I will be going to the Galapagos in July on a liveaboard. I get cold very easily and had originally planned to dive dry on this trip. So I bought a drysuit, and have about 70 or 80 drysuit dives in the past 1 1/2 years. But the more I dive in current, the more I realize how difficult it is, and how much gas I consume fighting it. Can anyone offer advice to help me prepare for this trip? How can I train for current without diving in it (no local diving but lakes and quarries). Best type of fins? I'm considering a Thermalution Yellow Plus heated vest with 5 mil full wetsuit and 5 mil farmer john shortie as alternative. Physically I am a small female, workout regularly both cardio and weight-training. Thanks in advance for your help!
Drysuit diving in current-Help!
- Thread starter Dyve4fun
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KevinNM
Contributor
Can you say in more detail what the issue is? Is it losing control in the current and having to focus mostly on that, or is it that you can't make progress against the current? Typically the trick to maintain more control in a DS is to run less gas in the suit. Dry suits are higher drag than wet suits, so going to jet fins (or similar) and working to stay out of the main force might help.
Losing control is always on my mind, so it distracts from being able to enjoy the dive. I did that once from 80' in a very strong current. I stayed mostly horizontal on the ride up, but without flooding the drysuit, was powerless to stop the rise. Since then, I've gone to stiffer fins -- I have Deep Six fins, which are pretty stiff (but the S/M are not as stiff as the large/XL). And I use my wing for buoyancy control - do try to minimize gas in the suit and just suffer the squeeze. I may need to see a psychiatrist to get the fear of losing control out of my head..
Since I am a small person, I can't power through current. So I'm asking for any training and equipment advice, or advice to leave the drysuit at home ...
Since I am a small person, I can't power through current. So I'm asking for any training and equipment advice, or advice to leave the drysuit at home ...
ajduplessis
Contributor
IMO there is no difference between DS or WS diving in current. Just go with the flow, dont try to fight anything.
When i dive a DS I dont use a BC for buoyancy, only suit which works great for me. doudt that that this will make any difference in current, just go with the flow as said earlier.
When i dive a DS I dont use a BC for buoyancy, only suit which works great for me. doudt that that this will make any difference in current, just go with the flow as said earlier.
AJ
Contributor
To me this sounds more like underweighting, not a drysuit issue persé. Drifiting is actually very easy in drysuit. Did quite some dives in strong currents with drysuit and found that drifiting costs almost no energy (buddy in wet suit had to work). Swimming against a current means very hard work, harder than wetsuit. I never experienced problems with buoyancy being correctly weighted.
Could it be that bcause of your anxiety you breathe deeper, therefore generating more lift than expected?
You cannot swim up current and not expect an increase in your SAC/SCR, as a result of increased exertion. If you need to fight up current for a specific task, then do so for that brief moment. Otherwise, let the current take you and enjoy the drift diving. Even with high end carbon fiber freediving fins ($500+), the most fit of divers could not sustain an entire dive swimming against a strong current.
KevinNM
Contributor
My suggestion is you consider talking to Meredith Tanguay and maybe set up some DS dives in current with her. That would be in either Florida or Hawaii. Wet Rocks Diving ...more Diving! Home of GUE Instructor, Meredith Tanguay. It sounds like you are doing the obvious things right, and I'm not good beyond those.
Strong current diving is one of my favorite things to do. High flow cave diving is easy when you do it right and my summer season is spent in the 1000 Islands diving the St. Lawrence River. The drag of a drysuit is considerable compared to a wetsuit. The less thick a wetsuit is the less drag. Well, you're in a drysuit and it is what it is. Lots of wrinkly ledges water likes to bang into as you pass through it. The more streamlined you get the better. Start with gear. Clean up all danglies and keep everything tucked and tight. I mean tight. Only carry what you 100% need. If you have drysuit pockets, resist the urge to stuff them. Only 100% of what you need. Make sure you cylinder(s) is/are positioned correctly to allow you to get your head all the way back, looking forward, while you are lying down flat like Superman or Michael Phelps flip-turning off a wall. Start by reaching forward and imitating a competitive swimmer. This is as streamlined as you can get. But, looking down at the bottom and not forward sucks. Pick your head up and extend it all the way back. Your head should just lightly contact your valve if you press back looking forward. Your hands are in the way, though, right? In current, I hold my light in my left hand leaving it out in front of me like sighting over a handgun. My hand breaks the water and helps reduce drag while I can still see around it. I place my right hand under my tanks or under my can light. Believe it or not, power flutter kicks and power frog kicks will cause you to work harder and open you up to water hitting your thighs. Your knees get hit by water in the flutter. Frog is worse because of the pockets. Instead, I employ the modified flutter and shuffle kicks! Yep, the often overlooked little finesse kicks will keep your fins in the slipstream as slippy as it gets and motors you through. Your knees shouldn't pump. They should stay locked. Like in these videos:
Go to 1:45 into the video for speedy shuffle
Staying close to the bottom or the sides of walls or wrecks will also help cut down on the current's velocity when possible. I'd be happy to teach you in Houston, FL, or the 1000 Islands (the best training ground).
Go to 1:45 into the video for speedy shuffle
Staying close to the bottom or the sides of walls or wrecks will also help cut down on the current's velocity when possible. I'd be happy to teach you in Houston, FL, or the 1000 Islands (the best training ground).
It is probably impossible to solve your issues via the internet. You really need to be in the water with an instructor or experienced drysuit diver.
I would however caution about adding weight.
About 90% of the issues I see are divers being over weighted. An over weighted diver has issues controlling buoyancy. It is normally a vicious circle. Add more weight - more air in the suit - more problems controlling buoyancy - add more weight to stop out of control ascents - even more air in suit - even more expansion issues with changes in depth - more uncontrolled ascents.
Keep the air in the suit to a minimum.
I would however caution about adding weight.
About 90% of the issues I see are divers being over weighted. An over weighted diver has issues controlling buoyancy. It is normally a vicious circle. Add more weight - more air in the suit - more problems controlling buoyancy - add more weight to stop out of control ascents - even more air in suit - even more expansion issues with changes in depth - more uncontrolled ascents.
Keep the air in the suit to a minimum.
Thank you all for the awesome information. There is no substitute for practice and of course additional training and knowledge. I have a lot to consider re: training, but please keep additional information/advice coming!
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