Just switched to drysuit & air consumption has gone up

[TommyBoyIreland]

Thanks for all the replies. I am reassured it will come back down again. Pretty sure it has little/nothing to do with how much air I add to my suit - it felt like about the same I would be adding to my BCD (if I counted "squirts" )

 

[Doc Harry]

Took me about 25 dry suit dives to get really comfortable

 

[sabbe]

I've had six dives in my new drysuit (always wetsuit prior), including my training dives on the drysuit course, and my air consumption has gone up about 40%.

I think there are many factors, associated with the slight increased nervousness to learning new skills, coming to terms with bouyancy and fiddling around with my weighting.

In addition I have had difficulties with my regs at the same time - on the most recent dive there was a small leak from my primary second stage, that I managed to stop, but which would start again with every breath, so I switched to my alternate, which must have had a slightly offset diaphragm, leading me to take in water with every breath .... not dangerous, but not pleasant. It is now off getting serviced

So I guess I am just lookin for reassurance that my consumption will, with practice, confidence & functional regs, return to normal or am I destined to have to manage with higher consumption whenever I dive dry?

With comfort, trust in your equipment, and practice it will come down.

You're working with more air than you did with a wetsuit, so with any depth changes you may be making more buoyancy adjustments than you did in a wetsuit. I was hypervigilant not to get over-inflated and therefore correcting a lot for a long time as I'd heard some horror stories about runaway ascents.

One the plus side, your dives may be shorter but you can do more diving in weather you wouldn't want to do in a wetsuit. A larger steel tank can also help as the extra weight would be a bonus.

 

[BlueTrin]

I had the same experience than you OP.

Like everyone said, it took me a while to get comfortable and even then it is more in drysuit+cold water than in a wetsuit in warm water.

 

[Ben_3]

Check if your not dumping and adding air all the time from the suit. Some of my dry suit buddies dive with their dry suit valves open all the time and they use more air. I close it and open the valve only when I go up some.

 

[BlueTrin]

There are two main strategies with a drysuit:

- either dive with the valve fully open, then you just use the size of the undersuit to provide enough bulk to keep warm

- either close partially or more fully the valve and keep it well inflated to keep warmer

I won’t argue about the pros and cons of each one as it can be a hot topic

 

[Doc Harry]

There are two main strategies with a drysuit:

- either dive with the valve fully open, then you just use the size of the undersuit to provide enough bulk to keep warm

- either close partially or more fully the valve and keep it well inflated to keep warmer

I won’t argue about the pros and cons of each one as it can be a hot topic

I moved my value to a different location on my shoulder, so I could dive with the valve fully open. I could dump air from the suit only with a deliberate shoulder motion.

 

[vinsanity]

I moved my value to a different location on my shoulder, so I could dive with the valve fully open. I could dump air from the suit only with a deliberate shoulder motion.

I ordered a Seaskin with the valve in the DIR position and was taught to leave the valve open. I find that usually I have total control of when it vents, except I've when trying to dump the last of the air in my wing, and I roll to the right to allow air in the right side of my donut wing to travel to my left OPV valve to vent, apparently I can't help but accidentally dump air from my dry suit at the same time. Starting to annoy me, because I frequently have to add a little bit back into the suit.

 

[BlueTrin]

I ordered a Seaskin with the valve in the DIR position and was taught to leave the valve open. I find that usually I have total control of when it vents, except I've when trying to dump the last of the air in my wing, and I roll to the right to allow air in the right side of my donut wing to travel to my left OPV valve to vent, apparently I can't help but accidentally dump air from my dry suit at the same time. Starting to annoy me, because I frequently have to add a little bit back into the suit.

I tilt a bit head down when I raise the wing dump valve but I am not 100% sure that works since I can’t see myself

 

[RobPNW]

In theory, the total amount of air you use for buoyancy should not change much. It’s either in your suit or your BCD but it’s about the same amount. When you get used to not getting adjustment crazy in the thing and get back to controling your buoyancy at depth primarily with your breathing, you should be fine. This is assuming a leisurely dive. If not leisurely, the dry suit has more drag and will require more effort and therefore more air. I dove a 7mm wetsuit and a dry suit and after getting comfortable, there’s barely any difference.