Question Yet another BP/W purchasing question

[Robert H. Diver]

Haha, I try to keep talking myself out of taking the course because if I take it I will end up purchasing a drysuit. This sport isn't inexpensive...lol

Get a Seaskin nova or ultra (the neoprene one I think). I got myself and my wife each a nova for less than 1 would cost from some other brands.

 

[Marie13]

Haha, I try to keep talking myself out of taking the course because if I take it I will end up purchasing a drysuit. This sport isn't inexpensive...lol

You won’t have enough extra for hookers and blow, if you were so inclined. So diving keeps you out of trouble.

 

[tbone1004]

Tell me if I'm understanding this right... wing lift for a drysuit can be lower because if functioning properly, the drysuit is a supplemental buoyancy device. And if the drysuit floods, it'll have less buoyancy than a wetsuit? What about the flooded drysuit scenario.

There is almost no scenario where a drysuit will totally lose all gas holding ability. I suppose it's theoretically possible but I've never seen or heard of it happening. Can get creative with your trim to make sure it holds gas and it's an argument for part of your ballast being ditchable but even still, if we deduct say 10lbs from the 30 for the gas in a HP130, that leaves 20lbs of lead and that's quite a bit of gas in a drysuit to stay warm. A SS plate with STA, SS Cam bands, etc. is about 10lbs, so you have another 10lbs somewhere which is pretty much going to be ditchable if **** really hit the fan.

 

[Ross19966]

Tell me if I'm understanding this right... wing lift for a drysuit can be lower because if functioning properly, the drysuit is a supplemental buoyancy device. And if the drysuit floods, it'll have less buoyancy than a wetsuit? What about the flooded drysuit scenario.

Most of my drysuit diving was with a backpack and no wing, and I did have a zipper fail once. I felt it leaking a little but thought it was your typical neck seal leak. When the zipper let go, the suit flooded. I rolled onto my back (zipper down) and inflated. That made a big bubble in the belly area with some in the legs. That was plenty of air to get to the surface without dropping weight. I even had to vent some air on the way up to slow the ascent. This would be a non-issue with a wing.

 

[inquis]

What about the flooded drysuit scenario.

If the suit is 30 lb positive buoyancy, you'll need "stuff" totaling 30 lb of negative buoyancy to compensate. Assume 15 lb of that is in the form of lead. If a flood reduces your suit buoyancy by 15 lbs, that lead is no longer needed and can be ditched if necessary. Your choices:

A: Pick a huge wing that will handle that LOW-probability case with ease. It also handles the 99.9% stuff poorly (e.g., it tacos and traps gas on every ascent).​

​

B: Pick a wing that handles the 99.9% likely stuff very well and have a strategy in place to handle the rare event another way.​

A 30 lb wing is well aligned with Option B, along with some ditchable weight on your person (as opposed to integrated on the rig).

Personally, I have enough on a weight belt to cover the buoyancy increase when going from thin to thick undergarments.

 

[Imla]

Tell me if I'm understanding this right... wing lift for a drysuit can be lower because if functioning properly, the drysuit is a supplemental buoyancy device. And if the drysuit floods, it'll have less buoyancy than a wetsuit? What about the flooded drysuit scenario.

Flooded drysuitscenario in cold water tried and tested...
D12 steels 18/45, 2 Alu 80 stages 50% and 18/45, 1 7L Alu Stage with Oxygen. (According to my buddies, I don't breath, so had no help from "empty" alu tanks)
40lbs Halcyon wing
Drysuit flooded to about an inch of my inflatorvalve (while standing)
Tech 2 dive in baltic brackish cold water. Nice summer that year. Toasty 12C at 6m.
The suit/undergarments will still retain quite a bit of lift even if completely flooded.

(The dive was SOOO worth it. Centuries old sail ship with rigging, boots, and all the nice bits still there)

 

[NothingClever]

DGX for the win.

I have a couple of Gucci XDeep wings. My wife has the DGX wing and I think the craftsmanship is actually nicer than the XDeep wings.

I did the single BP and two wings exercise for a while (switching between a 28lb and 40lb wing). Mastered that and bought a second BP.

It sounds like the first thing to figure out is the BP/W. Exposure protection will follow.

 

[Cheizz]

XDeep has put a ceramic coating on their backplates (I haven't seen these yet in person, only pictures).

I have seen and touched them at Boot Düsseldorf. I have another chance to see/touch them next week. Any particular questions? They look and feel like shinily colored backplates

 

[JoeTPhilly]

If the suit is 30 lb positive buoyancy, you'll need "stuff" totaling 30 lb of negative buoyancy to compensate. Assume 15 lb of that is in the form of lead. If a flood reduces your suit buoyancy by 15 lbs, that lead is no longer needed and can be ditched if necessary. Your choices:

A: Pick a huge wing that will handle that LOW-probability case with ease. It also handles the 99.9% stuff poorly (e.g., it tacos and traps gas on every ascent).​

​

B: Pick a wing that handles the 99.9% likely stuff very well and have a strategy in place to handle the rare event another way.​

A 30 lb wing is well aligned with Option B, along with some ditchable weight on your person (as opposed to integrated on the rig).

Personally, I have enough on a weight belt to cover the buoyancy increase when going from thin to thick undergarments.

A good thing on the Halcyon wings is 40lb eclipse wing is actually a tiny bit narrower than the (post 2019 redesigned) 30lb eclipse wing. On the 40lb, the bladder comes closer to the STA for the extra lift. I have both and haven't had any trapping of gas problems.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I have seen and touched them at Boot Düsseldorf. I have another chance to see/touch them next week. Any particular questions? They look and feel like shinily colored backplates

Aesthetically, I think they probably will be the fanciest looking backplates, taking that spot from Deep 6, especially if they can put in logos.

Piotr says the ceramic material is more scratch resistant.

For me, I will see what people do with logos/colors and see how they stand up over time. I think having a sharp looking backplate can be good for marketing/advertising. No questions at this time, but thanks for asking. I am connected to Piotr so I'd ask him directly whenever I do.