OP
Reef
Contributor
No fur coat. I was wearing a very light polysuit.
Drysuit (shell) and weight.
- Thread starter Reef
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No fur coat. I was wearing a very light polysuit.
PerroneFord
Contributor
1. Cut your weights back to half
2. Leave your valve fully open
3. Use your BC for buoyancy
4. Clean up the danglies
5. Enjoy your dives!
(I couldn't put that much air in my suit unless I was in an overhead... WOW)
2. Leave your valve fully open
3. Use your BC for buoyancy
4. Clean up the danglies
5. Enjoy your dives!
(I couldn't put that much air in my suit unless I was in an overhead... WOW)
dkatchalov
Contributor
OP
Reef
Contributor
Believe me I felt like an idiot.
However I would have done a million times worse if I had not read post after post.
I also have the PADI Drysuit Manual and DVD.
Diving dry is great.
I just I didn't damage the suit. Some articles I had read said was normal at times to get sepage when at an angle, and leaning the neck forward. I guess with a balloon at the neck area I should have expected this.
However I would have done a million times worse if I had not read post after post.
I also have the PADI Drysuit Manual and DVD.
Diving dry is great.
I just I didn't damage the suit. Some articles I had read said was normal at times to get sepage when at an angle, and leaning the neck forward. I guess with a balloon at the neck area I should have expected this.
OP
Reef
Contributor
I didn't mean to be offensive, was just joking
No offense taken. I hate being a newb all over again.
divebri
Contributor
First off, congragulations on the new suit.
Item 1. when you get ready to dive, squeeze every single ounce of air out of that suit. Put your fingers in your neck seal, and squat down, then push your arms (at the elbows) together. You want to start the dive looking like a grape. THEN put on the bc and your weights, etc.
item 2. You are severely overweighted, but there's no way to do a weight check until you get all the air out of the suit and the bc. I'm 5'8", 215, and I use 22 with heavy jammies underneath. Do the weight check with a 500 psi tank, and all the air out of the suit and the bc, like you would in a wetsuit. Take a breath, and keep adding or subtracting weight till you are floatng eyeballs-deep.
Item 3. The poster who said you want to look like a raisin and not like a grape is spot-on. If you are weighted properly, then you will HAVE to use the suit for bouyancy because it will squeeze you so bad on descent you'll have to put air in to keep the twins from hitting your tonsils
Item 4. don't succumb to using the bc for bouyancy. That is not easier in the long run, and a bad idea IMHO. All you need to do for bouyancy in a drysuit is put a little air in or let it out to remain comfortable inside the suit. It's easy once you get the hang of it. it's almost mandatory once you're properly weighted.
Item 5. I assume you didn't take a drysuit class, based on the weighting and other things. I would either take the class, or find someone to dive with you who is very familiar with drysuit diving and will help you with these issues.
Item 6. No, you didn't hurt the seal. You were so inflated you "burped" when you moved your neck. You probably got a little wet, too. No big deal.
I would be interested to see how your next dives go, if you follow this advice. Please advise me in a PM or on this thread. Good Luck!!!!!
one more thing: leave the exhaust valve open. It never vents by itself if you're properly weighted, and someday you may need it open in a hurry. It's a little thing but you'll see good drysuit divers vent slightly quite often. If they're good you wouldn't be able to tell if you didn't see the bubbles come from their exhaust valve.
Item 1. when you get ready to dive, squeeze every single ounce of air out of that suit. Put your fingers in your neck seal, and squat down, then push your arms (at the elbows) together. You want to start the dive looking like a grape. THEN put on the bc and your weights, etc.
item 2. You are severely overweighted, but there's no way to do a weight check until you get all the air out of the suit and the bc. I'm 5'8", 215, and I use 22 with heavy jammies underneath. Do the weight check with a 500 psi tank, and all the air out of the suit and the bc, like you would in a wetsuit. Take a breath, and keep adding or subtracting weight till you are floatng eyeballs-deep.
Item 3. The poster who said you want to look like a raisin and not like a grape is spot-on. If you are weighted properly, then you will HAVE to use the suit for bouyancy because it will squeeze you so bad on descent you'll have to put air in to keep the twins from hitting your tonsils
Item 4. don't succumb to using the bc for bouyancy. That is not easier in the long run, and a bad idea IMHO. All you need to do for bouyancy in a drysuit is put a little air in or let it out to remain comfortable inside the suit. It's easy once you get the hang of it. it's almost mandatory once you're properly weighted.
Item 5. I assume you didn't take a drysuit class, based on the weighting and other things. I would either take the class, or find someone to dive with you who is very familiar with drysuit diving and will help you with these issues.
Item 6. No, you didn't hurt the seal. You were so inflated you "burped" when you moved your neck. You probably got a little wet, too. No big deal.
I would be interested to see how your next dives go, if you follow this advice. Please advise me in a PM or on this thread. Good Luck!!!!!
one more thing: leave the exhaust valve open. It never vents by itself if you're properly weighted, and someday you may need it open in a hurry. It's a little thing but you'll see good drysuit divers vent slightly quite often. If they're good you wouldn't be able to tell if you didn't see the bubbles come from their exhaust valve.
dschonbrun
Contributor
Divebri provides a great point... best to do a bouyancy check with a near empty tank. It's actually the right way to do it, and many dive boats will keep a 500 psi tank on deck just for this purpose.
You will need some positive bouyancy help from your BCD at the beginning of a dive (full tank), but it should not be more than about 5-10 lb of lift.
You will need some positive bouyancy help from your BCD at the beginning of a dive (full tank), but it should not be more than about 5-10 lb of lift.
PerroneFord
Contributor
I agree with diverbri on nearly everything but that "don't use the BC for "buoyancy bit". It's called a buoyancy compensator for a reason. And no, the drysuit will not always dump gas when you want it to even with the valve fully open (like when you get air in your feet). And sometimes it will dump gas when you absolutely do NOT want it to. Like in a silty, low vis cave when your buddy swims above and to your left and calls attention or hides his light! Those who've been there know EXACTLY what I mean.
spt29970
Contributor
I agree with divebri. Regardless of where the air is, it causes buoyancy. If you have air in your BC, it isn't in your dry suit where it could be lofting your undergarments. If putting that air in your suit would cause it to balloon, take some weight off your belt.
The only reason, that I can think of, to use your BC with a drysuit is to compensate for 5lb change in the tank weight due to the air being consumed. If you are properly weighted at the end of the dive, you will need an extra 5lb of buoyancy at the beginning. There is a reasonable argument that you should put this in the BC so that the drysuit isn't over filled. However, my feeling is that 5lbs of extra buoyancy in the suit is no big deal. Remember, a full lung of air has around 10lbs of buoyancy. Now if you are carrying double 130s and have 16lbs of air in the tank, you probably do need to use to the BC, but that it the exception, not the rule.
The other issue is task loading. It is much simpler to manage one airspace, rather than two. Just my $0.02
The only reason, that I can think of, to use your BC with a drysuit is to compensate for 5lb change in the tank weight due to the air being consumed. If you are properly weighted at the end of the dive, you will need an extra 5lb of buoyancy at the beginning. There is a reasonable argument that you should put this in the BC so that the drysuit isn't over filled. However, my feeling is that 5lbs of extra buoyancy in the suit is no big deal. Remember, a full lung of air has around 10lbs of buoyancy. Now if you are carrying double 130s and have 16lbs of air in the tank, you probably do need to use to the BC, but that it the exception, not the rule.
The other issue is task loading. It is much simpler to manage one airspace, rather than two. Just my $0.02
divebri
Contributor
and I'm not familiar with tech requirements, but this poster isn't going tech at this point, at least I don't think so.
The weighting is correct if you have a full breath of air, all air squeezed out of both bc AND suit, and you're eyeballs-deep with 500 lbs in the tank you're going to use.
You should surface with 500 psi, so that is the lightest you should be, but even if you're at 300 the effect is ounces more positive rather than pounds. If you're eyeballs deep with a full breath, you can be slightly negative with breath control.
Trust me when I tell you that I am properly weighted, and I do not EVER use my bc under water. I don't use it for two reasons: One, 'cause I want the air in one spot, and Two, because if I encounter more pressure requiring me to use air for bouyancy I'm getting uncomfortable due to drysuit squeeze. When I'm at the end of the dive, and I'm coming up, I'm perfectly comfortable and I'm letting air out of my valve with a flick of my elbow. Very easy.
If I had a flood, I've got the bc. But I don't want to manage TWO balloons coming up from 90 feet.
Managing bouyancy is a PIA if you're overweighted. If you start with a balloon the size of a beach ball, you've got to let three beach balls out from 100 ft. If you start with a balloon the size of a fingernail, you've got to let out three fingernals worth. Bouyancy issues are way overcomplicated by overweighting.
It's not that hard, it just requires perfect weighting and practice. Then it's super easy.
The weighting is correct if you have a full breath of air, all air squeezed out of both bc AND suit, and you're eyeballs-deep with 500 lbs in the tank you're going to use.
You should surface with 500 psi, so that is the lightest you should be, but even if you're at 300 the effect is ounces more positive rather than pounds. If you're eyeballs deep with a full breath, you can be slightly negative with breath control.
Trust me when I tell you that I am properly weighted, and I do not EVER use my bc under water. I don't use it for two reasons: One, 'cause I want the air in one spot, and Two, because if I encounter more pressure requiring me to use air for bouyancy I'm getting uncomfortable due to drysuit squeeze. When I'm at the end of the dive, and I'm coming up, I'm perfectly comfortable and I'm letting air out of my valve with a flick of my elbow. Very easy.
If I had a flood, I've got the bc. But I don't want to manage TWO balloons coming up from 90 feet.
Managing bouyancy is a PIA if you're overweighted. If you start with a balloon the size of a beach ball, you've got to let three beach balls out from 100 ft. If you start with a balloon the size of a fingernail, you've got to let out three fingernals worth. Bouyancy issues are way overcomplicated by overweighting.
It's not that hard, it just requires perfect weighting and practice. Then it's super easy.
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