horizontal ascent...

[TSandM]

Well, whether you go up 10 feet slowly or 10 feet fast, the expansion of the gas in the dry suit boots is the same, and it's got to get out of there somehow or your feet will be pinned to the ceiling

I suspect the answer is to run the suit fairly empty, and make sure the gas doesn't get there in the first place.

But watching Danny float around the cave, up and down, and do so VERY little adjusting gave me a goal to work toward, even if I don't know which magic tricks he was using to be able to do that!

 

[PerroneFord]

The difference is that in a cave you are slow and gradual and don't ever have to manage a larger bubble of gas.

Interesting. This definitely doesn't mesh with some of the caves I've been in. And I haven't been in that many....

 

[Thalassamania]

I work my dry suit as a tripod with a bit of air across the back and a dash in each calf. By moving air between these locations I can establish and hold just about any attitude in the water.

 

[jeckyll]

I've found that in cold water, with think gloves etc, I just don't seem to have the same control over dumping from the rear of the wing as when dumping via the inflator. It is something I am hoping to work on over the next while.

I have found thought that I need to drop my feet (actually straighten my legs) a bit to get the air up in the suit.

In addition I've found that I can fine tune my buoyancy _more_ with my drysuit than with the wing. Again, I'm not sure why, I realize it should be the other way around. Perhaps I have poor 'wing in/de flation skills' ... or perhaps mad drysuit skills

 

[PerroneFord]

But watching Danny float around the cave, up and down, and do so VERY little adjusting gave me a goal to work toward, even if I don't know which magic tricks he was using to be able to do that!

How do you think I felt learning to dive in open water around these people? I felt like I was always doing something wrong, becase it looked like they could just move 50ft up and down in the water with no discernable change in how they moved. I was all over the place.

It's amazing watching these guys though, and they do use very little gas in the suit...

 

[TSandM]

Watching Danny was really humbling. In addition to doing very little adjustment with depth changes, he never, ever moved unless he was doing something deliberate. He can hover and look at you for what seems like forever without twitching a fin tip. I can only dream of that kind of stability.

 

[Soggy]

Interesting. This definitely doesn't mesh with some of the caves I've been in. And I haven't been in that many....

Relative to going straight up, every cave is slow and gradual. If it's not, then you won't have any problem lowering your rear end a little to dump gas because there isn't anything below you to kick up!

Let's stop talking all theoretical and get real. You cannot change the laws of physics. If there is gas in your legs, you need to adjust your body such that your legs are below your shoulders. It doesn't matter if you are in a cave or in open water...this remains unchanging. We can only adjust as best we can to the conditions by being proactive.

 

[PerroneFord]

Speaking of which...

Do any of you drysuit guys wear gaitors?

 

[Rainer]

Speaking of which...

Do any of you drysuit guys wear gaitors?

The answer is surely 'yes'. I, however, do not.

 

[Soggy]

Speaking of which...

Do any of you drysuit guys wear gaitors?

My suit has built-in gators, but I don't really notice if they are zipped or not in the water. If the suit fits well, they aren't necessary. I would suggest avoiding them unless you find them absolutely necessary after 50 dives in a drysuit or so.

If you have turbo soles, I would suggest getting a pair of fin keepers to go on the soles....they really keep the boot tight to your foot.