Dry Suit Diving Tips

[matt_unique]

what sort of fraying do you mean? (assume i'm clueless, and you'll be right)

With time the material around your actual zipper teeth will fray - like the seam on an old shirt. This fray, if not removed, will bind into your zipper teeth and the rubber between them that creates the seal. The same thing happens when your buddy accidentally zips your undergarments into the zipper. So you need to use a lighter or match to cinge this fray so it does not get caught between your zipper teeth.

GM has a great point! Don't jump in with your zipper open. Sounds funny - happens all the time. The last charter boat I was on - this guy jumped in - surfaced - and immediately cursed because he forgot to close his zipper all the way. Instant flood with 40 degree water - his diving was over for that day charter.

--Matt

 

[Mo2vation]

what sort of fraying do you mean? (assume i'm clueless, and you'll be right)

The zipper works by having the teeth clench together a rubber-coated fabric seam thingie. Because its rubber coated fabric, with use some of the little threads will feather out. I have a couple of hundred dives on mine, and its just starting. Its not a "fray" as in the way a hole in your fav jeans will fray more each time you wash them - its more some fly away threads. When they get caught in the teeth, its no bueno. Same if they get pinched in-between the rubber zipper seal.

Tips:

* Burp it before you dive it. After you zip it, squat with the next seal pulled slightly off your neck and get as much air out as you can...

* Left arm in first with DUI. Then right, then head. Head out first, right arm, then left.

* When you hold stuff (Light, camera, rope line, etc.) and your mighty buldging steve garvey-esque forearms flex, your wrists will get wet.

* get a small bottle of Aqua Seal and Cotol - have them with you at all times in your dry box. One day they will save your trip, or someone elses.

* OFF - never pull the seals to extricate your wrists or your enormous mellon from the suit.

* IN - your dome will slide in easier if you turn your head to the side as you pull it over your head. Sort of nose to your right wrist action. Much easier.

* The Chicken Wing is your friend. From getting into your BP, to venting gas. You're gonna be a chicken wingin' fool.

Lots of tips. Others will follow.


last two:

1) Don't be a sissy and wear gaiters or ankle weghts.
2) Methane works just as well for suit gas as Argon (read: backgas is fine for most of us)

OK everyone - kidding.... :11ztongue


---
Ken

 

[H2Andy]

matt and ken, i see, thank you ...

i think i know what you're talking about. will check tonight.

 

[Green_Manelishi]

last two:

2) Methane works just as well for suit gas as Argon (read: backgas is fine for most of us)

OK everyone - kidding.... :11ztongue


---
Ken

And if necessary can be ignited for extra warmth.

 

[Lightning Fish]

4) stay "ahead of the curve" during ascent

This is important enough that it is worth repeating. I find that drysuits tend to vent slower than what you will be used to with a BC. You can also get air bubbles trapped in your suit. So during an ascent you have to anticipate having to vent your drysuit before your ascent speed increases.

Everything I've read says the suit should vent naturally as you ascend, but I find I have more success venting when I go somewhat vertical for a second or two to allow the air in my suit to rise. If there is a better way to assist the venting I would be interested in hearing about it.

Bill.

 

[hecker-the-wrecker]

I read the other thread that said "just add air when fathering a child comes into question" I'm still laughing, but there is lots of truth to that!! The first couple dives, just add air when you can't stand it. it keeps the air out of your feet. And whatever you do, DON'T LOOK AT THE DUMP VALVE WHILE DIVING, NOT ONCE!!! (don't know why, but the master taught me this way) you get to look at it after 10 dives.

 

[Green_Manelishi]

Everything I've read says the suit should vent naturally as you ascend,
Bill.

It will only vent "naturally" if:

1) the OP valve is postioned so gas 'heading to the highest spot' finds that to be the highest spot
2) the OP valve is opened sufficiently to allow excess gas to escape, but not over-vent, before a problem begins

"Dialed in" correctly, and with the valve optimally positioned, the valve will burp excess gas as you ascend. If you write to the valve mfgr they can tell you "at what psi over ambient will the valve begin to vent if fully closed, fully open, etc."

A friend of mine owns a Bailey's suit with the valve positioned on the top of his head. The look is somewhat unusual but the function is excellent.

 

[WJL]

Here's a couple of small things that you may find helpful.

I do the crouching down and neck seal burping thing to get the air out of the suit before I put on the doubles, but there is always still some extra air in there. So, after I jump in the water and I'm bobbing around getting ready to go down, I spend a few moments letting the the water pressure push the excess air out the dump valve. I just sort of shift around in the water until no more bubbles are coming out of the valve. That's how I decide enough gas is out of the suit. I have the dump valve open the whole dive.

Once I'm at depth, I find that if I keep the suit super-squeezed it is so tight and hard to flex that I have a hard time reaching my isolator valve and the switch on my belt-mounted cannister light, which I have no trouble reaching in a wet suit. The solution for me was to not be so obssesive about keeping all the air out of the suit no matter what. I give the suit a little puff to loosen it up - and my test if it is loose enough is that I can reach back to the valve and the light switch. But, as a couple of people have said, you need to get ahead of that air in your suit as you're ascending. Start dumping it as soon as you move up more than a couple meters and keep dumping it as you go. It takes much longer to dump the air out of the suit than out of the wing, at least for me, so I have to spend mor effort to manage it.

 

[matt_unique]

And if necessary can be ignited for extra warmth.

Albeit short lived warmth. Hey this technique doubles as a way to cinge the dry suit zipper fray. Ha ha ha - I now know what they mean by "back gas".

--Matt

Back to serious stuff - another tip - use baby powder to slip into your seals a bit easier - less chance of tearing as well. This is especially handy if you have neoprene seals.

 

[mrobinson]

I know you listed your diving underwear but likely you'll still wear something underneath that. Don't wear cotton underwear. (Tighty whitey's should be illegal anyway!) Go buy some underwear just for wearing under your diving underwear. If you like to wear a t shirt (women -bra) then go get a special- non cotton shirt (bra) to wear under your diving underwear... Hope that helps!