Drysuit exhaust valves on boots?

[Tassie_Rohan]

Pros and cons? I've been happily diving away with one exhaust valve on my shoulder but I’m getting a dry suit for the misses and several models I've looked at also have exhaust valves on the boots.

The only guy I know who has them had his boot valves sealed as they were always getting clogged with sand. This issue aside anyone like them?

I can see the help in avoiding an uncontrolled inverted accent for a new drysuit diver - but this is easy to avoid with correct technique.

If you are neutrally buoyant and go feet up will your boots exhaust gas and cause you to sink?

Cheers,
Rohan.

 

[do it easy]

I had a buddy that used these once. I think they were like the cuff dump- it's not adjustable and dumps based on body position, so he had a hard time keeping his suit properly inflated. He even tried to replace the spring to adjust the tension.

If I were buying a new suit, I would stick with the traditiional shoulder dump.

 

[onfloat]

The only guy I know who has them had his boot valves sealed as they were always getting clogged with sand. This issue aside anyone like them?

I can see the help in avoiding an uncontrolled inverted accent for a new drysuit diver - but this is easy to avoid with correct technique.

I think this pretty much answers the question about the advantages.

 

[scottmc]

If you suit fits right and you have been trained how to use a drysuit so you know how to do a tuck and roll then that would be a waste of a valve and money. One valve on your shoulder is all you need, just learn how to use it.

Good Luck

 

[Rick Inman]

Yeah, I think it's another one of those wrong solutions, verses learning the proper skill.

Personally, I like having some air in my feet to keep my feet up, and to loft those nice warm Weezle booties.

YMMV

 

[RJP]

Treat the problem, not the symptom.

 

[jepuskar]

I have the DUI Lite-Loft booties, I should go with the Weezle booties.

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

Thanks for the replies - I've always felt boot exhaust valves were like training wheels: a safety feature for a diver learning to use a drysuit, that could be sealed up later if required.

Still - its interesting to hear accounts of people who use them.

Cheers,
Rohan.

 

[crosing]

I've never heard of a boot exhaust valve, any links to the manufacturers?

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

Quite a few smaller manufacturers have them:

Seatec

Apollo

But I dont recall ever seeing them on DUI, Viking, Bare or Northern Diver Suits...

It's a nice idea to give a new drysuit diver peace of mind while learning (no fear of an inverted accent - although this only lasts for the first few dives), but floaty feet are easy to overcome through technique and training.

Having the valves down there means they are going to cop a lot of abuse over time - which could be a bit of a worry...

Still - anyone like them?

Cheers,
Rohan.