Just switched to drysuit & air consumption has gone up

[TommyBoyIreland]

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?

 

[clownfishsydney]

This is not unusual. Hopefully you will get more relaxed and air consumption will improve. However, generally people use more air in a drysuit (well at temperatures 15 to 20C) than when using a wetsuit. This is because wetsuits are generally more streamlined than drysuits and you are not adding air/dumping air as much.

 

[happy-diver]

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

Luck of the Irish, this is how they are supposed to work mate!

Sometimes I leave my unnusually positioned upper arm dump valve too open and bubble all over the ocean




Thank you The ScubaBoard People

 

[Rukkian]

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?

A drysuit will normally be a bit more consumption, but it should be minor. They are not as streamlined (although custom fit can help that alot), and you are using a miniscule amount of air to fill them. If you are constantly adding, then you have other issues. 40% sounds like the leak and nerves. It should like 5% from my experience

 

[Raphus]

My consumption goes up from 9l/min diving wet, to 14l/min diving dry. But i also use D12 diving dry and mono12 for wet diving.

So i have way more water resistance.
I am equally relaxed diving dry and wet. So its actually just the water resistance.

Do a few dives and it will improve.

 

[loosenit2]

it will come back down, your just using extra gas for buoyancy, probably inflating and venting...as you get more comfortable it will normalize.

 

[ATJ]

When I first started diving dry my air consumption went up initially. As I became more comfortable it went back down. Now it is quite a bit less than if I dive wet.

Being warm (or at least not being cold) allows me to be more relaxed. I do long dives (usually around 2 hours or more) and in a wetsuit I am shivering by the end.

 

[tdmp]

I switch back and forth between a drysuit and a wetsuit often and can tell you that I definitely use more air when diving dry. Like others said, making sure the suit fits properly is key as an overly-large and baggy suit will add significantly more drag than a streamlined suit. I also add just enough air to keep the suit from constricting too much but you make a tradeoff with losing some warmth. If the air consumption is still an issue with your drysuit then just get a scooter........

 

[inquis]

A drysuit does have more bulk, but your trim may be better... eventually. (You have the flexibility to move air within the suit to adjust trim.)

At first, though? My SAC rate in a drysuit was almost 50% higher than in a wetsuit for the first 30 dives or so. It does come down though. I was amazed to see my SAC rate on my most recent dive in a drysuit -- in doubles no less, so even more bulk -- beat my typical 3mm wetsuit & single tank rate. I feel I should probably take a trip to Mexico to re-evaluate that, though.

 

[Wibble]

Weighting?

Obviously there's more buoyancy in the suit before you sink. You may have added additional weight to counteract this. More weight needs to be counteracted by more air in the drysuit/BCD, especially if changing depths and more so if doing shallower dives.