I took my drysuit cert. course last year through PADI, and I was taught to use only the drysuit for buoyancy. My instructor did give a bit of latitude when discussing the rule and admitted that, other than excessive task loading, there isn't much of a reason to maintain buoyancy with a drysuit. He also taught me to keep the arm valve completely clockwise, like Pug and others suggest.
After using my suit for the past year, I'm leaning toward the concept of solely adding air to the suit to alleviate the squeeze, and using the BC for bouyancy.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but when you're making an ascent, you're supposed to raise your BC hose in your left hand and vent all air to control your ascent whether you're using a drysuit or not. If you do that, and also adhere to what PADI taught me about keeping your drysuit arm-valve open, then, that valve should be automatically dumping any air in the suit as well, just through the act of raising your arm, right?
If that's true, then using your BC for buoyancy makes perfectly good sense, and doesn't necessarily promote uncontrolled ascents, especially since there isn't that much air in your suit to vent anyway. :boom:
Just my two cents.
Originally posted by doll_fins
I took a drysuit certification course (new diver so I thought that would be best!) and they told me to absolutely NOT use the drysuit for bouyancy!
Like UP said, I was taught that you add enough air to the suit to take off the squeeze, but all bouyancy control comes from the BC (and as a new diver I am still adjusting fairly frequently!). I don't think it is difficult to manage both since I don't really do much with the drysuit other than release air as I ascend.
I also heard that using the drysuit for bouyancy wears the seals out faster.
ut:
