Drysuit trouble...

[Kern]

Another classic "gear solution to a skill problem" for undertrained divers!

Just what we need!

I must remember to tell Mark Spencer this. He dives an Apollo DS with ankle dumps. I'm sure he'll get a good laugh out of it.

Before you respond, try googeling "Mark Spencer, International Fellow, Explorers Club, New York".

 

[ucfdiver]

This has been a very helpful thread as I just got a new drysuit myself. I have used it in the pool a couple of times now, and the tips on how much air to keep in the suit really helped. All my problems came from having too much air in the suit.

I do have another question for those of you experienced dry divers. I noticed a get a good squeeze all over my body which is normal, the suit would pinch my legs when I didnt wear any pants under it (just bathing suit). Wearing sweat pants fixed that. I am however getting a bit of pinching on my groin area (if you get what i mean) which is uncomfortable. Is this something you just get used to, or is there a way to relieve some of the pressure so sensitive body parts dont feel like they are in a vice?

Would a proper drysuit undergarment help with this?

Compression shorts or briefs was what i found worked.

 

[Web Monkey]

I do have another question for those of you experienced dry divers. I noticed a get a good squeeze all over my body which is normal, the suit would pinch my legs when I didnt wear any pants under it (just bathing suit). Wearing sweat pants fixed that. I am however getting a bit of pin

You need to wear clothing that covers any part of your body that you don't want to get pinched. Typically this means drysuit underwear, but lots of people have good results with sweats and/or fleece clothing.

You also need enough air in the suit to eliminate suit squeeze, since the squeeze is uncomfortable, makes the underwear much less effective and makes it hard to breathe.

Note that this doesn't mean "a big comfy bubble of air", just enough air to remove the squeeze. If you can't add enough air without becomeing buoyant, it means you're under-weighted.

Terry

 

[NJ Wreckster]

Of course I have read the manual. Only a fool wouldn't read a drysuit manual, which could potential save one's life. Not understanding the proper use of a dry suit could kill you.

If the bubble is getting too large that you have to allow additional air to the BC, it means you have far too much weight to begin with. If you are properly weighted, you do not need to put air in your BC.

 

[ucfdiver]

Only a fool wouldn't read a drysuit manual, which could potential save one's life. Not understanding the proper use of a dry suit could kill you.

I was able to unscrew the exhaust valve and use the inflater vale successfully without referencing the book.

 

[Jandee]

I had a problem dumping the air out of my old dry suit because the suit didn't fit right. The shoulders and arms of the suit were to big so the dump valve was facing downward. The hips were to tight and air was caught in my lower legs. I had to almost roll on my back to let out the air. I solved this problem by having the valve moved to the right position on my arm and loosing a few pounds so the hips were no longer tight.
Use your BCD for buoyancy, add just enough air to prevent a squeeze and keep you warm.

 

[nagel]

As a new drysuit diver....thanks for all the information. I've taken the PADI Drysuit Course and it was basically a joke. The only way to become a proficient drysuit diver is to dive and work on the skills. A lot of good information included in this thread will definately help me although some is contradicting, but you have to find what works for you. I've only had about 8 dives with a drysuit and I'm still working out a lot of things. One thing that caught my attention from the OP is that he took the class one weekend and the next weekend dove to a depth of 70 feet. I guess my theory is that I have stayed fairly shallow while I'm working out details of drysuit diving. To me 70 feet is a little aggresive for somebody who is very "green" in a drysuit. Maybe I'm being a little parinoid here, but my thought is stay a little shallower until you start feeling a lot more comfortable in the suit and what to do and not to do. As I said, I have about 8 dives in a drysuit and as of yet do not have that comfort level with the suit. It will come with time and practice.

S. Nagel

 

[alexxred]

I'm having similar problems, but due to it being a new drysuit. It has only has a dump on the shoulder.

My last one had both dumps on the shoulder and wrist. Now it seems almost impossible to get the air out when I need to. When I fill the suit and crouch to push air out of the valve it comes out very slowley.

Either the valve is not working properly, or the fit of the suit means that the valve is sitting in the wrong place.

 

[dannobee]

I'm having similar problems, but due to it being a new drysuit. It has only has a dump on the shoulder.

My last one had both dumps on the shoulder and wrist. Now it seems almost impossible to get the air out when I need to. When I fill the suit and crouch to push air out of the valve it comes out very slowley.

Either the valve is not working properly, or the fit of the suit means that the valve is sitting in the wrong place.

It could be the type of undergarment that you're using. If the outer layer bunches up against the valve, it will dump slowly. Either put some rivets in the undergarment where the valve is located, or try some duct tape on the undergarment.

 

[alexxred]

At the moment the only undergarment I am wearing ontop is a thin thermal. I have noticed that on my old suit (apollo) there was actually a spacer of neopreane on the underside of the valve, on the inside of the suit. I imagine that this would have helped to stop undergarments from blocking the valve to some degree.

I have just been to have the suit altered, and the person commented that as my last suit fit me so well, it would have helped to force the air to the highest point.