of the dive.

But it makes far less sense for a properly suited single tank recreational diver. In my opinon, many rec divers have been caught in the current fad and are really not seeing any real benefit but are saddled with managing two air spaces and if taken to extreme defeats much of the insulating advantage of a dry suit if insufficient air is kept in the suit.

I think as a diver, you are well advised to try both methods and then decide which one works for you in a given situation. I don't believe in one "correct" way to dive in all situations nor do I believe in doing something just because someone else or some agency says it is the right thing to do. I am instead a firm believer in personal experience and in making your own informed choice on issues like these.

 

[String]

I don't feel comfortable looking like the Michelin man

If you are a single tank diver then id suggest you look at your weight - a properly weighted single tank diver should be near neutral with just squeeze removed. Michelin man effect only happens with way too much air as a result of way too much weight on this setup.

 

[Snowbear]

The current fad is to use the BC to manage the buoyancy and to only add enough air to the BC <you meant DS, I'm sure > to keep the squeeze at bay. This makes a lot of sense for a tech diver with doubles and possibly a stage or deco bottle or two who will consequnetly have a large amount of change in bouyancy and will be substantially negative at the start of the dive.

Don't know that I would call it a "fad." Even when properly weighted, I find that adding enough gas to the suit to counter a full tank at the beginning of the dive is WAY more than I need to relieve the squeeze. I actually use the "enough gas to loft the undies" rather than just "relieve the squeeze," though. Even so, it creates too much instability if I don't use the wing as well. It really didn't take that much practice to learn to automatically vent both on the ascent - and I learned to do that with only about 15 or 20 dives under my belt. And almost a hundred dives before I took the DIRf class. If a bumbler like me can learn that on my own, it can't possibly be too complicated.....

 

[aquaoren]

If you are a single tank diver then id suggest you look at your weight - a properly weighted single tank diver should be near neutral with just squeeze removed. Michelin man effect only happens with way too much air as a result of way too much weight on this setup.

I will closely look into your suggestion
I dive a 7mm Neoprene drysuit with a small steel tank and 10kg of lead.
Not bad I would think but still working on further reduction