Drysuit NO Wing?

kw_wilson · Mar 14, 2011

I've been diving a hybrid sidemount (back tank and sidemount pony and/or AL80) for a while. I have also dove full sidemount with my Zeagle Escape BC. My question is how different is diving with a razor type harness and a drysuit (properly weighted and ditchable weights) in open water versus a wing/BC with sidemounted AL80s. You have all the same issues with a failed single bouyancy system, but far more streamlined and less hose connections, belts, buckles pockets ....etc.

You should know I will be doing this anyway for a test and in lake/shore diving. I'm just curious what the old timers think here, and if a boat crew would freakout over someone diving outside the normal local dive shop garb.

DwayneJ · Mar 14, 2011

IMHO,

Monkey diving is diving without a wing and involves a neat balance between wet suit, weights, and tank/gear configuration.

What you are doing is not monkey diving - It's substituting the buoyancy of a wing with the buoyancy of a drysuit.

Wings do a better job of managing buoyancy and the drysuit/wing act as buoyancy backups when diving heavy side mount or back mount twin setups.

As I have tried this myself to 65' back mount with steel using a drysuit for buoyancy is somewhat of a pain if only because your stability and range of moment is more limited using drysuit for buoyancy only... Go anywhere near vertical and your suit will spit out a bubble of air. The surface swim to the boat was probably the worst part of the dive because of the additional bubble of air in the drysuit restricted movement in the kelp.

i would wait for Tobin at DSS to complete the wing he is building for Steve, else buy a side mount wing from Dive Right, Golam, Hollis, or UTD.

Dwayne

Jax · Mar 14, 2011

That's an interesting setup. What do you do if you rip a hold in your drysuit? Will you carry a redundant lift source, like a 50# lift bag?

I mention the lift bag because my instructor would not take me on my cert dives when I was in a wetsuit & wing, without redundant lift. Your case is opposite, you have the drysuit, but no wing.

Please let us know how that works for you! Will you be diving Lake Pleasant?

fire_diver · Mar 14, 2011

Your drysuit was never meant to be used as a gear bouyancy tool. This could very likely result in a large air bubble in your suit making trim much harder. The best way to use a drysuit is to manage with just enough air to keep the squeeze away.

Rainer · Mar 14, 2011

I've used just my drysuit when monkey diving (no wing) several times. I didn't have any problems with stability or range of motion (those who are suggesting this is difficult either haven't tried it or did something to make it more difficult than it needs to be; it simply isn't hard to dive this way, at least with a single AL80). I keep to shallow depths, have a scooter and [50#] lift bag, keep lots of weight on a belt and less on the rig, but a catastrophic drysuit failure (however rare) would be a pain to deal with (any small leak would be trivial, and of course the dive would be aborted as soon as a leak was noticed), but manageable.

I choose the drysuit over a wetsuit simply for thermal protection. A small (and relatively inexpensive) wing that didn't taco would be a nice addition.

fire_diver · Mar 14, 2011

The Oxycheq MachV wing is great for single tank diving and has almost no taco to it.

As for my previous post, I was on the assumption of double tanks, just because thats my normal drysuit gear. It helps if DONT make asumptions like that. I can see dry-monkey diving with a single tank.

Rainer · Mar 14, 2011

fire_diver:
The Oxycheq MachV wing is great for single tank diving and has almost no taco to it.

But it'd still taco like crazy if used for monkey diving. I've mounted my DSS wing with some micro STAs I cut and it just isn't very functional with no cylinder holding the wing down.

The DSS scooter wing and the UTD Z-wing both have mechanical attachments to keep the sides down when inflated (either hooking them to the plate or the harness). Both those, however, have different features I don't like, and I have yet to find a monkey diving wing I'd buy.

fire_diver · Mar 14, 2011

Are you talking about single tank diving or sidemount?

Rainer · Mar 14, 2011

Sorry, thought I was clear: monkey diving (i.e. single slung AL80).

fire_diver:
Are you talking about single tank diving or sidemount?

In this video, I'm in a wetsuit, but Roger is diving his drysuit with no wing. That's how I've monkey dived since then. Any wing would need to remain flat against the plate.

[vimeo]7287949[/vimeo]

kw_wilson · Mar 14, 2011

All very good thoughts. Here is hopefully a complete reply. I don't use my BC at all for buoyancy below the surface. I get my weight right and my drysuit provides what little lift I need - typically only the amount needed for squeeze, and I take a fair amount of squeeze as normal. My plans are to dive single AL80 (with pony) sidemounted or double AL80s as sidemounts. I do carry an SMB that actually has the same lift as my current BC. Catastrophic drysuit fail - same as catastrophic BC fail - swim up, use SMB, lose weight at surface and deal with it.

Jax, I will be diving Lake P in April and plan on testing this out; I'll be in Lake M this weekend with my boring old BC and backmount!

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