Shoe and fin came off when drysuit diving

[Samantha Barus]

Just wondering what the instructor thought of this? Clearly things are not right with too much as in the drysuit. Use enough air in the DS to keep you getting squeezed too much and use the Wing or BC to adjust buoyancy.

The instructor suggested practice, getting familiar with my gear (I am transitioning to a side mount rig so I have a new BCD as well as it being my first dive on the drysuit). He mentioned that it might be worth checking out getting the footies removed and have a better size attached. In terms of using the drysuit or BCD as the main buoyancy......it appears that everyone has opinions about the subject. He advised trying both ways and determining what works best and is most comfortable for me.

 

[Compressor]

Ok. Samantha Barus. I do think that using the drysuit as a BC is somewhat dangerous but that is my opinion.

 

[Jack Hammer]

Fin keepers may help a lot. Gaiters are for more useful for oversized calf areas, they may still help. As you get used to a drysuit you notice air in the legs and adjust long before it becomes problematic.

 

[Storker]

I'm told you can get hundreds of pounds of lift inverted in your dry suit

"hundreds of pounds"? How?

 

[KevinNM]

"hundreds of pounds"? How?

Basically you turn yourself into a big lift bag. After thinking I belive it was something like 150 pounds of lift that someone on the board said they measured in an inverted dry suit.

 

[Diver0001]

He advised trying both ways and determining what works best and is most comfortable for me.

This is exactly what I advise my students as well.

R..

 

[Patoux01]

Basically you turn yourself into a big lift bag. After thinking I belive it was something like 150 pounds of lift that someone on the board said they measured in an inverted dry suit.

With a body inside?

Because if it's empty, sure, it'd more be like 200 I guess (average french guy is 77kg = 170 lbs), because the drysuit is slightly larger than you (as you need to fit in with undergarment, and the human body has density around 1). With someone in it, I'd guess it's more in the 30-40 range.

 

[Storker]

Basically you turn yourself into a big lift bag. After thinking I belive it was something like 150 pounds of lift that someone on the board said they measured in an inverted dry suit.

There's no way I can get 70-75 liters of air into my drysuit unless I get out of it first. And close the zipper. And tie up the seals.

If you can get 70-75 liters of air into your DS without getting out if it, I'd recommend selling the DS and getting one with a somewhat better fit.

 

[Bubblesong]

The strong canvas shoes fitted snug with two straps are better than stretchy neoprene boots with one wimpy Velcro strap. We dove today and canvas typeboots held on while stretchy neoprene popped like champagne corks.

 

[spc751]

I know people who use their drysuit for buoyancy and only use their BC at the surface. This causes a bubble of air to shift in the drysuit to the highest point. If you get your feet in the highest point you risk having your fins and boots pop off. There is no need to add any more air to the suit than to create loft in the undergarment.

I have never that this problem when using the suit to control buoyancy. I have only had problems when using the bcd for buoyancy.