New to Dry Suit diving

[Gbams28]

Hi there,

I recently started diving with a dry suit, after 18 months in a wet suit.

However, I have one major problem. My suit has both the internal seals and fitted gloves. I wish to keep the internal seals, as a safety feature, but I find that the air does not circulate to the hands and as a consequence they become rather cold when I am below 10M's.

Does anybody have any recommendations for alowing the air to circulate whilst keeping the internal seals intact?

Thanks in advance,

RT

 

[hecker-the-wrecker]

dry gloves my friend, are the best answer!! I had a dry ring/glove combo installed on my suit, it's the only way to go!!

 

[dbeedle]

Hi there,

I recently started diving with a dry suit, after 18 months in a wet suit.

However, I have one major problem. My suit has both the internal seals and fitted gloves. I wish to keep the internal seals, as a safety feature, but I find that the air does not circulate to the hands and as a consequence they become rather cold when I am below 10M's.

Does anybody have any recommendations for alowing the air to circulate whilst keeping the internal seals intact?

Thanks in advance,

RT

I use small tubing. Auto vacuum tubing or a more rigid surgical tubing works well. The diameter and length of the tubing will impact how quickly air moves to the gloves. and you might need some experimentation. You don't want it to go too fast. Two or three inches and (I'm guessing) slightly larger than an 1/8" inner diameter seems to work for me. Getting air to the glove means raising your hand over your head so it can flow there and be sure to keep your hand like a claw to hold the glove on. They can pop off with this method. Should you have a glove leak or have a glove pop off the tube can be pushed back under the seal though some chilly water will shoot up your arm! I have rolled a glove off the ring in about 45 degree water. A number of us use this method in these parts and tend to look like apes hanging on our safety stops!

This assumes you are using dry gloves of some sort. You dependently want to keep the inner seals in tact. If you were to loose a glove with no seal it would be "bad".

 

[Gbams28]

Thanks for the tip, I have a couple of dives this weekend and found the ideas useful.

 

[AlaskaDiver]

I've seen folks here put those small coffee stirrer straws with 1/2 in the hand and 1/2 up the arm. It may be worth a try.

 

[DavidG]

I hate those tubes! they cut into my wrist and usually end up twisted (when I do remember to use them). No, what I've taken to doing is taking my undergarment and holding the cuff material while inserting my arm. This way I get the fabric to negate the DS seal at the wrist. As an added bonus, it takes bit longer for the air to flow back into the suit.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I'll second the surgical tube solution.

I use a 3/8" OD surgical tubing when I dive with dry gloves and it allows ample air into the glove. It is also soft enough to still be comfortable and more importantly large enough to feel through the suit material so that it can be pulled back inside the seal in the event you tear and flood a glove.

I have also seen divers don their cloth inner gloves and then don the suit so that the fabric of the inner glove extends under the seal providing a means for air to circulate into the glove. The downside is that you virtually have to remove the outer glove to pull the inner glove out of the seal to stop water from leaking into the suit. By that time you are already soaked and your now exposed hand is much colder than if the gloves could have been left in place. Wet wool and rubber with a little water exchange insulate much better than no wool, no rubber and infinite water exchange.

 

[String]

Im not 100% sure why this got into underwater photography!

 

[jagfish]

Im not 100% sure why this got into underwater photography!

So right...moved....

 

[Rick Inman]

Hi there,

I recently started diving with a dry suit, after 18 months in a wet suit.

However, I have one major problem. My suit has both the internal seals and fitted gloves. I wish to keep the internal seals, as a safety feature, but I find that the air does not circulate to the hands and as a consequence they become rather cold when I am below 10M's.

Does anybody have any recommendations for allowing the air to circulate whilst keeping the internal seals intact?

Thanks in advance,

RT

Hi Gbams28, and welcome to the Board.
I am not trying to give you a hard time here, but the question you ask is basic enough that I thought I might come from a different angle. Dry suit diving is not that difficult, but it does have it's unique challenges. If you're new to dry suit diving, I would suggest that you find a mentor to help you get it all dialed in. A mentor, or a basic dry suit class would instruct you in how to bleed air into your dry gloves before you ever hit the water.
That said, I just pull the the underware thumb loops through the seals to bleed air into the gloves. However, that does bring with it the possible issues DA Aquamaster mentioned.
Have fun!