First Dry Suit Dive.. anything I really need to know?

[TX101]

2. Control your ascent. Ensure your trim is good, your ascent is slow, your valve is high and automatically dumping, and simply don't ascend fast - let that valve dump the gas as you ascend nice and slow.

This is the main reason I ascend vertically rather than the "cool DIR way" of horizontally. Your guaranteed that your shoulder is the highest point when you drop your left arm. Of course I get jiggy with it and go horizontal on deco stops, but the actual ascent is done vertically.

(I'm sure some DIR guy will reply and say how easy it is to do it horizontally all the way and have some reason as to why it's better, but this way works for me)

 

[abitton]

It's the tides, and the closeness to the Labrador current (from the polar region)...

It makes for great diving, though...

Thanks. I do know the location of Les Ecoumins, but looking at a map it appeared to be on the flow path of the river. When I checked the Burgeo Bank reading:
47.28 N 57.35 W (47°16'7" N 57°21'9" W) http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=44255
is reporting 61F.

In other words, the river flowing from the West of LE is 75F, and water to the E of LE, salt water, is 61F.

Do you understand my confusion? There would have to be a major cold influx, that somehow doesn't affect Burgeo Bank, yet is sufficient to radically cut the very warm water temps coming down the St. Lawrence. That's why I had asked if you were there on Holiday (long weekend) this August, or if there was some odd local phenomenon, since met buoys are normally not going to be > 20 degrees erroneous and Burgeo Bank would seem to be a reasonable "bracket" location; I would expect LE temp to be between the 75 and 61, and my gut feel would be that it would be a decent number of degrees above Burgeo Bank, picking up the influence of that warm SL river water.

I'm an engineer by trade, tend to do geek things like look at buoy data. If I hear of 40F water in the middle of 75 and 61F water, I by nature ask what causes the effect. I wonder if there is a glacial river providing a feed at that location, or something similar.
(Not disagreeing to be disagreeable, but to understand what is so special about the location, to make the water much colder than surrounding temperatures)

 

[String]

This is the main reason I ascend vertically rather than the "cool DIR way" of horizontally. Your guaranteed that your shoulder is the highest point when you drop your left arm. Of course I get jiggy with it and go horizontal on deco stops, but the actual ascent is done vertically.

Or do what i do. Use a cuff dump

 

[teknitroxdiver]

Again no. If weighting is correct on a single tank or single/pony removing the squeeze will be near enough neutral. Migration isnt a problem with a suit that fits and proper weighting. The large moving bubble with a proper setup is a myth. Its only an issue when moving to twin sets, have a poor fitting suit and/or overweighted.

Okay, I give.

I suppose that's what I deserve for speculating on what I don't know about..... *sigh* *hangs head in corner*

 

[markfm]

It's the tides, and the closeness to the Labrador current (from the polar region)...

It makes for great diving, though...

Thanks! Labrador Current explains the mix (I tend to think of just the Gulf Current on the East Coast, forget about the others). That's what I was trying to understand.

 

[BarryNL]

Drysuits do take a little getting used to but they are very managable provided you've got a good buddy.

If you are using a rear entry, remember that your buddy is going to have to unzip you so stay on good terms. I now dive a self entry for this reason.

What? You regularly upset buddies so much that they are refusing to let you out of your drysuit?

 

[BarryNL]

Or do what i do. Use a cuff dump

If you have a neoprene neck seal it also tends to vent air quite effectively in an upright position.

 

[discrepancy]

Thanks for the hints guys. I too might be soon having my first go in a dry suit. It doesn't sound as complex as I'd thought it to be, and I note the point about making a pre-emptive move on the heads beforehand. Cheers.

 

[String]

If you have a neoprene neck seal it also tends to vent air quite effectively in an upright position.

Not ideal though, air out, water in

When i meant cuff dump i didnt meal venting from cuff seal, i mean a standard cuff dump fitted onto the wrist. Raise arm, it dumps. No adjustments, no moving parts other than a diaphgram and works nicely.

 

[ajames54]

My wife and I will be diving in the St. Lawrence next week...

Thanks for all the comments... You've all given me a lot more to think about and a lot less to worry about.. if that makes sense..