Lift capacity of a drysuit

[sunkarm]

i do know that using drysuit 2 replace BCD is not a good thing to do.

But i was wondering if it was used to replace BC, what is the maximum lbs of lift it can provide.

thx in advance

 

[dannobee]

Well, if you inflate it like this, it'd probably be a LOT.

Picasa Web Albums - dannobee - Point Lobos W...

At some point, the air bubble becomes big enough that managing it becomes a pain.

 

[BeaverDiver1]

5lbs Max, if your weight is right, you won't need that anyways. I dive with out one, and love it, just avoid long surface swims in waves with no air and you will be fine.

 

[Gombessa]

If you use thick underwear, a drysuit will give you 25-35lb of lift; typically more than a thick wetsuit.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

If my understanding is correct, you want to know how much lift it could potentially provide if full.

That depends on the size of the suit and the amount of empty space in it. If you inflate it like the pillsbury doughboy, you could have 200 lbs of lift in a large suit. The problem is that when you get blown up that large, you can't reach te exhuast valve and even if you coudl it will not vent the gas as fast as it will expand on the way up.

In practical terms, adding much over 6-7 lbs more air than you need to be comfortable starts to get very difficult to control. That is why doubles and technical divers use the wing for any extra buoyancy that is required.

 

[moregooder]

if you were upside down even a small sute could give you near 150lbs of lift, if you use it the way the rest of the world dose you will blow out the neck seal around 12-15 lbs depending on how tite the neck seal is.

 

[TSandM]

Not to mention the fact that, if you overinflate the suit, it will begin to burp out of the seals, which renders you quite wet.