Whites Nexus Shoulder Dump

[dr_shappero]

I recently bought a Whites Nexus drysuit and on my first dive had a bit of trouble dumping air. I was wondering if anyone else with this suit has had problems venting from the shoulder dump that is positioned slightly forward preventing the standard elbow-up dump position from working. I heard that it was put forward to make the position required to dump air from the suit the same as to dump air from a BC. Seems to me like a forearm valve would work much better. Any opinions, suggestions would be appriciated. Also, does anyone know about how much it would cost to have the valve moved from the shoulder to the forearm if I decide to go that route. Thanks all!

 

[eponym]

I also have the Nexus with shoulder dump. Got it about fourteen months ago, and have put in about fifty hours on it. When I started using it I would find myself pumping my arm to vent air--usually from waiting too long to start venting. I wondered whether the valve placement was dictated by the presence of the shoulder seam, and whether it was in fact a sub-optimal location.

Nowadays it's much easier for me. I carry a lot less weight and put in a lot less air, so there's less to vent*. I usually dive with the valve almost fully open, dialed back in a turn or so. I ascend in horizontal posture, and when I start feeling light I just roll to put my left side up a bit. That puts the valve at the top so it burps. Then I roll back and continue. The hours of practice in the suit were important, too, to improve my monitoring of my own buoyancy--it's a bear when you start venting too late (you've already started up and are accelerating).

-Bryan

* I put in a couple of lake dives last summer just to work on drysuit weighting, and it paid off handsomely. I reduced weight (wearing a nearly-empty tank) until I needed quiet fins, a complete exhale, and some serious suit squeeze to start under from the surface.

 

[kalekainxx]

I recently bought a Whites Nexus drysuit and on my first dive had a bit of trouble dumping air. I was wondering if anyone else with this suit has had problems venting from the shoulder dump that is positioned slightly forward preventing the standard elbow-up dump position from working. I heard that it was put forward to make the position required to dump air from the suit the same as to dump air from a BC. Seems to me like a forearm valve would work much better. Any opinions, suggestions would be appriciated. Also, does anyone know about how much it would cost to have the valve moved from the shoulder to the forearm if I decide to go that route. Thanks all!

You can dump air by raising your arm over your head, or roll your shoulder up with ur arm up. I requested mine to be placed on the forearm, i believe it was $100 more.

 

[USIA]

White's uses the same valves USIA does. The main reason many manufacturer's place the dump valve on the Shoulder is that is is the one place on a drysuit that doesn't take a tremendous amount of abuse. We also have people request to put the valve on the forearem or the wrist area. It's not usually a problem, but I have seen a lot of suits come back in with damaged Exhaust Valves in that area. It is easier to vent, but you also tend to whack the valve evertime you get in or out of a boat, and they also seem to get more crap stuck in them from being on the wrist and getting so close to the ground. The nice part about Si Tech valves is that they can be removed from the suit. Before you send it back to Whites to be moved, I would suggest removing the valve, soaking it in hot water with Ivory soap, and then taking an air tank and blow out the valve. Seaweed and sand do wonders for all valves.

 

[PaulChristenson]

Seaweed and sand do wonders for all valves.

So now how and when do we add the sand and seaweed???

Paul in VT

 

[kazinvan]

I went from a Sisoft neoprene drysuit with the dump on the forearm to a White's bag suit with the dump on the shoulder. I had problems on the first two dives as I didn't seem to be able to dump air fast enough. Now, I seem to have the hang of it, I just bend my arm at the elbow and move it out while rolling to the right (left side up). This seems to work well and I haven't had any issues since. It's just a different motion, I have no issues with it now.

 

[eponym]

So now how and when do we add the sand and seaweed???

Well, there's that shovel that hangs off the HP hose . . .

 

[Rick Inman]

Yeah, due to the zipper placement, it is absolutely set too far forward. The front entry suits don't have this problem. I'm thinking about moving mine to the forearm as well.
Check out this thread for more opinions: http://www.scubaboard.com/t86547-.html

 

[Daryl Morse]

I recently bought a Whites Nexus drysuit and on my first dive had a bit of trouble dumping air. I was wondering if anyone else with this suit has had problems venting from the shoulder dump that is positioned slightly forward preventing the standard elbow-up dump position from working. I heard that it was put forward to make the position required to dump air from the suit the same as to dump air from a BC. Seems to me like a forearm valve would work much better. Any opinions, suggestions would be appriciated. Also, does anyone know about how much it would cost to have the valve moved from the shoulder to the forearm if I decide to go that route. Thanks all!

I dive in a rental Nexus. The suit is new and in excellent condition. I dive with the valve fully open.

I really dislike the way the shoulder dump works. (I'm trying very hard to be polite here.) When I first dived with this suit, I was so frustrated with the dump valve that I spent an afternoon in a pool trying to figure it out the way it worked. What I found is that the only way it will dump on its own is for it to be facing upwards (i.e., you have to roll on your back). I dislike doing that so I the routine I developed is to hold my left arm up, wiggle around to get the excess air to rise in the suit then manually dump doing a bicep curl. What a PITA!

IMHO, the biggest problem with valve on the Nexus is that it's positioned way too far forward due to the design of the suit and the location of the zipper.

When I purchase my own drysuit, it will have a cuff dump.

 

[Daryl Morse]

White's uses the same valves USIA does. The main reason many manufacturer's place the dump valve on the Shoulder is that is is the one place on a drysuit that doesn't take a tremendous amount of abuse. We also have people request to put the valve on the forearem or the wrist area. It's not usually a problem, but I have seen a lot of suits come back in with damaged Exhaust Valves in that area. It is easier to vent, but you also tend to whack the valve evertime you get in or out of a boat, and they also seem to get more crap stuck in them from being on the wrist and getting so close to the ground. The nice part about Si Tech valves is that they can be removed from the suit. Before you send it back to Whites to be moved, I would suggest removing the valve, soaking it in hot water with Ivory soap, and then taking an air tank and blow out the valve. Seaweed and sand do wonders for all valves.

Is there anything in the design of the SiTech valves that causes them to only dump when facing upwards? I've noticed that behaviour and I wonder if I'm just imagining it or if that actually is the intended behavour. If so, what's the purpose?