Using a Dry Suit for the first Time ... Help

[ABlue]

Do you use weights on your ankles with a Dry suit?

I have used my dry suit only twice and I feel I have always too much air on my feet..... When doing the "Fin Pivot" exercise I can not keep the fins on the ground Do you know what I mean?

Do you think the ankle weights would solve this issue?

 

[Mako Mark]

Ankle weights can solve the issue, but I dive with a drysuit and dont use ankle weights or gaitors. You dont need them if you control your bouyancy properly.

I would do a couple of bouyancy control dives either in a pool of shallow lake/bay to practice if I WAS YOU. Drysuits take a bit of practice, so practice.

 

[Mo2vation]

Ankle weights can solve the issue, but I dive with a drysuit and dont use ankle weights or gaitors. You dont need them if you control your bouyancy properly.

I would do a couple of bouyancy control dives either in a pool of shallow lake/bay to practice if I WAS YOU. Drysuits take a bit of practice, so practice.

Practice is important. I've heard it said here, and from the shop I took my DS class from, that it takes about 10 - 15 dives to get to the point where you're feeling in control.

I never went the Ankle weight route - never got the logic of tying lead to my motor. I use Turtle fins - very neg, and I'm sure this helps. You may want to check your fins. If you're diving with the plastic fins that some find popular and pretty, they may be positive and not helping your cause.

It may take a bit (it may not...) but when you get your suit dialed in you're going to love it.

K

 

[RIOceanographer]

Ankle weights can solve the issue, but I dive with a drysuit and dont use ankle weights or gaitors. You dont need them if you control your bouyancy properly.

I would do a couple of bouyancy control dives either in a pool of shallow lake/bay to practice if I WAS YOU. Drysuits take a bit of practice, so practice.

I agree with Mark. But just to add one thing, having too much air in your suit can contribute problems like what you are describing. The more air you have in your suit, the more air that can go to your feet and the bigger your trim problem will be.

 

[ScubaSarus]

The more properly weighted you are in a drysuit the less you'll have to use air to compensate for any bouyancy offset. What I've done just to avoid too much air in my boots is to simply use a rubber knife band around my ankles. I wont recommend it though as its not taught in any diving literature. Another thing is to practice that tuck and roll that you practiced in drysuit class. I also hope your boots are not too large to allow excess air in them. The boots I used fit perfect and with thick homemade fleece socks there wasnt much room for air.

Just whish the zipper on this old Oneil aquaseal suit didn't break ending my drysuit usage. Now to buy another one.

Chris

 

[OE2X]

Some suits seem prone to needing ankle weights. My backup needs them, whereas my primary suit does not. I attribute this to the size of the boots on the backup. They are far to big on me, even with 3 socks and boot keepers. On my primary, I have rock boots and the legs are much more form fitting.

Practice with your suit is very important.

 

[Cal71]

It definately took me some time to get used to my drysuit--and I distinctly remember looking into ankle-weights or gators when I got out of the water those first couple times... That passed and hasn't been a problem since... For me, I think it was all about understanding how the air pocket moved around in my suit. And in particular, getting really comfortable with my dump valve so I had confidence in how I was controlling air in my suit...

The more control I got over the air in the suit, the more weight I was able to take off as well. Easier entries and exits, easier in the water, and no big bulge of air moving around in my suit... Then I focussed on keeping my trim in the water so that air stays at my shoulders, but doesn't go past my waist--I like to do the modified flutter with my knees bent to keep from silting. This keeps my feet up high, but with the proper angle in the water, the air doesn't get in my boots.

I don't dive with quite the same freedom of movement that I do in the tropics (ie, fewer spontaneous summersaults and head stands, and all that..)--but hey it's cold water diving!

 

[Rimp]

We were told during our AOW class that women usually require ankle weights more than men do because they tend to have less muscle mass. I don't know how true that is. I think the contributing factors are;

- how big your boots are. If you use rock boots that are sized correctly there won't be much space for air.
- gators help to keep air from the feet.
- don't use your drysuit as a BC. That PADI drysuit training is really dangerous in my opinion. In my class of 7, we had about 6 incidents of rapid ascents because people were trying to use the suit as a BC and were unable to vent fast enough to recover.
- Get some heavier flippers. This will help to keep the feet down. If that doesn't work, then consider ankle weights.

 

[MarkH]

Do you use weights on your ankles with a Dry suit?

I have used my dry suit only twice and I feel I have always too much air on my feet..... When doing the "Fin Pivot" exercise I can not keep the fins on the ground Do you know what I mean?

Do you think the ankle weights would solve this issue?

Ankle weights were invented for a reason. Go ahead, use them. They won't kill you. If a "hard core" diver sees you and comments that ankle weights are for kids, just smile and nod and have fun diving.

 

[Quarrior]

Here's another question. My biggest problem with the squeeze is around my legs. How do I get enough air in the suit to release the squeeze without making myself so bouyant or my feet bouyant I start heading for the surface or my feet floating in my boots?