Dry Suit inflator hose Questions

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sylvester

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I have had no class so those of you who will tell me to take a class, I will. But in the mean time I have a few questions about the routing of things.
Does the dry suit inflator hose attach to a LP port on the reg?
To me it would seem ok to route the inflator hose under my right arm to the inflator? My octo is over my right shoulder on a necklace and I use a long hose on my primary.
Are the inflator hoses just a standard LP hose like the one on my wing inflator?
What is the proper way to store a dry suit? Hanging by one of those large shouldered hangers?
If I get a suit like the Bare next gen what kind of glue would I need to attach pockets to it? Will aqua seal work?

Thanks for your time.
 
Does the dry suit inflator hose attach to a LP port on the reg?
Yes

To me it would seem ok to route the inflator hose under my right arm to the inflator?
I've never seen anybody route their hose under their right arm but I guess it doesn't matter. Whatever works for you.

What is the proper way to store a dry suit?
If I'm storing it for more than a week I let it hang until it's dry (at least several days) and then fold it up (per the DUI manual). That's after I put talc powder on the seals and wax the zipper. I would read the owners manual and see what your manufacturer recommends. If you ever have a warranty issue you can say you followed their instructions for storage. I don't fold mine up until it's bone dry.
 
bertschb once bubbled...
and then fold it up (per the DUI manual). That's after I put talc powder on the seals and wax the zipper.

I've never heard a good reason to talc Latex seals (presuming yours is latex) for storage...

Why do you talc them before storing?

Just curious...

Sean
 
Actually, I talc them after every dive trip. I'm told the talc will absorb the oils from your skin and help the seals last longer. They used to recommend using talc on latex seals 25 years ago when I had a Viking dry suit.

My DUI suit came from the factory with talc and they recommend it so.....

BTW, didn't you just get a DUI suit?
 
bertschb once bubbled...
Actually, I talc them after every dive trip. I'm told the talc will absorb the oils from your skin and help the seals last longer. They used to recommend using talc on latex seals 25 years ago when I had a Viking dry suit.

My DUI suit came from the factory with talc and they recommend it so.....

BTW, didn't you just get a DUI suit?

Sure did, and love it. :)

25 years ago, I think the seals weren't the same as the seals we see today. Out of curiousity, who told you about the oil absorption being a life extending
feature?

Cheers!
 
I thought it was in the DUI manual but I just glanced at my manual and it just said to use talc on the seals for storage. It didn't specifically say that would remove the oils. It did say to use soap and water on the seals every 12 dives and that WOULD remove the oils. It said body oils were bad for the latex seals. It was on page 44/45 of my manual.

BTW, don't take my word for anything to do with diving. I started diving in the 70's but didn't do much after the mid-80's. I'm just getting back into it now. I'm like a newbie.
 
Does the dry suit inflator hose attach to a LP port on the reg?

Yes. One of the best reasons for using a separate inflation bottle and regulator is so that you can drop the IP to a very low level, reducing the inflation rate and minimizing the potential for a free flow in cold water. Connecting directly to your backgas is a Plan "B" solution.

To me it would seem ok to route the inflator hose under my right arm to the inflator?

Whatever. Most folks run it under the left arm behind the shoulder strap, that way when you start hanging a deco bottle from your waist or sling one from your backtanks, you'll be used to the hose in the position where you'll want to place the tanks.

My octo is over my right shoulder on a necklace and I use a long hose on my primary.

Sensible.

Are the inflator hoses just a standard LP hose like the one on my wing inflator?

Yes, unless you are a cold water diver and then you want to get one with a larger than usual quick-release so that cold hands can get a sure and fast grip on it. Or carry a larger than normal Z-knife so that you can cut the hose away in the event of a free flow.

What is the proper way to store a dry suit? Hanging by one of those large shouldered hangers?

Short-term, use one of those mongo hangers or other, similar, device. A homemade PVC frame with holes drilled in it, hooked to a hair dryer with a barely warm setting, will help the drysuit dry faster. Long-term, make sure it's clean, dry, zippers waxed, folded neatly and seal it in a lightproof and ozone proof bag. Non-perfumed talc is supposed to help to keep the latex seals from adhering to themselves, but I've never had a problem with this. Then again, my drysuit only rarely goes into long-term storage.

If I get a suit like the Bare next gen what kind of glue would I need to attach pockets to it? Will aqua seal work?

You might ask Bare, but Aquaseal with Cotol should work fine and there are other variants that will also do the job for you. Practice on some scraps or have someone show you how, it's messy and stinky and hard to fix if you screw up.

Steven
 
But I have to ask I am sure your comment about cutting away the inflator hose only applys if I have a seperate inflator bottle? Otherwise I would be draining my main tank.

next question is: I have seen seperate smaller bottles for dry suits attached to the main tank the diver is carrying like a tank mounted pony bottle. Why does this seem to be a standard practice for a deco bottle but a potential fouling point for a pony bottle?
 
But I have to ask I am sure your comment about cutting away the inflator hose only applys if I have a seperate inflator bottle? Otherwise I would be draining my main tank.

Yes. In very cold water, the threat of a free-flowing inflator is a real hazard. Essentially, your drysuit is a giant lift bag and if you can't stop the inflation you're going to have a major bouyancy problem in a hurry. Separating the inflation system from the breathing system allows you to solve a couple of problems: you can use argon (ummm, toasty with helium, search the board for the ongoing discussions regarding the benefits) as an inflation gas and you can control the inflation system without shutting off your breathing air. If you can't pull the inflator hose in a separated system, you can shut the valve off or cut the hose. Cutting the hose (or pulling it) means you might get a little damp but you're not going to lose your breathing gas. By the way, I don't carry the large Z-knife - I've had free-flows in the inflation system a few times and have always managed to solve the problem without needing to slash the hose - but some pretty serious cold-water divers I know do.

next question is: I have seen seperate smaller bottles for dry suits attached to the main tank the diver is carrying like a tank mounted pony bottle. Why does this seem to be a standard practice for a deco bottle but a potential fouling point for a pony bottle?

There are a couple of ways that people handle the inflation bottle: one is to take a 14 cf bottle and band it to the back gas, the other is to mount a 6 cf bottle to the waist strap. For most divers, the 6 cf bottle is enough to get several dives from and would probably be the first choice - lighter, more convenient, less hazardous, etc. I normally get in at least a couple of +120ft wreck dives from a 6 without violating halves and routinely use one for very deep dives. For those that dive very long sawtoothed profiles (think caves), a larger tank (which no longer fits on the waist strap) may be required. Adding a bottle anywhere is not something that anyone should do lightly. It represents an entanglement hazard and an increase in the futz factor, not to mention the cost. Nonetheless, separating the breathing system from the inflation system has pretty much been judged to be worthwhile. I used to sometimes skip the separate inflation system on drysuit dives in warm water to shallow depths with no helium in the mix, but I don't do many of those and have found it easier to standardize my setup and stick to it.

Steven
 
bertschb once bubbled...


I've never seen anybody route their hose under their right arm but I guess it doesn't matter. Whatever works for you.

Works perfectly for me :)
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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