Drysuit tips.

[mpd525]

Well i started my drysuit today, and i must say, it was not good. I was having fits controlling my bouyancy, learning how to adjust the dump valve add air, to the BC, add air to the DS. I was in overload. At one point i was adding air while we were swimming, then i quit moving, so i tried to get control, (i think i added to much air to my suit), my boots kept slipping off my fit, which in turn, my fins fell off, next thing i know, i'm headed for the surface, and couldn't dump air fast enough. needless to say i was scared. On top of that i had a leak in the neck seal, so i never got warm really, the only problem was it was real slow, and i didn't realize it till i got out.

So what tips do you pros got for me, i know the biggest is get out and dive. I've got my own suit on the way so maybe that will help. i really felt akward and like i didn't know what was going on, but i'm sure i'll get it.

[mwhities]

Originally Posted by mpd525

Well i started my drysuit today, and i must say, it was not good. I was having fits controlling my bouyancy, learning how to adjust the dump valve add air, to the BC, add air to the DS. I was in overload. At one point i was adding air while we were swimming, then i quit moving, so i tried to get control, (i think i added to much air to my suit), my boots kept slipping off my fit, which in turn, my fins fell off, next thing i know, i'm headed for the surface, and couldn't dump air fast enough. needless to say i was scared. On top of that i had a leak in the neck seal, so i never got warm really, the only problem was it was real slow, and i didn't realize it till i got out.

So what tips do you pros got for me, i know the biggest is get out and dive. I've got my own suit on the way so maybe that will help. i really felt akward and like i didn't know what was going on, but i'm sure i'll get it.

Great question. I too am about to start my dry suit adventure. I'm curious to hear what the pros out there have to say/suggest.

Thanks for starting a good thread.

[Kingpatzer]

Realize that controlling the air bubble in the suit is the key to being comfortable.
Realize that you almost certainly need a lot less air in the suit than you're putting in.
Realize that it will take you many dives before it feels natural and comfortable.

Make 20 or so easy dives in the suit and then realize that you've got it down and you've not been cold once since you started using it.

[snagel]

Wow.... I start my class this weekend (aaauugh). Thanks for the advise.

S. Nagel

[MSilvia]

Originally Posted by mpd525

Well i started my drysuit today, and i must say, it was not good. i really felt akward and like i didn't know what was going on, but i'm sure i'll get it.

Your experience sounds very much like mine... I went from feeling completely squared away to feeling like I was constantly on the verge of complete loss of control. It did come with practice, but these tips helped me a lot:

1. Contrary to what you might be taught in class, don't use your suit for buoyancy control. You have a BC for that... keep using it like you always have, and keep just enough gas in the suit to prevent squeeze and keep loft in your undergarment. If you don't blow it up like a balloon, you won't have nearly as much trouble managing the dynamic air space.
2. If your boots don't fit, they'll trap a lot of air, and you'll constantly have to fight that or go feet up. I had that problem, and solved it by replacing the rubber drysuit boots with neoprene socks. I wear Converse sneakers over them, and I get a nice secure fit with my fins and no air trapping.
3. Sometimes, when I tilt my head to an extreme degree, a trickle of water runs in through my neck seal. I sometimes get that if I forget to tuck in the stupid puffy collar on my Weezle undergarment too. For whatever reason, I find a freshly talced seal doesn't leak as much.
4. I usually dive with my dump valve 3/4 open, so if I overfill the suit it will let some of the gas out, and I can always dump by putting the valve high and pumping my arm at the elbow.
5. Not that it has any direct bearing on your problems, but another important lesson I learned was to keep the zipper waxed, and be extra careful not to catch your undergarment in it when you zip it closed.

Stick with it... the 20 dives I made after getting my suit were among the hardest and most frustrating I've made, and the dives after that were among the nicest.

[texdiveguy]

Originally Posted by mpd525

Well i started my drysuit today, and i must say, it was not good. I was having fits controlling my bouyancy, learning how to adjust the dump valve add air, to the BC, add air to the DS. I was in overload. At one point i was adding air while we were swimming, then i quit moving, so i tried to get control, (i think i added to much air to my suit), my boots kept slipping off my fit, which in turn, my fins fell off, next thing i know, i'm headed for the surface, and couldn't dump air fast enough. needless to say i was scared. On top of that i had a leak in the neck seal, so i never got warm really, the only problem was it was real slow, and i didn't realize it till i got out.

So what tips do you pros got for me, i know the biggest is get out and dive. I've got my own suit on the way so maybe that will help. i really felt akward and like i didn't know what was going on, but i'm sure i'll get it.

Are you in a current DS class??? These things should be addressed by your instructor during any basic DS course. To give you some comfort the things you experienced are for many just built into the learning curve it seems like. I was pretty lucky in that a minor leak and a bit of bouyancy skill work was about all the curve I had--thank goodness! Keep up with the dives,,it will get better...

[Matt P]

Agreed...learning to dive dry is frustrating and ocassionally scary. But, once you get the hang it is great. My personal dive style:

1) I put in just enough air to ease the squeeze. There's still some tension but the squeeze is gone.

2) Vent early and often on ascent!!! The earlier you start the more gradual the process and the less urgency you'll feel later. I dive with my valve 100% open all the time.

3) Again - personal opinion - ditch the rock boots. Get something soft and permenant with good soles. I have a DUI so I use the Turbo Soles. It made all the difference. I was ready to quit dry diving b/c I hated those rock boots so much.

Good luck

[CompuDude]

After reading about your experience, I'd second the recommendation to take a class. At the very least, buy a good DS book (PADI's DS course book is actually quite good) and find an experienced DS diving buddy to go out with you and show you how the rubber meets the tarmac.

But the most important tips were above. 1) Vent early and often. Meaning, start dumping some air before you start going up, and stay ahead of the curve, else you're in for a not-so-fun time trying to catch up. 2) Only enough gas to take off the worst squeeze. It's NOT a buoyancy control device, no matter what PADI says!

You may also want to consider adding gaiters. They won't solve the expanding leg problem but they can help keep it under control more, and perhaps keep you on the right side of the dump curve.

But yes, any way you look at it, it's likely to be another 20 dives before you stop hating your drysuit.

[mpd525]

i'm in a drysuit class right now, today was our first day doing it. We did an ascent with it filled quit a bit to understand the air expansion, and we worked on the inverted ascent, or how to roll out of it i should say. like i said the problem i think was when we were swimming, i was putting too much air in the suit, and when my boots started screwing up, it went down hill from there. I just made sure i tried to vent, and breath, definetly don't want a hit or AGE. I go back next week, for 2 more days once i get my suit in. Thanks for all the tips

It really is difficult, and hard to figure out, but i'm persistent, and i don't give up easy, but keep the advice coming.

[WaScubaDude]

A couple more thoughts:

1) On land...Practice the Chicken dance. Open your dump valve all the way, or almost all the way. Raise the valve shoulder (usually the left) higher than the other, make a chicken wing with your dump arm and pump. Try to keep the dump valve as the highest point in this whole endeavor. With alot of air in the suit you should be able to "pump" air out of the dump valve. This manuver works better in the water, again make the dump valve the highest point even if you are swimming horizontal.


2) If you have a pretty normal dive profile in mind...Before you start the dive, let all the air out of the suit. I do this onshore by squatting and opening the neck seal. You can do it at the surface as well if you can get to your neck seal. (the neck seal or a rist seal is a quick, but cold, way to dump in an emergency.)
As you go down use tiny sqirts (pst, never pssst) to the suit to establish and stay neutral. After each squirt give it a few seconds to see where you end up. If the suit is seriously ballooning you probably are carrying too much weight. Once near depth use your BC like normal.

3) There is a manuver to practice when the boots fill up and put you head- down. Put your hands palm up near your sides and swish them quickly toward your head in a big arc as you tuck your knees in and perform a nifty roll to put your feet back under you. You have probably done this with a wet suit while just screwing around. Practice it until you feel very confident and capeable. Just ask if my instructions are as clear as mud.

4) Purge all the air from the suit prior to ascending.

5) Consider gators and/or changing the boots to avoid ballooning feet.

6) Practice the emergency air purge from the neck seal and from an arm seal. Just hold it high and open the seal. Burp and cold.

All this does take time, dives and practice...so make sure your next few dives are easy and familiar. A simple down...maintain depth...ascend, is easier to learn on than an up and down up and down profile.