Dumped my weights, found my wife

[MaxBottomtime]

Were you using the drysuit for buoyancy underwater? Try using the BC instead. That's what it's for, and it makes buoyancy so much easier than the bubble traveling around in a suit. On hot days I will get in the water with just the suit on to cool off before donning the gear.

 

[KevinNM]

For some reason the PADI DS course teaches the use of the DS for buoyancy. I've never found anyone, including my PADI DS instructor, who thought that was a good idea. Everyone else has said just add enough air to remove the squeeze.

On my BP/W there are two rubber bands along the corrugated hose that you should run the inflator hose through. I never even noticed them until they were pointed out to me by my instructor. Does your have something similar?

 

[Herb-alaska]

I don't mean to be mean. But both of you need to either take a Ds course or go back to your instructor for a review. Do this before you get hurt. It doesn't matter if your Ds is your primary or secondary bouyancy control you need to know how to use it. Simple things like burping your suit several times is not necessary and only serves to get you wet during the dive. Before you even get in the water you should be venting excess air and your dump valve should be more than capable of keeping control of your excess air. The need to breach the seal is only a emergency task not a first go to plan

again please get with a compenant instructor who not only has a Ds cert but actually dives them enough to share the basics with you

 

[billt4sf]

Hello dive buddies, thank you for your comments.

Awhile back (after reading it on SB) we started using our BCDs for buoyancy control with the DS. Then a friend / mentor convinced me that this was not necessary.

Consider the following: a diver is X feet underwater with enough air in the DS to prevent a squeeze. She should be neutrally buoyant, depending on how much air is in the lungs. Now that same diver needs to add air to a BCD to remain buoyant. What does this tell you? It tells me she is overweighted. Now we are using the DS only for buoyancy, and despite our problems Saturday, things are working better.

We have taken a drysuit course, it was ****. We complained to the LDS owner and got a free re-do.

Despite the uneven results we have had from courses, we would like to take some more courses, principally Fundies and Rescue. Even so, I feel we have learned more from diving with other experienced divers, especially those who are willing to take the time to look carefully at us and work with us. Thanks Ralph!

Thanks again for your comments.

- Bill & Emily

 

[MaxBottomtime]

The fact that your wife's feet were floating up is a tell tale sign that she had way too much air in her drysuit. That is the main reason for never using a drysuit for buoyancy.

 

[Superlyte27]

Do not use your drysuit for primary buoyancy. Your drysuit was/is intended to keep you warm. That's its primary job.
Your wing is designed to keep you in proper trim while maintaining necessary buoyancy (if set up properly) no matter how little or how much air is in it. Can the same be said of your drysuit? No of course not. Too much air in the drysuit can leave you inverted, head up, feet up, etc. (depending on where the bubble is)

The valve on your drysuit should be left open, unless your primary source of buoyancy has failed. What degree of open would depend on how much multi-level your dive is.

When I'm diving BM doubles (which is almost never since the CCR) I put the LP Hose to the Inflator in the eye of a Bolt Snap. I then clip that bolt snap to the chest d-ring. It never escapes.

 

[billt4sf]

The fact that your wife's feet were floating up is a tell tale sign that she had way too much air in her drysuit. That is the main reason for never using a drysuit for buoyancy.

No, that's a reason to learn to use it correctly, and keep the exhaust valve open.

- Bill

 

[Storker]

No, that's a reason to learn to use it correctly, and keep the exhaust valve open.

...but remember to close it after you've surfaced if you want to use the redundant buoyancy it can provide.


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---------- Post added February 17th, 2015 at 05:51 PM ----------

To be honest, I hardly know anyone that does buddy checks, at least not in a visible way.

Then you haven't been diving with the right people

On vacation dives, only very rarely have I heard a DM say “Buddy check” before splashing. We need to do them anyway.

That's your own responsibility, not anyone else. I don't need a nanny to tell me what I'm supposed to do, I prefer to be treated like the competent adult I like to believe I am.



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Typos are a feature, not a bug

 

[Peter Guy]

I know this comes up from time to time -- use the BCD as primary buoyancy device or dry suit or both. I've also seen people say "Dry suit is not for buoyancy" while reading in manuals and even manufacturer's literature that the dry suit should be used as a primary buoyancy device.

What it really comes down to, in my ever, and always, so humble of an opinion is -- DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU!

 

[demed]

I know this comes up from time to time -- use the BCD as primary buoyancy device or dry suit or both. I've also seen people say "Dry suit is not for buoyancy" while reading in manuals and even manufacturer's literature that the dry suit should be used as a primary buoyancy device.

What it really comes down to, in my ever, and always, so humble of an opinion is -- DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU!

Peter, which manufacturers state that drysuit should be used as primary buoyancy device?