Gaiters...

[RJP]

It's probably a skill issue. Just a matter of getting comfortable with enough gas to float your feet/legs but not cause problems. As long as your suit fits well, I wouldn't both with gaitors. As noted above, they can also trap gas that you might want to get out.

If the need for gaiters is "a skill issue" then so is the need for a better fitting drysuit, right?

:shocked2:

 

[burna]

Does anyone have any links I can hit up and read, regarding Gaitors? I did a google search and came up empty with only two hits with very little info.

I don't pump in a lot of Argon into my suit, just the bare minimal to keep off squeeze.

My fins tend to drop more often when I'm stationary. When I inject a little more Argon I get them from dropping, but I get the floaty feet syndrome.

Can Gaitors eliminate that feeling and provide a more streamline trim? Very intereseted in seeing people's perspective on them.

Thanks,

MG

Dude,

Give 'em a try. If they work for you, use them. If they don't, then don't.

I wouldn't get too hung up on this "it's a skill issue" thing. It may well be that as you get comfortable in your suit you may not need them anymore, if that's the case - great!

Getting a pair of gaiters is a hell of a lot cheaper than getting a new custom made drysuit.

I found they have worked for me, I have never had trapped air in the legs either. If the legs on my suit were any more snug, I wouldn't get my feet in there!

My 2 cents.

 

[Mark Michaud SELAUSAR]

Dude,

Give 'em a try. If they work for you, use them. If they don't, then don't.

I wouldn't get too hung up on this "it's a skill issue" thing. It may well be that as you get comfortable in your suit you may not need them anymore, if that's the case - great!

Getting a pair of gaiters is a hell of a lot cheaper than getting a new custom made drysuit.

I found they have worked for me, I have never had trapped air in the legs either. If the legs on my suit were any more snug, I wouldn't get my feet in there!

My 2 cents.

Agreed. We wear lead to sink us, a b/c to compensate us, and bring our breathing medium with us. Different body make up can also determine what other things we need. Wear them until a time you don't need to. If that time doesn't arrive, you won't even notice.

It's all about diving and mastering the skills enough to dive like we drive a car, we hardly notice a car is around us. There are tools out there and we can take advantage of them more than any time before.

 

[Meng_Tze]

I use them, like them and have zero issues with them. No squeeze, no floaty feet. Never used fin keepers.

 

[PfcAJ]

Gaiters are one of those things that don't matter a whole lot. If you like them, cool, if not, cool too.

 

[lamont]

I think the consensus is that if your drysuit is too loose in the legs (particularly in the lower leg area), gaiters will mitigate pooling of gas there. However, it's better to have a drysuit that fits. If your drysuit fits, then no need for gaiters.

My first drysuit had baggy legs, particularly when I was wearing my 200g DC thinsulate and it was that drysuit where I went from using gaiters in my first 150 dives to not wearing gaiters afterwards.

Even with a 'bad' drysuit that pools gas, you can learn how to not let the gas pool and how to get rid of it when it does...

 

[Bubbletrubble]

My first drysuit had baggy legs, particularly when I was wearing my 200g DC thinsulate and it was that drysuit where I went from using gaiters in my first 150 dives to not wearing gaiters afterwards.

Even with a 'bad' drysuit that pools gas, you can learn how to not let the gas pool and how to get rid of it when it does...

I agree, lamont. One could compensate with technique. I see the gaiters as a convenience item. It makes it more comfortable for me to not have to deal with gas pooling in the baggy lower legs. Another side benefit is that the gaiters provide a little more abrasion protection if I have to exit the water by crawling onto the beach or if I have to kneel a little on the boat ladder as I'm climbing back on-board. I don't have kneepads on my drysuit, so this is another consideration.