drysuit inexperience

[abyss459]

hi all,i am new to this forum but thought it a good place to ask a couple of questions and get some opinions,so if anyone can help or offer advice it would be great.

i was an AOW training weekend when a couple of students started getting into uncontrolled ascents,both were due to air in the drysuit boots,the first incident i was able to grab the student(who was making no atempt to right herself) and slow her ascent to a steady pace and right her,however we broke the surface and so finished the dive.the second time was down to the same problem,but it was happening alot more,the student started to go a couple of times but again i was able to grab a hand,and then a cumerbunb and help him with righting again,i was carrying extra weight due to the first incident,then he went again but this time i was unable to grab him, the student was trying to manouvre out of the feet up position but to no joy,he broke the surface,i ascended slowly up to meet him,we had been down for a while so i decided on a surface swim back to the exit.

this day got me thinking,we were only about 7m down,so ok it relatively shallow,but even still can cause serious problems,but as i watched the students underwater and there reactions to the situations i wasnt all confident with thier abilities,i understand that technique and confidence come with practice and time,it took me a while to get used things aswell,but do student divers ever get let loose in the openwater before they are ready even though they have completed a course to requirements(passed final exams and completed all skils etc)? and in the drysuit introductions is enough done to stress the actual dangers a drysuit(or any other kit) can cause when not understood fully(people dont always ask questions so is enough done to tell them and encourage questions to be asked)?

i ask these questions because had it happened on a buddy dive after qualifying,from a depth of 30m or less (18m OW) there would only be a buddy to help and as newly qualified divers would they be able to help each other out,or themselves? the situation could easily prove to be fatal.would this then be down to a failure on the instructors part,even though he/she had taught the divers following all standards and practices by the book,and the students had performed to standards asked?

i dont know if these are age old questions,but the events got me thinking and they have certainly made me more aware,any thoughts anyone?

peace and thanks

 

[diver12345]

New divers have such little experience that they really should find someone to mentor them. The instructor plays an important roll in educating them and providing them the knowledge they need to help one another. As we know some are better than others.Instructor should tell there students that if they start to ascend and cant dump to swim it down. At depth it should be no problem. I watched an instructor swim down a fully inflated 60lb BCD from the surface.

 

[almitywife]

were the boots were the type that are attached to the drysuit?

im looking to buy my 1st drysuit and thinking of getting the latex socks so i will still be able to wear my current booties over them. this plus my ankle weights should mean that air wont be able to work its way down there, well thats what im hoping will happen that is.

 

[fppf]

Diving dry is different and takes some new skills.
If someone is still having uncontroled accents after there dry suit training then they should get some more.

No matter what suit you get there is always this problem. If the air does not move into your boots its in your legs.

You must be properly weighted and never put to much air in the suit. As a rule of thumb if you raise your arm the air bubble should only fill it about half way to your elbow.

When my wife and I got our suits we practiced all day in a quarry to the point where we both can easily hang upside down by our feet, add air to the suit, and then still be able to right ourselfs and vent the air.

 

[fisherdvm]

were the boots were the type that are attached to the drysuit?

im looking to buy my 1st drysuit and thinking of getting the latex socks so i will still be able to wear my current booties over them. this plus my ankle weights should mean that air wont be able to work its way down there, well thats what im hoping will happen that is.

I dove with a drysuit the first time yesterday. I used a suit with a sock bootie. I bought a high top tennis shoe from Walmart for $9.99 two sizes bigger and it fits my feet plus the latex stocking plus 300 gm insulation. It would also fit if I wore an extra sock or two.

My instructor said that since my boot fits me well, and the suit fits well, I should not need any ankle weights... And he was right. I did fine with 20 lbs of lead. He said I would feel a little warmer with an extra 2 lbs of weight the next time.

I really wonder - the cause of some of the difficult leg bouyancy problem are rental suits that have too big of boots? I know that I've read some folks saying stocking drysuits are out of mode.... But to me, being able to replace the stocking myself would not make it a bad thing.

On the comment about being able to wear your current boot - I don't think it is possible. I think you need at least 1 to 2 sizes bigger to accomodate the latex sock, the insulating bootie, and extra socks if you desired. You would probably need to go to a fin or two sizes bigger to fit the boot too.

 

[mirrocraft]

were the boots were the type that are attached to the drysuit?

im looking to buy my 1st drysuit and thinking of getting the latex socks so i will still be able to wear my current booties over them. this plus my ankle weights should mean that air wont be able to work its way down there, well thats what im hoping will happen that is.

if you are trained correctly you dont need ankle weights. i would also say not to get the leytex socks but i do agree with a suit that has rock boots the leytex will wear easy and is easy to put a hole in if you get the socks made out of the same material as the rest of the suit dui whites does these others do as well but i have no personal experiance with them

 

[almitywife]

...... I think you need at least 1 to 2 sizes bigger to accomodate the latex sock, the insulating bootie, and extra socks if you desired.....

i dive in sydney... at its coldest i expect no less than 14c/60F


if ok to ask the question here... like i said, im thinking of getting a drysuit... never dived with one, dont dive with people that have one (well hubby has one but never wears it)

i was expecting to use my wing for bouyancy to avoid air in the suit problems. right/wrong??

 

[fppf]

wrong, you always need to put air in the suit, you will get squeezed to no end if you don't.

The "Correct" way (taught by agency's) is you use your dry suit for buoyancy control and your BC/Wing as "surface floatation" and a backup.

However, right or wrong I see most divers, including myself just put enough air in the dry suit to stay warm and releave the squeeze then use the BC/wing to make up the rest.

 

[almitywife]

...... I see most divers, including myself just put enough air in the dry suit to stay warm and releave the squeeze then use the BC/wing to make up the rest.

thanks for the info! i knew i had to put some air in becasue of the squeeze but as per your post, i was thinking of doing this

well will find out in a month or so... when i finally get my hands on a drysuit

 

[abyss459]

it was a suit with boots attached,and from reading the comments it seems that maybe as it was not a custom fit suit that maybe there was an issue with boot size,i dive with attached boots and no ankle weights and have had no problems.,but as with all kit its down to personal preferance and what your comfortable with.
we are diving in around 5 degrees,so you should be pretty toasty in 14,when i get that temp i will be definately back into my wetsuit.