Miserable Westsuit Experience

[Dogbowl]

I am normally a warm water Caribbean diver - skins and 8lbs of weight with no air in my BCD and my buoyancy is near perfect.

This past weekend I decided to try some local diving, which required the use of a 7mm wetsuit, hood, and gloves.

I knew going in it was going to be a little more difficult due to the buoyancy and compression of the wetsuit and the addition of about 20lbs of weight, but I had no idea it was going to be as difficult as it was.

I felt I needed to overweight by a few pounds in order to get down under 15-20', but once I dropped below 30' I seemed to require what I considered to be a SIGNIFICANT amount of air in my BCD to stop sinking. I was able to level out at depth, but on ascent as I reached the 20' mark I couldn't dump air fast enough to not bottle rocket to the surface.

Kicker is when I did my buoyancy check at the surface, I was nearly perfectly weighted.

Is there a trick to adjusting to the compression / decompression of a wetsuit to make it easier?

Over 2 days I just couldn't get comfortable with it, to the point where in my mind today I will never try diving a wetsuit again.

Any advice from the diving gods would be appreciated.

Yup! That was my experience first (and maybe last) time diving Tobermory. I figure I’m going to give it more time before trying cold water diving again, and it will be in a drysuit. I highly admire cold water drysuit divers. Cold water diving is a different beast altogether.

 

[Damselfish]

Buoyancy control with thick neoprene is definitely different and more challenging than a skin in warm water, it takes practice at anticipating and sensing changes, correcting but not over-correcting. You may find you're more inclined to avoid gratuitous depth changes, unlike warm water where you probably bop around with impunity. (I did it the other direction, started diving wet in New England then went to warm water, which was then so easy. I'm sure it took me more than 2 days of diving at home to get sorted out.)

 

[outofofficebrb]

Hi, there.

The first 5-10 feet are usually the most challenging due to how much buoyancy a thick wetsuit has. However, it significantly compresses once you're at depth and it is more manageable. That is why you are struggling with the weight at depth. I find it very helpful to dive down head first while exhaling deeply and kicking down the first bit, kind of like a duck dive. If you are a relatively new diver (as your dives 0-24 suggest), buoyancy is usually a bit more challenging in the beginning and you will find that you use more weight now than you will later down the road. If you are relying on weight alone to sink feet first, it works, but you will likely have more weight than you really need. Another thing is your breathing - the more regulated and calm it is, the better your buoyancy and air consumption will be. You'll find that with time you will need to use less weight and less air per dive.

When I first started diving in a 7mm with hood, boots, and gloves, I was at something like 22-24 pounds with an AL80. I now dive with an 8/7mm semidry, gloves, and boots with 14-16 pounds on an AL80 or 10-12 on a HP100.

 

[rabe]

I usually feel the difference between wearing my frogskin under my 5 mm versus not wearing it.
I guess your case is even worse...

 

[TMHeimer]

Soak the wetsuit prior to putting it on

Yes, in Nova Scotia, or Delaware in the winter.

 

[rongoodman]

If it's too cold for a 5mm wet suit, it's time for a dry suit.

 

[Tassi Devil Diver]

The OP is a prime example of those who have learnt to dive in the tropics struggle with diving in cooler climates, see this a lot where I come from, and is good example of why it is best to do your course in the area you come from, particularly if it is a cooler climate, rather than jetting off to the tropics where diving is so much easier. Diving in cold water is much more challenging and will make you a much better diver.

To the OP stick with it, buoyancy will come right with a bit of persistence and you will be able to drop some of that weight and enjoy your local diving.

 

[Bubblesong]

on ascent as I reached the 20' mark I couldn't dump air fast enough to not bottle rocket to the surface.

While I am at the bottom, neutral, and decide it is time to swim up, is I raise my inflator above my head and let out a steady small TINY dribble of bubbles out as I kick to the surface. This is anticipating the buoyancy change by adjusting your deflating bcd to match your increasing 7mm neoprene. (When I was first certified, I tried the opposite, adding air to bcd to rise, this caused the out-of-control accelerating rocket to surface). Plus I learned that divers are supposed to habitually have a hand up while rising so you don’t hit your head on something unseen.
This takes practice and an eye of your computer or depth gauge to be sure you are not rising too fast.
I hope you have some fun reward to make Diving in the cold Worth it. In New England we have Harbor Seals, and if it weren’t for those “Sea Puppies”, I probably would not have cold water dive after certifying.

 

[BRT]

Yup! That was my experience first (and maybe last) time diving Tobermory. I figure I’m going to give it more time before trying cold water diving again, and it will be in a drysuit. I highly admire cold water drysuit divers. Cold water diving is a different beast altogether.

If you thought the wetsuit was interesting wait till you try the drysuit!

 

[49north]

If you thought the wetsuit was interesting wait till you try the drysuit!

The obligatory feet first ascent is fun!

Once that is out of the way, it’s not too bad.