Rescue in a drysuit?

[ChrisA]

Its still positive. The amount of being positive would depend on the underwear. Water itself is neutral. OTOH...Getting out of the water would be a lot tougher.

I did have my suit flood once. Flooded big time. I stayed in the water near the exit point for a while just to see what would happen. After 20 minutes it was very cold with all that 54F water inside. Then I tried to get out. When standing the water was up to my waist and must have added 30 pounds. It was hard to walk. I had to lay down feet up in the air and pop the neck seal.

Yes NOW it makes sense that if there is any air in the suit it would be positive but when I was on the beach lastt night, a little light when on that said "Now is not the time to try out something you have not thought through completely".

 

[JeffG]

I did have my suit flood once. Flooded big time. I stayed in the water near the exit point for a while just to see what would happen. After 20 minutes it was very cold with all that 54F water inside. Then I tried to get out. When standing the water was up to my waist and must have added 30 pounds. It was hard to walk. I had to lay down feet up in the air and pop the neck seal.

Yes NOW it makes sense that if there is any air in the suit it would be positive but when I was on the beach lastt night, a little light when on that said "Now is not the time to try out something you have not thought through completely".

Whatever

 

[RonFrank]

It will be positive unless it is leaking. It's rather easy to determine if it's leaking (other than a very small leak, that would not matter), and if you have even one dry dive, that should be obvious.

If you are Rescue certified you then know that if you are planning a rescue you don't just run into the water with just exposure protection. A floatation device is generally considered mandatory, as well as basic personal gear. As this was equipment, I'm not sure if this would be considered a rescue, but as it was gear it would seem that taking a couple minutes to throw on a BC is not a bad idea. As you were obviously shore diving I would assume a dive flag (another potential form of floatation) should have been available.

Personally I don't think getting into the water in a drysuit is a great idea without at least a BC, certainly not to go after gear. So IMO your instinct was correct.

 

[JeffG]

It will be positive unless it is leaking. It's rather easy to determine if it's leaking, and if you have even one dry dive, that should be obvious.

BS...Its still positive even if it leaks. There is a difference between the weight getting out of the water and its buoyancy in the water.

 

[renpirate]

Chirs,
It's is always good to follow your instincts. You probably would have been fine. It only gets difficult if the suit is totally flooded. As long as air remains in the dry suit it will be positive.

I have personally flooded my suit (DUI CLX450 trilam suit with polartec 300 fleece) at the bottom of the deep end of the pool and practiced ascents. It is much more difficult. Note: if you try this, have someone standing by to rescue you just in case.

 

[gcbryan]

It's positive if not flooded and if flooded it's neutral or whatever your body is when you go swimming. Water itself is neutral of course.

I had a buddy drop her Light Cannon in 6 feet of water once. I went back in with only my drysuit and I couldn't get it even though I could see it. I eventually got it only buy using my feet. A drysuit is quite positive.

 

[SparticleBrane]

If you are Rescue certified you then know that if you are planning a rescue you don't just run into the water with just exposure protection. A floatation device is generally considered mandatory, as well as basic personal gear.

Not true. One of the best ways to conduct an in water rescue is to send people out in skin diving equipment (wetsuit, mask, fins, snorkel) to mark the location where the diver might have gone down as best as possible. ie, "taking a fix" on the location.
BTW, there's no "planning a rescue"--things have a nasty habit of not going to plan. You can have it set up so that every person has a different job (skin diving, scuba, taking a fix, CPR/AED/O2 administration, calling 911, etc), but every rescue will be different depending on the circumstances.

 

[ArcticDiver]

...Yes NOW it makes sense that if there is any air in the suit it would be positive but when I was on the beach lastt night, a little light when on that said "Now is not the time to try out something you have not thought through completely".

Excellent thinking and an Excellent decision. It seems you have great instincts and the intelligence to follow them.

Too many people become victims themselves because they don't think this clearly. Performing a rescue is no time for thoughtless heroics.

It also points out why it is important to think about and practice rescue scenarios to be ready to make the correct decision and to act on it.

 

[RonFrank]

Not true. One of the best ways to conduct an in water rescue is to send people out in skin diving equipment (wetsuit, mask, fins, snorkel) to mark the location where the diver might have gone down as best as possible. ie, "taking a fix" on the location.
BTW, there's no "planning a rescue"--things have a nasty habit of not going to plan. You can have it set up so that every person has a different job (skin diving, scuba, taking a fix, CPR/AED/O2 administration, calling 911, etc), but every rescue will be different depending on the circumstances.

So are you suggesting that if you had an individual in the water in need of rescue, that you should just jump in WITHOUT a floatation device, or fins and mask?

That is certainly NOT what I was taught.

There is a finate set of circumstances, and basic decisions to be made based on each type of problem. In this case the diver was rescuing equipment, from the shore, so not really a rescue. But say it was an individual. THAT is your scenerio, now tell me I am incorrect in suggesting you should get a floatation device, and fins together before swimming out?

Even Bay Watch Babes carry a floatation device when getting in the water to rescue, so in this case TV land got something right!

You don't bother to list your dive training, but you describe a solution for a LOST diver, which is only one scenerio, and does not really fit the description of what the original poster described.

 

[RonFrank]

BS...Its still positive even if it leaks. There is a difference between the weight getting out of the water and its buoyancy in the water.

Well I think it's going to be difficult to say this with total confidence as there are many different types of drysuits, and many different body types as well, but you are likely right that one would be postivie even in a flooded drysuit.

I certainly would NOT get into the water to perform a rescue if my drysuit was leaking in any major way, so is that better? I don't plan on flooding my Drysuit and soaking my thermal protection to determine if I am positive or not!