Drysuit vs BCD bouyancy control

[H2Andy]

Btw, how does a BC "take up extra air"?

air that would otherwise be in the tank (and available for breathing) is instead
"used" to inflate the BC, thus making it unavailable for breathing?

still... it's much too hard for me to control the airspaces in a suit (i am a brand
new dry suit driver). it's much, much easier to control bouyancy with the wing.

 

[ScubaTwo]

Drysuit to keep me dry and warm, BC to control buoyancy.

count my vote that way also

 

[Daryl Morse]

I like diving with just a back pack. No need for a bc in my eyes. It is just extra bulk and takes up extra air.

How can it take up extra air? It doesn't matter whether the air is in the DS or BCD, the same amount is used, otherwise the buoyancy would not be the same.

 

[ScubaTwo]

How can it take up extra air? It doesn't matter whether the air is in the DS or BCD, the same amount is used, otherwise the buoyancy would not be the same.

Im new at this dry suit thing but I have noticed if I use my dry suit for buoyancy it makes a big bubble that moves around, sometimes to my feet and causes drag. Using the BCD seems more natural (for me) and less complicated.

 

[cameron]

"That's great...until your inflator has a problem and it becomes impossible to get positive, or you forget to connect your suit hose. I was out with someone this weekend that forgot the hose and was not able to reconnect it at depth. His wing got him to the surface. What would you do?"

Well if you are diving in a situation were you cannot get to the surface then get positive without the aid of bouyancy compensation, then you have to reevaluate your diving. You are a danger to yourself.

This is only sport diving guys!! You don't have mandatory deco, you don't have stages, keep it simple.

 

[ScubaTwo]

"That's great...until your inflator has a problem and it becomes impossible to get positive, or you forget to connect your suit hose. I was out with someone this weekend that forgot the hose and was not able to reconnect it at depth. His wing got him to the surface. What would you do?"

Well if you are diving in a situation were you cannot get to the surface then get positive without the aid of bouyancy compensation, then you have to reevaluate your diving. You are a danger to yourself.

This is only sport diving guys!! You don't have mandatory deco, you don't have stages, keep it simple.

Ok I give up. If you dont use your dry suit and you dont use your bc what do you use?

 

[ScubaTwo]

Maybe that is why PADI teaches divers to use the dry suit - it is easier. A lot of things are easier, but not necessarily better.

I believe that if have the ability to use the BC for buoyancy and the dry suit for squeeze, then you can also use only the dry suit for buoyancy if you wish. However, if you only know how to use the drysuit for buoyancy, you don't have the skills to do both. Learn both and then choose.

Using the suit and BC is not a big deal task-loading wise, and that it is easier, should not (IMHO) be the deciding factor.

.02

My instructor is PADI and teaches to reduce squeeze with a short burst in the suit and use the BC for bouyancy. Dont know if this is right or wrong as I have nothing to compare it to but it seems to work ok. (knock on wood so far!)

 

[cameron]

The previous poster had said that " it becomes impossible to get positive"
This should never happen. EVER. If You "accidentaly forget" to plug in your suit and you find that you are dropping like stone,( you must be pretty overweight in the first place) you should be able to swim to the surface drop your belt and maintain positive bouyancy. This is worst case mind you.
If you have figured out your weight at the start of your dive there should be a squeeze on the suit and by the end of the dive there should olny be about 3-6lbs of extra air in the suit, which is really not much. Plus it keeps you warmer with more air.

 

[drl]

I've changed my mind...
I'm a new drysuit diver, was taught to use drysuit for both comfort and buoyancy, and in really cold water I found that the air needed for comfort was not far off from that needed for buoyancy. But I was having a hard time managing the suit (failed my cert dives the first time due to OOC ascent; luckily I had already bought my suit, so I could still practice).
Yesterday I repeated my cert dives, and my instructor suggested we try using the BC for buoyancy. I'm a convert. It was so much easier! I was much more in control. Yes, there is some task loading involved in managing two bubbles, but using my BC is second nature, so it wasn't that hard.
I wish I had tried this sooner! It was really a revelation, and I'm much more comfortable and confident with my drysuit now.
And yes, I passed!

Deborah

 

[Daryl Morse]

How can it take up extra air? It doesn't matter whether the air is in the DS or BCD, the same amount is used, otherwise the buoyancy would not be the same.

Im new at this dry suit thing but I have noticed if I use my dry suit for buoyancy it makes a big bubble that moves around, sometimes to my feet and causes drag. Using the BCD seems more natural (for me) and less complicated.

Just to be clear, I wasn't trying to suggest that I think there's no difference between using DS or BCD for buoyancy, only that the total amount of air required is the same, irrespective of whether it's in the DS or the BCD. Your point about the air moving around in the suit is valid and I completely agree. I use my BCD for buoyancy and put air in the DS only to prevent squeeze.