Just got my Drysuit from Ebay gonna have a lot of Questions

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RICHinNC once bubbled...
"Just never let your feet get higher than your head!!"

of course there is a lot more to it than that....but that is a biggie

Huh????

Every Dry suit Diver I have been with or seen in the last 6 months has had their feet above their head during the best part of the dive. In Fact, we all dive like that intentionally.
Why is it a bad thing????
 
Mo2vation once bubbled...
From a Drysuit Newbie (well, Novermber anyway...)
K

Thanks for the info gives me some stuff to work with. Yes I plan on doing several pool dives till I get it right.

Thanks again
Richard
 
Well....before it becomes the second Easter and you crucify me...let me tell my meager story about the feet above the head.

When I took my OW classes it was in January in NC. COLD. And, I was told by my lds instructor that we would do the qual dives when it got warm.....which would be many months away. Well that was a no go in my book. My job keeps me on the road about 8 months out of the year and I just said where I do the qual dives is where I buy my gear and if I need a referral....so be it. Jaw drop...back pedal....come up with a solution....I was gonna buy it all at one time.

So, I was put in a dry suit....given a quick class and off I went to the quarry. Now I had no problem with that and I had two or three ( cant remember) pool sessions with the dry suit. But i learned that the minute I let my feet get verticle over my head...the air rushed into my feet and up i went if i didnt correct immediatley and vent through the arm.

Now...having said that...I have recently seen a thread where it was mentioned that is the instructor was having you control bouyancy by air in the dry suit and not the bcd...run like heck. Well that is just what I was taught to do. No air in the bcd...all control was by air in and out of the dry suit. So....if you have air in the dry suit and invert...where does the air go????? UP...and so did I. Shoot me....shoot the instructor....whichever....all I know from personal experience is....if you have air in the dry suit...and let your feet and legs get above your head...the air goes u p and so do you.
 
From what I have been reading you are suppose to have the minimal air in your suit.
This is going to be a fun learning Experience.
Thanks for everyones input.
 
Chasing Richard

In reading the replies to your question you have been given some really good advice, but be careful.

You have not meantioned what type of Drysuit you have purchased. There are some important differences that you should realize between the rubber/ ultralight suits and the crushed neoprene/ full neoprene suits.

Can you have your feet higher than your head?

Yes of course you can. Remember that unless you are diving with OS Systems suit or simular, most suits do not have vents at your feet. Most training agencies teach how to do the safety roll to get your feet back below your head if you start to ascend.

It has been posted not to wear ankle weights!

Most of the drysuit divers have seen in the last ten years in Canada and the Northwestern US wear 1 1/2 to 2 pounds per leg, in ankle weighs. It was posted about " Why put weight on your motor" Good point. Consider this, the suit depending on type will have some reserve bouyancy (Neoprene) No wieght on you feet you are going to use more energy to counter the bouyancy in the suit at the feet.

Air in the suit if it is not a neoprene type will have the same effect. Some divers do not wear the weights, some suits have elastic at the ankles and the divers find that very little air gets to feet and they choose not to use them. This one I have seen, and the results were entertaining but could have been quite dangerous. If air is restricted going in it is restricted coming out. This student went to the surface of the pool upside down.

The second point I would like to mention is the not using your for bouyancy control. This is a touchy issue. You can use it for bouyancy control and lots do including myself, and I will tell you why. Before people start jumping lets specify the type of diving. Single tank, cold salt water, ultralight or 3mm neoprene, Thermal layer and 12.5 lbs on my waist 16 in the bcd.

With the ultralights the suit has no reserve bouyancy. air in the suit make it positive. But what you have to remember is that with air in the suit ,because you never get all of it out, as you desend that air compresses. Now you have a suit squeeze, If you are male I will leave this up to your emagination. If you are female there are as my wife says "not the same but still an issue". Thus you are contiually adjusting the pressure insid the suit to control the squeeze. Which is infact controlling bouyancy underwater. I use my bcd to train, surface bouyancy, and at times when I have delibertly overweighted for like commerical work, inspection where I would like to pretty much stay put.

My suggestion is to email the manufacturor/ talk to another owner of your particular suit and get a copy the book to answer your maintenance issues.

Go to a pool and practice, If you would like training almost all the training agencies have some sort of drysuit training in there programs. Most instructors will do special modules on suits if asked. I have done this numerous time for people just like you who have purchased a new peice of gear.

Enjoy your new drysuit

SeaQuest
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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