Drysuit Squeeze/DCS

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

If you are diving with so much squeeze that you're concerned about blood flow, how are you able to move about in the drysuit?

I don't dive with a big air bubble in my suit but I do put in enough gas to 1) be warm and 2) be able to move around easily. I also dive with my suit vent open so that any excess gas gets vented and I don't turn into a balloon as I get shallower.
 
How much drysuit squeeze does one allow before it impeding blood circulation/perfusion? Does diving with more squeeze theoretically increase DCS risk? I can tolerate quite some squeeze only adding gas if I feel it is starting to impact on my chest movement/breathing. I don’t like to have a big bubble of air inside as it makes ascents a hellva a lot trickier. I have had remarks from others though that I may be increasing my DCS risk as a result of diving with so much squeeze.
- How much squeeze? None! The suit is not supposed to squeeze! It is not a corset.
- That blood perfusion question is irrelevant. The suit should not squeeze.
- "quite some squeeze" means there is no insulation. Hence, the drysuit is mostly useless.
- "I don’t like to have a big bubble of air inside as it makes ascents a hellva a lot trickier" -> keep a small bubble, OK?

Somehow I suspect that there is something wrong with your undergarments.
If you do not wear enough, the air will be all over the place. And you will be cold, too.
How thick is you coverall? What is its insulation capability? Mine is 1.92 CLO.
 
How much drysuit squeeze does one allow before it impeding blood circulation/perfusion? Does diving with more squeeze theoretically increase DCS risk? I can tolerate quite some squeeze only adding gas if I feel it is starting to impact on my chest movement/breathing. I don’t like to have a big bubble of air inside as it makes ascents a hellva a lot trickier. I have had remarks from others though that I may be increasing my DCS risk as a result of diving with so much squeeze.
The air in your drysuit not only negates squeeze but adds thermal insulation to keep you warmer. Isn't that the main reason for using a drysuit, to stay warm?

If the "bubble" causes you problems when you ascend, perhaps consider relieving the bubble when you start your ascent and continue to vent drysuit air as you ascend. Minimize the air in your drysuit and add air to your bcd when it's time to go up.
 
Suit squeeze. I did experience it once. It was a close call.

It was a memorable dive that ended well. I would like to forget it though, but I cannot.

Some lesser incidents did take place, like being out of gas at 100 feet, deco obligation while beeing out of deco gas, difficulty maintaining depth while breathing helium (because of quite some stress), etc. **** had truly hit the fan.

The absolutely worst thing happened before all of this though. I was sinking without being able to inflate my suit. Suit squeeze was such that I could only move my wrist to send a distress signal to my team while I was helplessly sinking towards the bottom of the sea in low viz. My buddy was awake and rescued me. My drysuit inflator had become undone on the rough surface and I noticed it too late. Suit squeeze is NOT a good thing. Just my opinion.
 
Deleted
 
Suit squeeze. I did experience it once. It was a close call.

It was a memorable dive that ended well. I would like to forget it though, but I cannot.

Some lesser incidents did take place, like being out of gas at 100 feet, deco obligation while beeing out of deco gas, difficulty maintaining depth while breathing helium (because of quite some stress), etc. **** had truly hit the fan.

The absolutely worst thing happened before all of this though. I was sinking without being able to inflate my suit. Suit squeeze was such that I could only move my wrist to send a distress signal to my team while I was helplessly sinking towards the bottom of the sea in low viz. My buddy was awake and rescued me. My drysuit inflator had become undone on the rough surface and I noticed it too late. Suit squeeze is NOT a good thing. Just my opinion.
Did you get many bruises from this? They often look like a blue cheese!

The main lesson is (aside from check before you jump) is... Don't keep descending once you realise your drysuit's not connected and use the BCD/wing to stop the drop long before you're shrink wrapped.
 
The OP hasn’t been around (at least not logged in) since the day he posted this.
 
Did you get many bruises from this? They often look like a blue cheese!

The main lesson is (aside from check before you jump) is... Don't keep descending once you realise your drysuit's not connected and use the BCD/wing to stop the drop long before you're shrink wrapped.
Exactly.

I know it now.

Time pressure. Team pressure. New environment. New gear. Lack of sleep. Seasick. Lots of warning signs.

Bruises you get when you skin gets pinched. I was however wearing a very very thick coverall and my skin was not directly affected. Instead, my coverall felt like plaster and I was unable to move my hands. Or so it felt. I was quite distressed.

My drysuit was connected to an inflator hose, but not firmly (rocky boat, seasick). Once I had done the swim to the buoy, the hose had become detached. The team dived without waiting for me, so I did a hasty swim down, without noticing the issue before it was too late. Inexperience had a lot to do with that.

I had not used a BCD or wing for buoyancy control before, just the suit, and an emergency situation is not the moment when new skills are picked up.

It's a long story, it starts the night before, and, well, demonstrates that drysuit squeeze sucks. Just an opinion.

Minimizing the amount of gas in the suit does make it easier to dive, down to a limit, but too little is just too little. And it depends on undersuit and temperature. If the air in the suit is confined within fibers, then it does not migrate all over the place. Thus, what you wear underneath does matter.
 
The OP hasn’t been around (at least not logged in) since the day he posted this.
Yeah, but there are other readers (and thanks for the info, btw).
I have learned so much from threads not started by myself.
 
http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

Back
Top Bottom