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

[Rimp]

Just get used to the squeeze. It's better than floating off into the sunset..

Whenever you have your legs down your going to get squeezed anyway, and there is no way to get air down there while upright (obviously).

 

[moon]

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.

I use them, course I'd be using them with a regular wetsuit as well. My ankles have a tendancy to float. So far so good. I don't have any strange or weird issues and no one has said anything about them (yes, I use them with my drysuit.. ).

 

[CALI68]

All great answers. Just to add a bit, I use The Halcyon Gators and Jets. The gators are cool becuase they taper the legs and restrict the air flow. They look cool too. The Jets are neg. so they keep the counter balance in check. Don't fear the squeeze. If the suit is nice and snug you're gonne be more stream line too. You will get used to it and mostly likely come to love it. I think that when you have too much air in the suit you're just asking for trouble. Others will disagree.

 

[Warren_L]

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?

If possible, I would also have someone who knows what he/she is doing to help you out in getting familiarized with your suit, weighting, and how to use your suit. It does take a number of dives to get comfortable. If you find that you need ankle weights, use them. You may find that as you get more proficient controlling the air in your suit, you may not need them anymore.

 

[babar]

I started diving dry this year, and had a fair amount of trouble getting my trim and bouyancy right. Certainly does take a good bit of practice, which I did, and am better now. The other thing I did was switch fins, I was using force fins which are slightly positive, and switched to jets which are pretty negative. It did amazing things to my trim.

Babar

 

[vetdiver]

I got my drysuit certification last fall after years of warmer water/wetsuit diving ...and I distinctly remember feeling "out of control" with my feet during my first dives. I felt like a complete moron. I have since completed 40 or so dives in my drysuit, and it has really become much more comfortable and natural - I love drysuit diving now. I do use ankle weights and take them into consideration with my overall weighting (hey, I figure it's easier on my back than carrying another 1 1/2 -2 lbs in my bc) - but in all honesty, I probably don't need them anymore. I also think that using rock boots makes a difference - not as much air can get to my feet.

Practice will really help over time!

 

[Poogweese]

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?

I usually use ankle weights for my first 15-20 dives with a new suit, once I start getting a "feel" for the suit, I leave them behind. Don't wanna sound like a parrot, but practice is the key. I seem to remember using ankle weights the most when I had a Harveys Aquacapsule suit-LOTS of neoprene in that baby! Anyway, enjoy diving dry!

Poog

 

[Soggy]

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?

If your legs and feet are getting squeezed, then you are diving way out of trim. The solution is to dive in trim, and then you'll find that you have the opposite problem...air gets trapped in your legs...but you just learn to keep less air in your suit, thus solving both problems.

 

[ABlue]

Thanks for all the answers.
Well I have been practising in a pool and next weekend will do my first dry-suit sea dive...
I think that my boots are too big, though they are the smallest possible.... Perhaps that is why I have always got air on my feet even when my body is squeezed....
In this case should I first try gaitors or ankle weights?

I believe that in the future I won't need nothing of this but now I would like to feel I can keep my feet down. Perhaps I am not using the best fins .... I use a pair of Mares Volo regular, with my wetsuit I usede Mares Avanti 4 Small.....

 

[IaDiverJ&L]

I've had the same problem with my bare drysuit and the 200 undies. Feet floating. I know everything is still new, and I do need more experance. I did fine with the Dui and the lightweight fleace undies durning the classes. Any way, I just put a 2 pound weight in each of the undies front leg pockets, = 4 total. That was just about 4 inches above my knees. And that solved the floaty feet problem. I think by putting ankles weights on, will make you work harder finning. Also I have a total of 38 pounds of lead. Just to get me to sink! Would love to lose more of the lead. But winter (and ice) came to soon for me to experment more.