New dry suit diver w questions

[maremd50]

I have just gotten my dry suit (DUI w/ rock boots) and completed the class - only had 3 dives in it since.

First question - I'm wearing ankle weights because I was told it is a good idea, as it will help prevent any runaway upside-down ascents due to air trapping in my legs. My trim now sucks -- I also had to change fins and am now wearing a Dacor Black Tiger, which were given to me since my rock boots don't fit into my Oceanic fins. Anyone with experience with the Dacors -- are they less buoyant?? should I ditch the ankle weights?? I'd appreciate some input from those with experience. I should add that I just bought two steel tanks last night - I've been diving with Al80s and I think the steel will help me - they are shorter than what I've been using and I'm a small woman.

Next question - I put my hair into a french braid and getting into my suit for the first dive is OK. But with wet hair, getting out of it for the SI and then back into it is a nightmare. Any suggestions???? This really sucks.

Thanks for any ideas -

 

[DeNomad]

Don't think I'm experienced enough to advise on weighting yet, but if your hair gets caught you may want to consider a neoprene neck seal? They pull on hair less than the latex ones.

 

[Meng_Tze]

The trick is to stay horizontal and keep your legs from 'catching air'. If you put in just enough gas to take off the squeeze, there should be a small 'gas bubble' in the suit that you can manage easily. You could also try gators, they wrap around your lower leg and keep gas from getting into your feet and lower leg sections.

I can not help with the wet hair thing as I am bald....

 

[sschlesi]

If your feet are always hanging low dump the ankle weights for sure, they are not essential and only help those with floaty feet.

I Can't help on the hair side, I alternate between short hair and shaved bald.

 

[ACR]

I think gators are probably a better option than the weights especially if the weights are pulling your trim off.

I can't help much with the hair as I have not had this problem... often a little bit (or a lot) of unscented talk helps with getting in though. I've also heard of a few divers using a lubricant like KY to help get in an out of the seals. I haven't tried that option but it seems to work for them.

 

[diverrobs]

I use heavy fins (scubapro twin jets). This seams to deal with the floaty feet issue well, without making my feet too heavy. Also just taking off the squeeze with the dry suit and then using the BCD for bouyancy control will help as you will not have as big of an air bubble in the dry suit. Personally, I hate a big air bubble in the dry suit (my dry suit is neoprene so I am very bouyant) so I use the BCD for the additional bouyancy control. I practice getting the air bubble in my feet and then doing a roll to get the air out of my feet so I am confident I won't have a runaway. I do not think a run away ascent is really a huge issue if you practice how to avoid it and correct it.

Oh, and go for the steel tanks. It means you can carry much less wieght. When I did the caculations, I was 5lbs lighter with my HP100 tank than with an Al80.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

First question - I'm wearing ankle weights because I was told it is a good idea, as it will help prevent any runaway upside-down ascents due to air trapping in my legs. My trim now sucks -- Next question - I put my hair into a french braid and getting into my suit for the first dive is OK. But with wet hair, getting out of it for the SI and then back into it is a nightmare. Any suggestions???? This really sucks.

Thanks for any ideas -

Feel free to remove the ankle weights and see if that changes your trim. They are not something you HAVE to wear. Proper body position, a suit that fits well and an understanding of the mechanics of the bubble in the suit can be used instead of ankle weights. I dove with ankle weights for quite a while, my suit was too big and I had some runaway ascents wearing the ankle weights. I switched to a harness instead of a weightbelt and that helped a lot with the air trapping in the "too big" suit. I bought a new suit that fit and was able to ditch the ankle weights completely...I now use them as tank weights for my OW students to help them find their trim.

My hair is only shoulder length so I don't have the issue you're having. When I did a drysuit experience for a girl with long hair we put her hair through the neck seal first and held it while she pulled the seal over her head. To remove the suit we had her pull the seal up over her chin and push her face through while we guided her hair through the opening. Our group is pretty hand's on during the suit don/doff stages, not everyone is comfortable with doing that.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[drl]

If you are foot-heavy, then you don't need the ankle weights. They can be useful for the floaty-footed but if your feet are sinking, ditch them (don't forget to add the weight on your belt or trim pockets... it may seem obvious but it's easy to forget).
As for the hair... I hear you. I finally cut mine short, but when it was long I wore it french-braided for diving. For "peeling" during the SI, try grabbing the neck seal from the sides, down as far as you can reach, then pulling out to the side, while turning your head to one side as you ease it off. Ber makes a good point too; ease the seal over your face first, then over the rest of your head. It's less likely to tangle that way. I never found a way that reliably didn't mess up my hair, but this sometimes worked. The worst was when, as I put the neck seal on, it caught the hair elastic and pulled it off as I tugged the braid out of the seal. Then it was hair all over the place (and caught in the seal, of course). And a boat full of guys laughing.

 

[lowviz]

..........But with wet hair, getting out of it for the SI and then back into it is a nightmare. Any suggestions???? .........

Neck seals can either be neoprene or latex. Probably thin latex, definitely latex if you have zip seals. 50/50 biodegradable hypoallergenic hand lotion and water in a small squirt bottle will help a lot with wet hair. If you have latex seals, hook your index fingers (or try two fingers) in the neckseal with one hand positioned over each shoulder. Give about four increasingly strong stretches to warm up the latex, then on the last stretch turn your head so that your chin is resting on a finger(s) and try pulling your head through. If you have a thick neoprene foam neckseal, you may need assistance no matter what you try. You probably don't have this sort of seal unless it was custom -really warm, but puts up quite a fight.

Good luck with it.