Wrestling with dry suit buoyancy

[RIdiverMike]

Bought a lightly used 12 y/o DUI TLS350 and took the PADI dry suit class. After about a dozen dives with it, I'm still having two very annoying problems:

(1) Though I leave the exhaust valve wide open all the time, I have great difficulty venting air from the suit. I've tried different techniques (the chicken wing, the cannonball, etc.) but now I've resorted to manually forcing the air out of the exhaust by pressing on the sleeves/chest. Feels and looks stupid, but it's effective. I've checked to make sure that my undergarments are not blocking the valve on the inside and they don't seem to be. I don't want any more uncontrolled ascents from 50ish ft at 100 ft/min ascent rates!

(2) One place I wish I could get some air - but can't seem to - is the crotch. Even if I inflate till my top half looks like a Macy's Day parade float, the crotch area stays shrink wrapped around my groin. I've tried rotating on my back to make the crotch the highest spot but that did nothing. After 50 ft, this is beyond uncomfortable - it's basically crushing my nuts! Sorry but it's true!


The odd thing to me is that I tested a TLS350 at a DUI demo days and don't recall having either problem. Though I have about 300 dives in total, only about 12 are in the drysuit, and I certainly feel like I've never dove in my life when I wear it. I must be doing one or more idiotic things, but they're not apparent to me. Have also dove with some friends who only dive dry, as well as my dive shop owner. None of their recommendations have panned out so far.

Help?

 

[FlyinV]

I added a cuff dump to my suit and I really like not having to chicken wing around to get it to dump. Others will hate this idea -- its all up to you and how you dive if its a good choice for you. It doesn't bother me at all and I don't have any acidental air dumping when reaching for something -- I think that all has to do with where you locate the cuff dump.

I wonder if the exhaust valve on your suit needs a replacement? to have to squeeze out the air sounds like it certainly isn't dumping easily.

It took me about 40 dives to feel comfortable in my drysuit and then I still put in a cuff dump and now its just as comfortable as wet suit diving ( for me your mileage may vary )

 

[toddthecat]

As for the first problem I'd think something were wrong with the exhaust valve. On the other hand, you are able to vent air...Still sounds like there is a problem with it. As for the second problem, how tight is the tail on the suit when you put it on? You know, that cat tail gig that you stretch down and pull over your johnson and then velcro in place? It might be constricting the suit in a fashion that puts your nuts in a vice (some pun intended, lol). Perhaps the suit is a bad fit?

 

[oly5050user]

sounds like you are overweighed and diving in a verticle position instead of horizontal as you claim the crotch aea does not get any air to releive suit squeeze.How much lead are you using and how tall/how much do you weigh/alum or steel tank/what undergarment are you using? Sometimes using undergarments not designed for dry suit is uncomfortable.

 

[Scott]

I've checked to make sure that my undergarments are not blocking the valve on the inside and they don't seem to be.

How did you do this? One way is to get back in a pool fully geared up, make sure your vent is open, get horizontal like you were diving, press and hold the dry suit inflate button and be in your 'venting position'. You should be able to vent as much as you're inflating.
You can also manually depress the dump to vent it. If your garments are blocking the vent it will tell you.

How well does the suit fit? Common issue I have found is with loose material in the arms. The air is in the right place but the valve is off to the side due to a loose fit. I have seen this at times when someone is wearing a very light undergarment and the suit was sized for their heavier garments.

What is your position in the water when you’re trying to vent?


As for the air issues in the crotch, how tight is your BC waist band and or weight belt?
Do you get air in or can you feel air going to the legs and feet? It may be a matter of body position.

 

[M_Bipartitus]

Are you using your BC or drysuit for primary buoyancy control?

I ask because the PADI class I took recommended using the Drysuit as the primary, but nearly all the divers I know only add just enough air to the drysuit to avoid squeeze and use the BC for primary buoyancy control. This way issue 1 is lessened as there is less air to vent. Issue 2 sounds like it's best controlled with horizontal trim, suit fit, and/or an extra layer under the drysuit where needed.

 

[RIdiverMike]

Don 't think I'm horribly overweighted: I'm 6 ft; 175 lbs. I wear 20 lbs with my AL80, 14 lbs with my S100 or 10 lbs with my S119.

I swim horizontal. Only time I'm vertical is when I'm desparate to vent and nothing else works - then I get vertical and squeeze the sleeves/chest with my hands and arms.

Right now I'm wearing a thinnish Pinnacle fleece undergarment over top and bottom Under Armor. I had even more problems with a thicker ripstop nylon covered undergarment so I switched to thinner for now.

I try to control my bouyancy primarily with my bc and only use the ds inflator to offset the squeeze. Unfortunately as I say, I can't seem to offset the crotch squeeze in the slightest!

But will definitely try loosening my jacket bc's velcro waist strap. Doesn't feel particulary tight to me but still worth a shot!!

 

[NC Wreck Diver]

Bought a lightly used 12 y/o DUI TLS350 and took the PADI dry suit class. After about a dozen dives with it, I'm still having two very annoying problems:

(1) Though I leave the exhaust valve wide open all the time, I have great difficulty venting air from the suit. I've tried different techniques (the chicken wing, the cannonball, etc.) but now I've resorted to manually forcing the air out of the exhaust by pressing on the sleeves/chest. Feels and looks stupid, but it's effective. I've checked to make sure that my undergarments are not blocking the valve on the inside and they don't seem to be. I don't want any more uncontrolled ascents from 50ish ft at 100 ft/min ascent rates!

(2) One place I wish I could get some air - but can't seem to - is the crotch. Even if I inflate till my top half looks like a Macy's Day parade float, the crotch area stays shrink wrapped around my groin. I've tried rotating on my back to make the crotch the highest spot but that did nothing. After 50 ft, this is beyond uncomfortable - it's basically crushing my nuts! Sorry but it's true!


The odd thing to me is that I tested a TLS350 at a DUI demo days and don't recall having either problem. Though I have about 300 dives in total, only about 12 are in the drysuit, and I certainly feel like I've never dove in my life when I wear it. I must be doing one or more idiotic things, but they're not apparent to me. Have also dove with some friends who only dive dry, as well as my dive shop owner. None of their recommendations have panned out so far.

Help?

1). I'd have to agree, it sounds like your dump valve needs to be rebuilt/replaced. I was wondering if all the air in the suit is purged out of it (burped) before you go in the water? You should be starting out with the minimum amount of air in the suit for your dive. Then add small amounts of air until you are comfortable. As other posts discussed, I'm from the school of using your BC for bouyancy, and the drysuit should only be inflated to relieve the squeeze.

2). How tight is your BCD (or your weight belt)? Maybe this is blocking your gas bubble management in your suit. Sounds like you are overweighted too (as posted above). Do a full weight check and try it again.

 

[Eau_Girl]

I bough a used drysuit that fit me better than a non-custom option. The one problem was the placement of the should dump value. I had to do all sorts of contortions to try to dump air. On a training dive I under in a foot up position for half of one dive (but managed to not go to the surface). At that point, I took several people's advice and had a wrist dump added ..... best decision for me in this suit. Never had any problems since......now if I could get over my recenlty acquired dread of cold water and get wet again!

 

[RIdiverMike]

Re Scott's suggestion of testing in a pool and being able to "vent as much as you're inflating", I've tried this in shallow depths - uncontrolled ascents were the result. And that's just with several 1 second "taps" on the inflator while being in a normal vent position (i.e., horizontal swimming position, both arms forward, left shoulder highest point and slightly raised, vent wide open). If I ever held the inflator button down, I think I'd probably launch from the water like a Trident missile!!