Drysuit questions??

[RHolmesJr]

Congratulations on the weight loss. Sounds like a good problem to have.

[cavedivingwoman]

Some of the recreational agencies tell people to use their suit as a primary buoyancy control device. Out here in California, that pretty much would turn someone into a human beach ball. (I have never taken a drysuit course, so what do I know). But if the suit is too big, you're probably having to add way more gas than you would with a fitted suit.

[twaldo]

Some of the recreational agencies tell people to use their suit as a primary buoyancy control device. Out here in California, that pretty much would turn someone into a human beach ball. (I have never taken a drysuit course, so what do I know). But if the suit is too big, you're probably having to add way more gas than you would with a fitted suit.

I kept the purge valve open as to only have enough air in the suit to offset the squeeze. I only ever popped the inflator twice during the long dive and it was literally a POP.... like less than a half second each time.

[LMN]

I kept the purge valve open as to only have enough air in the suit to offset the squeeze. I only ever popped the inflator twice during the long dive and it was literally a POP.... like less than a half second each time.

You probably had lots of air in your suit from the beginning. Unlikely you went down to 40 ft and only popped the inflator twice, less than a half a second each time, to offset the squeeze.

[IowaCaveDiver]

I don?t think I?ve ever seen a Faber 104

Faber 108s perhaps...

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[rddvet]

An ill-fitting suit definitely negatively affects a dive, but I think with time you will likely be fine and not need extra lead, though not knowing you it's impossible to say. Just like any major gear switch, with time you'll gain comfort and your experience in the gear will change. The first time I went to MX and dove al80s in a cave I felt super underweighted at the end of the dive and added a bit more weight for more dives. Now years later I dive less than half of the weight I did on my original trip down there. The only thing that's changed is my skill level and comfort with managing my gas in my suit and wing in relation to tank pressure. In heavy steels I could pretty much close my suit valve and never vent on ascent from 100 feet and be fine. In mexico I have to make sure as I'm ascending and using more gas in my 80s that I'm diligent about dealing with spare gas in my suit. It's very easy for gas to get trapped in little pockets and be hard to get out, then you don't realize it until you're too light on your deco stop.

[twaldo]

An ill-fitting suit definitely negatively affects a dive, but I think with time you will likely be fine and not need extra lead, though not knowing you it's impossible to say. Just like any major gear switch, with time you'll gain comfort and your experience in the gear will change. The first time I went to MX and dove al80s in a cave I felt super underweighted at the end of the dive and added a bit more weight for more dives. Now years later I dive less than half of the weight I did on my original trip down there. The only thing that's changed is my skill level and comfort with managing my gas in my suit and wing in relation to tank pressure. In heavy steels I could pretty much close my suit valve and never vent on ascent from 100 feet and be fine. In mexico I have to make sure as I'm ascending and using more gas in my 80s that I'm diligent about dealing with spare gas in my suit. It's very easy for gas to get trapped in little pockets and be hard to get out, then you don't realize it until you're too light on your deco stop.

With the suit being baggy, you are probably very correct... it was consistently across 2 dives an issue above 15' and then more so when I was down to 2000 in the lp 85's.... below 15' I seemed to be golden on buoyancy.

[twaldo]

You probably had lots of air in your suit from the beginning. Unlikely you went down to 40 ft and only popped the inflator twice, less than a half a second each time, to offset the squeeze.

I'm pretty spot on, on my buoyancy. I used VERY little air in the suit and had the purge valve open. If anything it was trapped air from the suit being so baggy at least that is what I've been convinced of by all the posts.

[Michael F]

When you burp your drysuit at the beginning of dives, were you in the water? You will likely never manage to adequately purge out excess air from a baggy fitting drysuit unless you get in the water first and ideally without a harness on. I once had a slightly over-sized DUI until it shrank a bit.

[twaldo]

When you burp your drysuit at the beginning of dives, were you in the water? You will likely never manage to adequately purge out excess air from a baggy fitting drysuit unless you get in the water first and ideally without a harness on. I once had a slightly over-sized DUI until it shrank a bit.

Yep... burped it in water, sans harness....


Just an FYI , you guys have CURSED ME.... All I can think about is my next dive this weekend....