Drysuit dump valve (bare)

[Troutmaster]

I have a bare NexGen drysuit. I am new to drysuit diving but it seems to me the dump valve is too far forward (to close the the inner arm as opposed to the shoulder area). I feel like I have to get into an unnatural belly-toward-the-surface kind of position to vent. Anyone have sugestions on this valve placement/body position issue or should I just bite the bullet and have the valve moved?

 

[TSandM]

Can you post a photo of you in the suit? It would help us advise you.

 

[Troutmaster]

It won't let me post the photo until I have 5 posts

 

[Troutmaster]

need one more

 

[Troutmaster]

See how it sits on my bicep? Feels like it should be "back" a few inches

Image is not loading, try this link to my FB http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=332406&l=8073d38daa&id=1685782068

 

[Bubbletrubble]

I have a bare NexGen drysuit. I am new to drysuit diving but it seems to me the dump valve is too far forward (to close the the inner arm as opposed to the shoulder area). I feel like I have to get into an unnatural belly-toward-the-surface kind of position to vent. Anyone have sugestions on this valve placement/body position issue or should I just bite the bullet and have the valve moved?

@Troutmaster: I own an earlier iteration of the same Bare Nex-Gen drysuit. The location of the exhaust valve is in the same position as yours. I have no problems dumping gas from it. While in proper horizontal trim with arms out and curved forward/in front of me, I just dip my right shoulder a little which places the left bicep at the highest point and this vents gas from the exhaust valve. No issues at all.

Is this your first drysuit? How many drysuit dives have you done? Have you taken a drysuit class? What type of undergarment are you wearing? With the exhaust valve in that position, you shouldn't have to position yourself in "belly-toward-the-surface" to vent. In my mind, "belly-toward-the-surface" describes a supine position. For me, the normal dive position is prone.

My gut tells me this is a technique issue and not an equipment one. What do your experienced drysuit dive buddies think is the problem?

All this being said, some people do prefer to have the exhaust valve in slightly different locations. I suspect that with a little practice you should be able to make yours work for you...without paying to have it moved.

 

[Boat Chick]

I have a bare NexGen drysuit. I am new to drysuit diving but it seems to me the dump valve is too far forward (to close the the inner arm as opposed to the shoulder area). I feel like I have to get into an unnatural belly-toward-the-surface kind of position to vent. Anyone have sugestions on this valve placement/body position issue or should I just bite the bullet and have the valve moved?

I don't have the NexGen, but the Bare Trilam HD and like Bubbletrubble, have never had an issue with the dump valve placement. As he states, I just dip my right shoulder and lift my left elbow and it dumps fine. I imagine the dump valve placement on my Trilam is similar to the NexGen.

That said, it looks cold in that pic....and I thought I was a "cold water diver" lol...

 

[Troutmaster]

My feeling is that it is probably me and not the suit also. I did a pool class with the instructor/dive shop owner that I bought the suit from. This is my first drysuit and I only have 3 dives on it. I bought the suit with the intention of doing all my Master Diver training dives and then my NTEC cert as well while wearing it to shake out my technique troubles. I am guessing a little more bottom time and this may solve itself.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

My feeling is that it is probably me and not the suit also. I did a pool class with the instructor/dive shop owner that I bought the suit from. This is my first drysuit and I only have 3 dives on it. I bought the suit with the intention of doing all my Master Diver training dives and then my NTEC cert as well while wearing it to shake out my technique troubles. I am guessing a little more bottom time and this may solve itself.

My Bare Nex-Gen is my first and only drysuit that I've owned.
It took me about 10 dives to feel relatively comfortable in the suit.
After another 30-40 dives, diving the suit became really comfortable.
After 100 dives, operating the suit became second nature.
It just takes patience and practice.

Good luck with working out any weighting/trim issues -- that's usually the challenge for a new drysuit diver. When I did my initial weight checks in the new drysuit, I was very conscious of not being overweighted. Consequently, I was using the bare minimum amount of lead. Over time, I found that I don't like my suit "vacuum-sealed" at shallow depths at the end of the dive, so I added 1 - 2 more pounds of lead to enable running a little more air in the suit. This made diving much more comfortable for me. Considering how cold your local water is, you may want to keep this in mind when optimizing your drysuit weighting.

Have fun out there!

 

[Garth]

I have a Bare suit next gen. First suit for me. Yes it is on my bicep to. Like many have suggested, I get in horizontal trim and lower right shoulder. I may even hold up my dump valve in my left hand to dump some air in my wing. Do you have the dump valve in the most open position?