Over weighted in a drysuit

[loosebits]

Here's the situation...

I just recently started diving dry. Right now, I have a slightly too large CLx 450 loaner while I wait for my custom fit CF200. Wearing TJ's softwear 300 wt, I needed 16 lbs to get down in FW (with some difficulty) but once I got down, I found I had to add air to my BC. I would burp the suit (is that the correct term?) before entering the water but once in the water, I still had quite a bit of air around the neck seal and I never could get all of it out the dump valve. Once I got down, the excess air would compress and I find myself overweighted. Since I am a new drysuit diver, I tend to tolerate a bit more squeeze than I am guessing a more expeirenced drysuit diver would (I haven't been adding any air until around 35').

Here come the questions...

I am tempted to break the neck seal once I am in the water to vent the excess air before descending, is this adviseable?

While the suit fits me well heighwise, it is too big in the horizontal directions (especially in the legs), will my custom fit suit be easier to manage with more air/less squeeze (I've been feeling the floating feet)?

How much do rock boots/turtle fins help (right now I'm diving with wetsuit boots/Mares Avanti fins as my LDS doesn't have any rock boots to fit my size 15 feet)?

Is the problem that I am actually underweighted but I just dive with too little air in the suit because of fear of floaty feet - in other words, dive with 18 lbs, don't burp the suit once in the water and just add more air to the suit while still above 30'?

One last question, at what depth do you other divers out there typically add air to the suit? Everyone always say that they just add air to relieve the squeeze but how much squeeze does it take to be squeezed?

Thanks!

 

[rmediver2002]

I am tempted to break the neck seal once I am in the water to vent the excess air before descending, is this adviseable?

You can, or a wrist. Be careful you don't hold it open to long and get a water temp. wake up call...

You really should not have any excess in there after burping through the neck while squating down on shore though...

While the suit fits me well heighwise, it is too big in the horizontal directions (especially in the legs), will my custom fit suit be easier to manage with more air/less squeeze (I've been feeling the floating feet)?

This may be some of the prblem with the excess air, I do not think you will have the same experience when you get your fitted suit... A suit the right size is going to be like going from a sweat pants to a Saturday Night Fever suit, really it will require much less adjustment and even that will become second nature after a few dives.

I have grabbed the wrong suit before and made the dive anyway wearing a suit that was to large, having excess material (legs to long) has to be one of the most frustrating things to deal with...

For the floating feet, if your suit does not have them get some velcro ankle straps to lock your foot in the boot. After some experimentation with trim some folks decide they like to wear ankle weights with the suits as well...

How much do rock boots/turtle fins help (right now I'm diving with wetsuit boots/Mares Avanti fins as my LDS doesn't have any rock boots to fit my size 15 feet)?

If your suit has soft soles then i would go with rock boots just for suit protection... Turtles are OK but for me a little to big, I like the SP Jet fins, I heard they are going to be making an even larger size soon? Turtles are usually a decent fit over rock boots though...

Is the problem that I am actually underweighted but I just dive with too little air in the suit because of fear of floaty feet - in other words, dive with 18 lbs, don't burp the suit once in the water and just add more air to the suit while still above 30'?

From your description it does not sound like it, experiment a bit...

One last question, at what depth do you other divers out there typically add air to the suit? Everyone always say that they just add air to relieve the squeeze but how much squeeze does it take to be squeezed?

Well I do not really monitor depth, I know it is a crummy sounding answer but it is kind of like clearing your ears... You add air when you feel the pressure... Depending on the type of suit material you have you can wait longer to add (stretch of the material) but no since at all in being uncomfortable.

I normally use vulkanized rubber suits and they do not tend to grab small folds of skin, they do sometimes get ahold of a good bit and you surface with some strange looking marks... (make sure your signifigant other knows your going diving!!)

You will get the hang of it I am sure, have fun!!

Jeff Lane

 

[loosebits]

I am burping the suit as you suggested before entering the water. Perhaps because of the poor fit, I am unable to get enough air out of the suit to descend without being overweighted or burping again when in the water.

As far as the depth question, you're right. The only people who would know the depth they add air at are probably new drysuit divers like myself. Sort of a catch 22, the only people who know the answer don't know the answer :banging:

 

[Wingtip]

Once you get into a suit that fits you'll definately see improvements. Go with the rockboots on that suit will help too, don't be afraid to try ankle weights if you're still floaty. I spent the first 12-15 dry dives shunning ankle weights cuz some a$$ called them "training wheels" but when I finally swallowed the pride and strapped on some 1lb per ankle weights I was MUCH more comfortably trimmed out. Turns out the loud mouth once wore weights that were WAY too heavy (2 1/2) and rototilled the place out until noone like to dive with him.

I add air between 35-40, deeper if I get too distracted but that's my real comfort level.

 

[Don Burke]

I keep the exhaust valve cranked all the way open on my drysuit, so not too much air is left once I get in the water. Sometimes I will let some air out of the neck seal and I have done an inadvertent temperature check a couple of times.

I'm still getting used to how much air should be in the suit. I try to keep it so I can feel the suit, but not so much the cold. Compressing the insulation too much defeats the purpose of wearing it.

My Bare came with gaiters to keep my legs tight and I wear turtle fins or Reeflex fins. I figured I'd wear ankle weights if I decided I needed them later on and never got to that point.

 

[String]

If you're descending vertically its worth remembering that any air above the dump valve will not vent as it always moves to the highest point.

I take it you've already done the "hold neck seal open, squat and squeeze and cross arms" to drain it?

You will have some air in the suit - that cant be avoided. Rather than break the seal under water and risk getting wet, do it on the surface pre-dive when floating just below neck height, more air will leave.

Also after you have started descending dont worry about the air - chances are you'll be adding more to reduce squeeze and/or adjust buoyancy shortly anyway so why waste it?

Obviously a suit being too big will result in more air inside it as theres more space.

 

[Arnaud]

There's a learning curve. I keep refining it. DB's advice about letting the valve open all the way is a good one.

3 questions:

Where is your exhaust valve located?
What kind of tank have you been using?
What kind of undies are you wearing with the DS?

 

[loosebits]

I'm wearing TJ's Softwear 300 wt diving with an LP 98. I'm 6'5", 215 lbs. As a point of reference, I dive with 2 lbs with the LP 98 in a full 3mm wetsuit.

I have been diving with the exhause valve in the fully open position.

 

[Arnaud]

loosebits once bubbled...
...I have been diving with the exhause valve in the fully open position...

On the surface, when vertical, you should be able to burp 99% of the air inside the suit. Obviously, you need to make sure that your BC does not keep half your body out of the water. Actually, the only body part out of the water should be your head. If you're in this position, you wouldn't want to play with your neck seal... Also make sure you flex your left arm and tilt slightly your body on the right when dumping air.

Regarding the amount of lead, you'll need to do a weight check at the end of your dive. It's a bit trickier with a DS because you have air in it. Make sure your BC is empty and the amount of air in your DS in minimal (just enough to prevent the squeeze).

After you have fine tuned your weight, you might find yourself a little light to descend on the next dive. This could be the result of the 1% air you weren't able to burp out on the surface (OK, maybe it's 2% )

Just make sure your BC is fully empty, your lungs are empty and that you keep your arm in a position where the air still can be dumped. This should be more than enough to dump the remaining air and help you sink.

 

[Arnaud]

I'm not sure you're overweighed w/ 16#... unless you have a 6# b/p on top of that.