Left post problem

[limeyx]

OK, so I have another question - maybe the problem is that you have too much gas in the dry suit? At 15 ft I have almost none. So the problem of loosing air from dry suit (and loosing buoyancy as a result) doesn't really exist.

At what depth do you start adding air to dry suit?

Mania

I think Lynne acknowledges that there is too much gas in the suit, but w/out that she can't reach the posts in the first place.

 

[do it easy]

Based on the picture, I think you need to do some overhead strength excercises.

 

[mania]

Lynn why don't you try the trick do it easy, me and others do. adding air, streching (all done underwater) and getting rid of excessed air.
This really should help with the left post.

one more question - maybe the undergarment is too small? And my tip - when reaching for the left valve keep your elbow in front of you, not on the side.
OK, easy to say for me as I'm lefthanded

Mania

 

[rainman_02]

The picture really helps diagnosis, Lynne. I see two major things:

1) Your head is not pinned against the isolator. I notice this because it is the bane of my existence. I have to remind myself to keep my head up while diving and during the drills. But the more I concentrate on keeping my head up and back arched...the valve drill and/or shutdown (with airgun) is *much* easier.

2) You've likely got too much weight low. Your torso is angled up. I have also experienced this first hand.

These two things combine to allow your tanks to "settle" lower on your back, moving the valve farther from the easiest place to reach. The key to the valve drill is keeping the tanks where they're supposed to be. Fixing the two listed above was a long journey for me, but really helped. Also, Joe's patented "how much air to have in a drysuit" demo was priceless (for humor and help).

It goes like this. While near the bottom, empty your wing so you're negative and kneel (like the OW fin pivot) on the bottom. With your valve on your drysuit all the way open, add air until it vents freely from the suit. Shake the valve/your arm so that the suit vents and is at "ambient." Get a good feel for how much air is in the suit...this is the feeling you want at any depth during the dive...you want the suit neutral to the depth you're at and the air in your wing is there to compensate for the weight of air in your tanks.

 

[mania]

rainman you are right. I haven't noticed the fact that tanks are rather low thus valves are far away. One more thing I would check to what you already wrote is the tightness of the webbing. Lately I got my second plate back (I borrowed it). I was too lazy to correct the webbing and anyway it was used by my friend who is more less like me. And it turned out that I almost had to catch the tank because it was moving all over me......


Mania

 

[Colliam7]

Rick, that's kind of what I've been trying to sort out, whether there's a setting where I can avoid dumping too much gas, but still be able to dump if I lose buoyancy in the other direction and start up. Since we're doing these drills in 15 feet of water, there isn't a lot of leeway either way, which makes it more difficult.

I tend to agree with Rick. I usually shut my shoulder dump down all the way, or almost. I find it much easier to quickly reach up with my right hand and twist the dump open, if I need to lose gas to avoid an uncommanded ascent, than it is to try and manipulate my left post (which involves raising my left elbow to get my hand behind my head, thus allowing gas to move up in the left arm of the suit and be released if the dump is open). Perhaps, the root problem is a flaw in the intelligent design. The human shoulder is just not optimally engineeered for valve shutdown drills. Who wrote those specs, anyway?

 

[TSandM]

Okay. I went out with Bob and Richard tonight, and tried to implement the ideas here.

First off, spent time in the parking lot trying to work as much suit up to the top of me as possible. Didn't work very well.

Then, in the water, tried floating on the surface to do a drill, but there was so much air in the wing it got terribly in the way.

Descended and blew air in the suit and did the shimmy, trying to move everything up. First try at the drill was a fiasco. Left arm cramped horribly trying to do the Rick Inman thing and just force it.

Went diving for a while, worked on shifting as much suit up as possible. Did not try to overinflate the suit. Second try on the drill went a little better, but I still couldn't complete it.

A half hour later, I went through the whole drill. It wasn't easy, but I got it done.

I'll be darned if I know what changes that allows me to do this halfway through a dive but not at the beginning. This has happened before.

Well, it is what it is, and although I should have had this sorted before signing up for Rec Triox, I didn't. So I'll let Steve tell me if he has any ideas about what I can change.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Lift your left upper arm (humerus) forward and above your shoulder, roughly parallel with your mid-axillary line; flex your lower arm enough so your hand reaches the left post valve. Rather than attempting to grasp the knob and turn it using fingers, just roll the knob closed or open with your combined gloved palmar/extended digital surface area. . .

 

[Rick Inman]

Left arm cramped horribly trying to do the Rick Inman thing and just force it.

Glad I could help.

 

[rainman_02]

A half hour later, I went through the whole drill. It wasn't easy, but I got it done.

I'll be darned if I know what changes that allows me to do this halfway through a dive but not at the beginning. This has happened before.

My guess? One of two things, or both:

1) You've "settled in" on the dive...you're relaxed and comfortable.

2) You've had enough up and down (adding gas and venting gas from the suit) to have it nicely neutral.