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... sounds to me like good incentive to learn how to do your descents properly ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Drysuit venting -
- Thread starter letterboy
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... sounds to me like good incentive to learn how to do your descents properly ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
OP
Properly? Or your method?
Interesting side thread - I have often wondered what others do. Personally I have the valve partially open during the descent, and add only enough air to combat squeeze. Then when I reach the dive depth I will get neutral, then open the auto dump JUST enough so a few bubbles start to come out then back off a little.
I have found that this means if I start to ascend the expanding air will auto dump enough air that I can still maintain my buoyancy through breathing, if I go down I can add more. This seems to work well for me.
P
I have found that this means if I start to ascend the expanding air will auto dump enough air that I can still maintain my buoyancy through breathing, if I go down I can add more. This seems to work well for me.
P
LetterBoy -- I'm still a bit confused as to how you do your descents and ascents while in a dry suit. Do you do them while you are horizontal or while you are vertical?
While your (perhaps snarky) response to NWG does, in fact, have some truth to it (i.e., there may well not be a "proper way" to descend or ascend), those of us who do a lot of dry suit diving (and teaching) are probably pretty well agreed that being horizontal is generally preferable -- primarily to avoid the exact issue you are having.
As a PADI instructor, one of the things that bothers me has been that all of the images (and the text) of the open water class shows people descending and ascending vertically. This works fine if the diver is in a wetsuit but doesn't work so well for the diver in a dry suit -- especially if the dry suit is a primary source of buoyancy control.
Honest -- dry suits are designed to be used while horizontal (this allows the air/insulation to be spread throughout the suit and doesn't put squeeze in any one spot). Descending/ascending while horizontal just allows the suit to work as designed.
While your (perhaps snarky) response to NWG does, in fact, have some truth to it (i.e., there may well not be a "proper way" to descend or ascend), those of us who do a lot of dry suit diving (and teaching) are probably pretty well agreed that being horizontal is generally preferable -- primarily to avoid the exact issue you are having.
As a PADI instructor, one of the things that bothers me has been that all of the images (and the text) of the open water class shows people descending and ascending vertically. This works fine if the diver is in a wetsuit but doesn't work so well for the diver in a dry suit -- especially if the dry suit is a primary source of buoyancy control.
Honest -- dry suits are designed to be used while horizontal (this allows the air/insulation to be spread throughout the suit and doesn't put squeeze in any one spot). Descending/ascending while horizontal just allows the suit to work as designed.
- Messages
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... if you're squashing the boys, the answer should be self-evident ... a proper descent in a drysuit does not result in discomfort or potential loss of reproductive capability ... for most guys, that would be an incentive to adopt a better technique ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Michael Guerrero
Contributor
Properly.
Diving a drysuit is different than diving a wetsuit. In a dry suit, you have to manage the bubble. If you have the valve on your upper arm, and you are vertical, the bubble will naturally travel to your shoulders and vent. If you are horizontal, the bubble spreads out and doesn't vent.
Not really sure why this would even be a question. Just standing up in the water in a dry suit you can feel it squeeze your legs and inflate your shoulders. To get the squeeze off a particular area you need to have air there. Isn't that obvious?
Hi Michael, - I don't agree with you, you can still dive dry and safely maintain a horizontal trim, and I would suggest that is the 'proper' way to dive with a DS. For all sort of reasons horizontal ascents are better for the body from the perspective of DCS and degassing, and if you are properly weighted and trimmed you can still manage the DS air volume while horizontal.
DS diving does not mean throwing out the good practice of horizontal trim and good buoyancy, it just takes a different technique and practice.
I have no problem venting gas from the horizontal position in my DS, I just don't go feet up with the vent below the bulk of the suit. - Phil
---------- Post added October 25th, 2013 at 01:02 PM ----------
Oh - and I have no problem with squeezing on the "little boys" either - P
I always dive with my vent on auto/full open. For me, ascents are the "problem" when in current. If I am using the mooring line, and I reach up the slightest bit to reposition, the valve dumps, and some squeeze sets in. I'm frequently adding gas on ascents.... I'm not comfortable closing it..... but then again, I've only got about 50 dives on it.
As to LB's issue, perhaps the fact that he is in "warm" water diving dry, and using likely a lesser bit of insulation of undergarment. He may be more sensative to the squeeze that us cold water folks are padded against by our heavier thermals.
As to LB's issue, perhaps the fact that he is in "warm" water diving dry, and using likely a lesser bit of insulation of undergarment. He may be more sensative to the squeeze that us cold water folks are padded against by our heavier thermals.
I have minimal experience in my DS, but that is pretty much how I was taught, although my original instructor had me open the upper arm valve a JUST little more than slightly cracked open, so all I have to do is raise the elbow to vent, but it would allow me to easily remove any squeeze on descent, or if depth increased during the dive. This instructor said that the suit should only be inflated just enough to prevent squeeze, and maintain thermal protection, but not for buoyancy control during the dive.
I have also been taught to open and close the valve fully by another instructor, and also this instructor taught us to use the suit for buoyancy control under water, and only use the wing at the surface.
I learned both methods, but much prefer the first, when I dive dry, which is admittedly not terribly often. Both instructors taught that the DS was best dived and controlled by maintaining a horizontal position as much as possible , for ascents, descents, and while diving.
In more than 500 Dry Suit dives, with three different suits, the only times my valve has been anything other than "All The Way Open" was when I was testing the suit for leaks.
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