Need a Little Help w/ Drysuit Trim

[ligersandtions]

My buddy who taught me to dive in the drysuit said, "A drysuit will reward you for being horizontal." It seems that if your feet are light, but the rest of you is feeling the squeeze, maybe you are a bit top heavy and you actually do have too much air in there, even though it feels like you're being squeezed.

I would agree with TSandM....get out there and dive with it, get as much feedback as you can, and I'l bet it will start to become more natural as you dive it more. I'm still in the process of getting it to become automatic, the way it is in a wetsuit, but it does get better with each dive. And it sure is nice to be dry and warm!

 

[alexxred]

I don't think he is complain about his feet filling with air. He says he feet are feeling light. And yes leg gaitors do work.

Ankle waits are not DIR, but I have met plenty of DIR divers who swear by leg gaitors.

 

[Web Monkey]

I don't think he is complain about his feet filling with air. He says he feet are feeling light. And yes leg gaitors do work.

Ankle waits are not DIR, but I have met plenty of DIR divers who swear by leg gaitors.

DIR or not, external compression for too much air in the legs (light legs) is unnecessary. If there's too much air, the solution is to have less air, not get things to squeeze it out. The suit will compress as much as necessary because of water pressure, once weighting and trim is adjusted.

Another possibility is that his feet aren't too light, but that his top is too heavy. In this case, adjusting the tank position should help.

Gaiters are the Bungied Wings of Death for legs (actually, they probably won't kill you, but they are unnecessary).

Terry

 

[mark99]

Sounds like if you have your weight correct, and you have your posture correct (you got a GUE-F tech pass after all), then likely moving the 8# to a weight belt will very likely correct (or overcorrect) your problem. In the unlikely event if after that you are still head-heavy you could even switch to an AL backplate and move another 2# to the belt.

However, before you spend a lot of time experimenting with the trim problem you might want to reconsider whether you want to continue tech diving with AL80's anyway. I followed a similar course as you (first doubles set with al80's and wetsuit)- but soon after getting a drysuit I switched over to steel and never looked back.

 

[TSandM]

For cave diving in Mexico, Al80's are the rule . . . And why would one want to do any other sort of tech diving?

 

[MonkSeal]

I'm confident I'm not overweighted.

I share your opinion on this. Whether moving weight to belt will help or not depends on actual position of V-weight. If it's positioned more like tail weight that moving to belt will not help. If you see that it's positioned higher that moving some weight to belt can help. Alu plate could help also.

BTW Gaitors work if your suit legs (is this a proper wording?) are too long; they maintain boots at proper position and prevent your feet from popping-out.

 

[mark99]

For cave diving in Mexico, Al80's are the rule . . . And why would one want to do any other sort of tech diving?

And they are very common in Thailand for open water deco diving. Maybe it was cost, maybe it was because we were wetsuit diving and had no backup inflation device. Certainly there's a big difference in gas capacity=dive run time in what can be achieved in AL80's vs higher capacity steel cylinders. My thought was that the OP should just consider his longer term tech goals and if they would include steel rather than AL, and maybe consider switching now.

 

[coldsmoke]

I have problems with my 80's as well. They get bottom floaty as they get empty. I hang pretty much motionless in my 100's but when I use the 80's I constantly fight being head heavy. I really have to arch my back and it's a constant "effort" to stay horizontal. I am sure more practice will help, but I like my 100's better so I don't dive the 80's much.

To fix it I took a weight pouch with 2# and strapped it to then bottom of the tanks. I don't think that is very DIR but if I actually dived the tanks more I think I would add a tail weight.

For what it's worth, I am 6'2, 185# and dive a TLS350 with a 6# plate and don't need to add any weight for my 80's with a standard cold water undergarment. (I only add the 2# for trim issues). If I am diving very cold water (below 45 degrees) and add some extra undies I will bump my added weight up to 4#. YMMV

Hunter

 

[gxsr_sarge]

You all have excellent points!

Web Monkey, you may have a point with the boots because they are one size larger than I need. I was given this advice. The rationale is to have extra room for the thermal booties for when I wear the 300 or 400 undergarment. I have the Turbo Soles with those velcro ankle straps. I was using the booties with ski-socks but really tightened up the ankle straps. Are those straps to stop air or to prevent the booties from moving?

Mark99, I do eventually want to move on to steel doubles but would like to master the AL's first. I do plan to eventually take GUE Cave 1 (prob in 2010) after Tech 1 next year. I will definitely have the steels by then.

MonkSeal, I have the V-weight oriented so that the heaviest portion is lower.

Overall, I think that my horizontal trim in spot-on (as told to me my the GUE/F instructor and seeing my own videos). Based on all of your valuable feedback, I will do the following:

1- I am going the cut the V-weight in half (as in 1/2 of the COG so I have two 4lb pieces. While it may be a little loose on the tank, I don't think that it will move much from its position. Then I will keep the lower one on and add 4lb to a weight belt or just strap it on my harness. Bad idea (to cut the V-weight in half)?

2- If the above doesn't work, I'll remove the other half of the V-weight and then add 4 more pounds to the belt. Either 1 or 2 will lower my COG.

3- If 1 or 2 above don't work, I'll go back to the full V-weight and then I'll try some gaitors (and then 1 and 2 in order). However, instead of buying them outright, I'll do something else like saran-warp my shins (I know it's ghetto but I just want to try it out before having the buy them!).

4- AND IF NONE OF THE ABOVE WORK.... I'll just wait until I see my instructor.... (which regardless of the above, I plan to do).

 

[gxsr_sarge]

I have problems with my 80's as well. They get bottom floaty as they get empty. I hang pretty much motionless in my 100's but when I use the 80's I constantly fight being head heavy. I really have to arch my back and it's a constant "effort" to stay horizontal. I am sure more practice will help, but I like my 100's better so I don't dive the 80's much.

To fix it I took a weight pouch with 2# and strapped it to then bottom of the tanks. I don't think that is very DIR but if I actually dived the tanks more I think I would add a tail weight.

For what it's worth, I am 6'2, 185# and dive a TLS350 with a 6# plate and don't need to add any weight for my 80's with a standard cold water undergarment. (I only add the 2# for trim issues). If I am diving very cold water (below 45 degrees) and add some extra undies I will bump my added weight up to 4#. YMMV

Hunter

Coldsmoke, that's encouraging and your fix is consistent with what I plan to do. I'm amazed that you don't have to add any more weight (other than 2#) w/ your DS! Given your size/weight ratio, you are obviously on the slim slide. I'm 5'11", 190#. However, since I did the buoyancy check at the end of my dive, I'm good w/ the additional 8#.