I wanna go diving...

[askdjasd]

exactly, akira.
I use very little air in my suit, basically for squeeze during deep dives. When I'm diving shallow, I dont even bother unless it becomes insanely restricting.
Also, if you're rising up too fast, and you can't dump the air.. maybe you're putting in way too much air to begin with, like the stay puffed marshmellow man.
I dislike drysuits cause I cannot ever figure out how to properly dump air, always doing it by mistake.
So I use my trusty bcd.. and god bless purge valves on the lower back

 

[TheWetRookie]

Shall I rock the boat and say I only use the dry suit for bouyancy about 90' :evil:

 

[seahorsey]

Still lotsa time to practice before freeze-up! A few of us go out this weekend near Kamloops, the bigger lakes at the lower elevations are still doable for a few weeks. It IS getting kinda crazy with SI temps at minus 10 at times, so don't forget your toque and a mountain of dry warm clothing (and hot chocolate with rum for after)! Did you take your drysuit course recently? If not, now that would be a good way to get some help and practice!

 

[seahorsey]

..oh and bless your guys' heart for saying you use your BC, too, and don't do just the marshmallow thing! I can never fit enough air in it to compensate fully without screwing the valve all the way shut, which doesn't feel safe. I guess my neoprene foam suit is a bit too snug to hold enough air with the valve open (read: I'm probably too fat to fit it's contoured, wasp-waisted shape). So inflate the drysuit only enough for some loft to the underwear and do the rest with the BC. I KNOW I can get the air out of that blindfolded and quick, so it feels safer. Every text I read says don't do that, but every instructor I ask said "do whatever you are comfortable". Works like a charm for me. No problems after my first ever dry dive. What little air I got in the drysuit always vents easily.

 

[DaleC]

I dive without a BC some times and one thing that really helps is to work on getting the weighting dialed in. The bubble is more manageable that way.

 

[bighiller]

Just remember that air wants to go to the highest place (where the least pressure is), so venting is just a matter of making your dump valve the highest place. Might have to "chicken wing" to get it out sometimes, but depends on your valve.

I don't use my drysuit for buoyancy, just to keep out the water and puff up a little for warmth. I close the valve a bit if I want to keep more air in so I can keep a bit warmer, but must remember to have the extra weight to offset that extra air. On SS though, I'm completely shrink wrapped..

 

[Roko]

If you use your drysuit for buoyancy, beware, this might happen to you:

YouTube - Drysuit Inflation

 

[darron]

Lots of great tips all - yeah I took my drysuit course in late August but only got 6 dives in over 2 days. I need much more dives be comfortable - my second day was better - but still not great.

PADI teaches to use only a single device (suit) for buoyancy - but everything I've read since is:

1. Enough air in the suit to keep squeeze away.
2. Use BC / BP/W for buoyancy.

Just wanna practice using that methodology - we weren't supposed to do it in the course.

Thanks all.

 

[bighiller]

Your BCD is really only to offset your weight to make you neutral, then it's lung power all the way. Dump a little as you go up and add a little as you go down, same with drysuit.

But, yeah, practice is the way to go.

 

[TheWetRookie]

If you use your drysuit for buoyancy, beware, this might happen to you:

YouTube - Drysuit Inflation

Nice