Dry suit dump valve: cuff or shoulder?

[Paddyfrog]

thank you for your advices, everybody. i'll be more able to make up my mind now. its nice to know that i can easily change my mind and fit the alternative if needed - i didnt know this...
thanks again
:butnhome: Paddyfrog

 

[mempilot]

The other choice although i dont like the idea myself is no dump. I dived with someone with such a "system" this week. It works although i couldnt do it due to the way i tuck my gloves in and do them up tightly.

I also overlap my glove on top of the wrist seal and strap it tight. I don't like my wrist seals burping and letting cold water in. This works, but doesn't give an easy way to emergency vent. My exaust valve is a variable auto dump type and when depressed lets quite a bit out at once without letting water back in. I couldn't imagine not having a dump. Seems like a good way to get wet!

For the original question, I'd try both if you can. Both positions have pro's and con's.

 

[String]

I also overlap my glove on top of the wrist seal and strap it tight. I don't like my wrist seals burping and letting cold water in. This works, but doesn't give an easy way to emergency vent. My exaust valve is a variable auto dump type and when depressed lets quite a bit out at once without letting water back in. I couldn't imagine not having a dump. Seems like a good way to get wet!

For the original question, I'd try both if you can. Both positions have pro's and con's.

I tend to suffer from cold hands so take actions to stop it. Unfortunately these realistically mean i will not be able to rapidly dump air from my suit if needed.

My suit has neoprene warmers over the latex seal so i roll those back, slide the glove over the latex seal, velcro up glove tightly then roll cuff warmer over the whole lot. This means there is near no flushing at all.

Likewise my suit has a neoprene neck warmer to which my (very tight fitting) hood lives tucked inside so it overlaps the seal and no skin is showing.

The net result is no flushing but no way could i get past that lot to dump from neck or wrist in a hurry. Its a sacrifice im willing to take to avoid intense pain from cold hands.

This person with no dump claims he isnt getting wet OR cold from it. To be fair he doesnt seem to be that wet on the sleeve area and you'll only really get soaked if you are trying to dump air when theres none present.

 

[mempilot]

I tend to suffer from cold hands so take actions to stop it. Unfortunately these realistically mean i will not be able to rapidly dump air from my suit if needed.

My suit has neoprene warmers over the latex seal so i roll those back, slide the glove over the latex seal, velcro up glove tightly then roll cuff warmer over the whole lot. This means there is near no flushing at all.

Likewise my suit has a neoprene neck warmer to which my (very tight fitting) hood lives tucked inside so it overlaps the seal and no skin is showing.

The net result is no flushing but no way could i get past that lot to dump from neck or wrist in a hurry. Its a sacrifice im willing to take to avoid intense pain from cold hands.

This person with no dump claims he isnt getting wet OR cold from it. To be fair he doesnt seem to be that wet on the sleeve area and you'll only really get soaked if you are trying to dump air when theres none present.

I do the same on the neoprene neck warmer over the hood and latex neck seal. My suit doesn't have neoprene wrist warmers though. I might have to install them some day. I sacrifice the quick dump for comfort also. Quick dumping from a seal is a quick way to end up flooded anyway. With 30+ minutes of deco obligation, I wouldn't want to sit with cold water in my suit.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I have a suit with a cuff dump as well as one with a shoulder dump but prefer the shoulder dump.

As indicated above the cuff dump gets in the way when gearing up and sometimes when working underwater, But again, as indicated above the cuff rings on the dry gloves are in the way anyway so that one is probably a wash with either dump location. A cuff dump usually leaks a bit more compared to a shoulder dump and it consumes valuable wrist real estate.

A cuff dump normally also means you are going to get much wetter if your dry gloves springs a leak as elevating the wrist to dump provides an opportunity for more water in the glove to leak down into the arm.

I have never had an issue with the slight roll required with a shoulder dump but it is an area where quality counts. I have a very nice Si tec dump valve on the shoulder and having a very responsive valve goes a long way toward making the shoulder location work well for you.

 

[mempilot]

I have a very nice Si tec dump valve on the shoulder and having a very responsive valve goes a long way toward making the shoulder location work well for you.

I've been thinking about replacing my dump valve with a better one. I'm not entirely happy with the rate at which it dumps. I'll have to take a look at the Si Tec.

 

[James Plumridge]

Mine is on the shoulder. But I wish it were on the cuff.

Why so?

 

[lexvil]

Why so?

14 years ago...