Tips and tricks for valve shutdown in a drysuit?

[flots am]

While I really don't like being a Master of the Obvious, it's entirely possible that your drysuit doesn't give you the required range of motion and you may need to have it altered.

---------- Post added December 29th, 2014 at 10:29 AM ----------

Or move to sidemount

I really didn't want to start that, but it does work.

I got rid of my BM stuff and switched to SM a couple of years ago.

Just because someone decided to bolt tanks to an old stop sign 50 years ago, doesn't automatically make it an optimal solution.

flots.

 

[Diver0001]

After moving from a wetsuit to a drysuit, I can no longer reach my valves. At first, I thought this was just a part of getting used to a drysuit, and would go away, but after a couple dozen dives building comfort, I did not make any progress at all, and at this point, I do not think just mindless, repeated attempts at it are really going to cut the mustard, or get me to the level of fluency I am after. I would like to be able to reliably shutdown either post in under 10 seconds every time I try, and I need a strategy to get there.

When I did my deco procedures earlier this year in a wetsuit and double AL80s, the valve drill, surprisingly, was the easiest part of it. I did not have to think about it, I just reached back, and the post was right there, I did not have to loosen my crotch strap, twist my body, or struggle. This makes me think I do not have unusual mobility issues. I recently busted my right shoulder, but it is healing pretty well, and by now, it is just about as bad as the other one ever was. I am diving a Whites Fusion drysuit with a neck ring that is known to restrict movement, but it is my understanding that people somehow find a way to make it work. I suspect the suit is the issue, but it is not quite clear how exactly it restricts movement, or what to do about it. When I suit up, I try to pull more of it towards the chest to make sure it does not pull down, but it does not make a difference. I dive Faber HP100s with the Thermo manifold. My valve handles should be sticking out just as high behind my neck as they did on the AL80s, where I did not seem to have any difficulty doing the drill.

What is happening now is that, after loosening my crotch strap, positioning my shoulder lower to let the doubles slip a little forward and sideways, and pushing with one hand on the tank bottoms, with some effort I can brush against the manifold, eventually pull it, then brush against the valve, and work my way to the point where I can actually grab it enough to turn. It takes both of my hands to pull the tank to the right place, it takes a minute or what feels like a minute, during which time I am badly out of trim, with head down and tilted. This is a complete mess, and I do not really think I can ever make it work the way I want it.

I must not be the first person who struggled. Any of this sound familiar? Please share...

Something is wrong. I would need to see you in the water to know what.

In my normal undies I can reach back and grab both of my posts (left and right) without effort. What *is* important is that you keep the elbows to the front. If you put them to the side then you can't reach the valves. Try it now. You don't need to be diving to see how the position of the elbows is important.

On my "fat" days ... meaning days that I'm wearing an extra layer in my drysuit because of the cold, there is a chance that I may need to reach down and push the set up over my head in order to get a hand on it. In the worst case (Michelin man) I may need to use one hand to push the other arm back by pushing on the elbow.

If none of this works, then my conclusion would be that your suit is too tight.

R..

 

[Johanan]

The anatomy of the shoulder joint is such that it is more difficult to reach back with the elbow pointed away from the body. You may try to direct your arm back in a position with the elbow close to your side, as if you were trying to touch your nose or ear wit it. You can also assist with your other hand a slight push on the elbow. Thereafter you can turn the elbow out, if necessary. Yes, and you will have no problem to reach the valves in dry suit and sidemount.

 

[Dhboner]

I dove back mount for two years without being able to reach my valves and execute a proper shutdown. I saw a physiotherapist and religiously performed the exercises and stretches and still couldn't even get close. I even had two close friends, both of whom were GUE Tech 2 trained, dive with me to see if they could see any technique flaws or offer up advice. I concluded that after years of mountain bike racing (and crashing) I had so much scar tissue in my shoulders that my mobility was compromised for good. I was faced with a decision; keep diving backmount and rely on my team to do the shutdown for me if it were ever necessary or make the move to sidemount. It is not for everyone, but I can now dive with the confidence that if I have an issue I can shutdown the offending regulator in seconds.

 

[LiteHedded]

I dove back mount for two years without being able to reach my valves and execute a proper shutdown. I saw a physiotherapist and religiously performed the exercises and stretches and still couldn't even get close. I even had two close friends, both of whom were GUE Tech 2 trained, dive with me to see if they could see any technique flaws or offer up advice. I concluded that after years of mountain bike racing (and crashing) I had so much scar tissue in my shoulders that my mobility was compromised for good. I was faced with a decision; keep diving backmount and rely on my team to do the shutdown for me if it were ever necessary or make the move to sidemount. It is not for everyone, but I can now dive with the confidence that if I have an issue I can shutdown the offending regulator in seconds.

if you have a legitimate mobility concern sidemount is a good option

 

[RJP]

Do a 'pre stretch' of the drysuit and undies. Put some gas in it (probably more than you usually dive with) and REALLY give it a good stretch. Arms up, shoulders up like you're reaching for a bag in the overhead bin of an airplane...

The only thing I would change about this advice is orientation... there's no reason to assume a vertical position to do this.

Do your "pre-stretch" horizontally at the surface at the beginning of the dive. Face down, reg in, stretch arms and legs way out. This will ensure that your suit fabric is "spread out" as much as possible. (Once you begin to descend - and the suit is under pressure - it's almost impossible to move the drysuit fabric around in any meaningful way.) Then see if you can do a valve drill at the surface. If you can't - assuming your tank bands are properly set and your harness isn't too tight - you may well have the wrong size suit/undergarment or a bad combination of the two.

 

[PfcAJ]

The only thing I would change about this advice is orientation... there's no reason to assume a vertical position to do this.

Do your "pre-stretch" horizontally at the surface at the beginning of the dive. Face down, reg in, stretch arms and legs way out. This will ensure that your suit fabric is "spread out" as much as possible. (Once you begin to descend - and the suit is under pressure - it's almost impossible to move the drysuit fabric around in any meaningful way.) Then see if you can do a valve drill at the surface. If you can't - assuming your tank bands are properly set and your harness isn't too tight - you may well have the wrong size suit/undergarment or a bad combination of the two.

I wasn't clear. You're 100% correct. Do it horizontal.

what I was attempting to illustrate is the need to not just move the arms up but to fully engage the shoulders upward (above the head ).

 

[TSandM]

Interestingly, in my recent Cave 1 reclass, JP demonstrated dong this vertically, while floating at the surface. Personally, I think horizontal works better, because you can distribute the air throughout the suit, which makes pulling fabric up from the bottom easier. I do my flow check at the same time.

 

[LiteHedded]

I like to do it horizontally. Get my arms and legs stretched out the way I will be diving the suit

 

[tbone1004]

you should have no issue doing it at the surface since the rig is pulled up as high as it can go, I regularly check all my valves before descent...