Drysuit use and buoyancy

[TuckerIdaho]

It's subtle and really depends upon the diver, the drysuit, their equipment and the environment.

Watch the GUE drysuit vs bcd video. It'll explain fully why this practice is not a great idea.

 

[drk5036]

A couple of the "big" schools were teaching this way until recently. SSI just switched last year.

At least as of my drysuit class last year with PADI, it still is.

and my si-tech valves that came with my seaskin drysuit also recommend that they’re used for primary buoyancy control.

despite all that I’ve figure out what works best for me.

 

[Ayisha]

Watch the GUE drysuit vs bcd video. It'll explain fully why this practice is not a great idea.

 

[Ayisha]

There's also this article from DAN written by Michael Menduno, so also from a GUE perspective:

Get Wet, Dive Dry - Divers Alert Network

 

[Ulfhedinn]

Warmth

 

[JustinLoos1985]

I was taught by GUE and UTD to use the bcd for buoyancy. The drysuit is for warmth. Add gas to remove the squeeze and thus providing warmth. Also the the drysuit is a backup buoyancy device if your wing gets punctured. So I personally dive this way.

A TDI instructor I dive with uses his drysuit for warmth and buoyancy. He rarely puts gas in his bcd. He’s an amazing diver with great trim.

Point being you can achieve success with either route you choose.

 

[Wibble]

Kind of don't get too hooked up with the dogma of training. Lots of opinions are those of the instructor; your task long after the course is to work out your own opinions and preferences based upon your own experiences.

As mentioned above, experienced divers don't really care about which one's used for buoyancy. All that matters is you're comfortable and competent with whichever way you do it.

 

[Wibble]

Watch the GUE drysuit vs bcd video. It'll explain fully why this practice is not a great idea.

It's not a binary choice of only using BCD or only using the drysuit.

It depends upon what you're doing. You also would tend to use one for 'coarse' buoyancy control, the other for 'fine' control. Sometimes, such as at deco, you want more gas in the suit for insulation. Other times you want less in your suit -- for example head-down if you're going into a hole where you absolutely don't want the gas to migrate to your feet. Similarly if you need to go vertical when the suit will start to dump, so now you need more gas in your wing to compensate. And scootering if you're changing depths (although care needs to be taken!). And on a rebreather when the convenience of dumping the suit may take presidence.

A small point is that it's a lot less effort to dump from the suit than the wing; just lift your shoulder as opposed to reaching back with your left hand to the hip dump.

The GUE video errs into overstating the argument; you don't dive like the Michelin Man, or you shouldn't. Sometimes you need more gas in your drysuit; sometimes you don't.

This is the problem with dogma; you must do this or that. Reality isn't one thing or other. Only you can work this out through experience.

 

[inquis]

Perhaps also worth pointing out there is a decreasing difference in the two approaches throughout the dive as air is consumed. By design, at reserve pressure there shouldn't be any air in the wing, regardless of depth.

 

[Wibble]

Perhaps also worth pointing out there is a decreasing difference in the two approaches throughout the dive as air is consumed. By design, at reserve pressure there shouldn't be any air in the wing, regardless of depth.

Similarly when you're handing off some of your kit, e.g. a stage that's dropped off or a heavy reel and self-inflating SMB