Need a Little Help w/ Drysuit Trim

[Doc Intrepid]

I recommend you do not cut your V-weight in half. It is not necessary.

Remember that a lot of balance issues (bouyancy and trim) become more pronounced if the diver isn't entirely relaxed. (...in class...you're doing fine....suddenly some 'failure' occurs...you respond...and all of a sudden your bouyancy and trim goes to hell. What changed was the fact that you tightened up, got anxious, your breathing changed, etc.) The goal is to respond to the issues while holding bouyancy and trim, and part of that is not allowing anxiety and other physiological responses to mess with your bouyancy and trim.

The solution now is the same as the solution then. Whats going on is in your body and in your head - cutting your v-weight in half is not the path.

Relax. Get your posture correct. Arch your back more. Head up, arms out front. Get positioned properly and get your zen on. Control of your breathing, slow and steady, while responding under stress is paramount.

You don't need ankle weights or gaiters or surgery on your V-weight, and you most likely don't need anything else either except about 50-60 dives on your drysuit while working with your breathing, your posture, and your head. And working with other DIR divers on these things helps immeasurably, because they can tell you exactly whats going on with you underwater afterwards. Having a buddy with a videocamera record you while diving wouldn't hurt either.

At the risk of sounding pedantic, don't look for equipment solutions right now. Work with what you have - it doesn't come overnight. At least, it didn't come overnight for anyone I dive with.

Best to you. Its a journey not a destination. Take it easy,

Doc

 

[tedwhiteva]

What Doc said is right on - give it time. Also,wrt "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. " Suggest wearing havy socks to fill up the boot as uch as possible all the time. Won't necessairly help the air in feet issue, but will avoid pinches in the feet. Feet are usually an overheat problem - smell yes, heat no.

 

[Jasonmh]

I wouldn't cut the V weight in half, but you could try something like this:

https://www.deepseasupply.com/index.php?product=10

The tail weight goes on the bottom bolt, between the wing and plate. You can get a 4 or 5 pound soft weight in there and remove your V weight, just to see if that works better for you.

Also, if your feet are ballooning, you can try some Trident Fin Keepers. They don't keep all air from getting to your feet, but they help reduce the amount of "ballooning", esp. if you have large DS feet. My DS turbosoles are sized for wearing like 400g booties, which is massive overkill for the diving I do.

Those are 2 inexpensive things you could try without having to cut anything. Of course, as others have pointed out, practice will almost certainly help. DS diving takes some time to get used to.

 

[gxsr_sarge]

"surgery on your V-weight"

Again, thanks to all. I'll take your advice and just dive (and, of course, have fun!). If I can't get it sorted out in the next dozen or so dives, I'll start shifting some weight around - not necessarily adding equipment but tweaking what I have. My GUE instructor can't head out until the end of January so I'm on my own until then (and impatient!).

Jasonmh, thank you for the Deepseasupply pouch recommendation. When I use a 3/5 hooded vest w/ my 3 mil wetsuit, I wedge a soft 3# weight under the lower band in between the plate and the tanks to compensate for the additional buoyancy of the hooded vest, plus the fact that the additional buoyancy is now in the upper part of the body. This also has a good stabilizing effect. If I get to that point, I think that by using the pouch with weights, the weight will still be too high - as opposed to lowering it more around the waist by placing the weights on a separate weight belt or the harness. It's nice to know that that pouch exists. I wonder what the GUE folks have to say about it?

 

[TSandM]

I second the recommendation for finkeepers. They won't solve floaty feet, but they will make it far less likely that you will kick out of your boots and fins if you get too much air in the feet. Adding layers of socks can make it MORE likely, as they can slide with respect to one another. Trust me, I know. (Being feet up and suddenly without fins is about as helpless as I've ever felt in the water.)

 

[b1gcountry]

Another +1 for just going out and practicing. It took me quite a while to find my balance in a drysuit.

Tom

 

[Jasonmh]

... If I get to that point, I think that by using the pouch with weights, the weight will still be too high - as opposed to lowering it more around the waist by placing the weights on a separate weight belt or the harness. ?

That could be. It is hard to tell without seeing it, but the weight in the pouch ends up just below the bottom edge of the backplate. So it would end up actually alittle below the harness, and close to the location of a weightbelt. Not trying to push it on you, just wanted to let you know that it exists.

... It's nice to know that that pouch exists. I wonder what the GUE folks have to say about it?

I don't know, but it is just another form of V weight or channel weight. My instructor used a tail weight during fundies as well. As others have pointed out, the al80's tend to get light at the bottom toward the end of the dive, I find that a couple pounds in the tail weight helps.

 

[rjack321]

gxsr, what doubles did you use for your fundies tech pass? Same tanks + plate just in a wetsuit? If that's the case, you might consider practicing with the new drysuit in an easier to balance single tank for a couple dives. Really shift the suit bubble around and get a feel for squeeze and where on your body its happening. Then put the doubles back on and repeat with the additional gear.

I know a lot of people who bought gaitors but ditched them after ~10 dives. I did.

 

[gxsr_sarge]

rjack321, I used a 3 mil wetsuit w/ a 3/5 hooded vest. I used twin Al80's w/ a 6# bp. I'll give it a bunch more dives in doubles and then may try to your idea if all else fails.

Based on your and everyone else's' feedback I pretty much ditched the gaitor idea.

 

[Doc Harry]

At 20 feet you really should not have much air in your dry suit. I don't start adding air to my dry suit until I am descending past 20 feet. I keep a "20 foot squeeze" on at all times.

Gaiters don't prevent air from going to your feet, they just trap air in your feet. Don't waste your money on gaiters.