Mailing List Archive Mailing List Archive
Jim, It is a holdover from the days when an AL80 was all the gas you were going to carry. That meant you started the dive a bit over five pounds heavy and ended the dive in trim. Handling that with the suit wasn't all that big a deal, although it never was a good idea. Trying the same trick with a couple of 104s on your back, two stages which are a bit negative when full and a full argon bottle doesn't work nearly as well. Stuff like scooters makes it even harder. I can remember when it was big news that you still needed to wear a BC with a drysuit. Times change. Some people don't. Don ----- Original Message ----- From: Jim Cobb <cobber@ci*.co*> To: Richards, Simon <richardss@nm*.co*>; <techdiver@aquanaut.com> Sent: 12 July, 2001 16:54 Subject: Re: Drysuits > I would like to know where this "use your drysuit for buoyancy and not your > wings" bullshit started as it makes no sense at all. I have tried it both > ways and trying to get anything done with a huge bubble of air rolling > around your drysuit is futile. I do understand the feet-first ascent issue > that everybody warns you about, it comes from using your drysuit as primary > buoyancy. > > I think that the best way to use a drysuit is to have just enough air to > prevent squeeze and then use your wings for everything else. With a proper > drysuit this means adding a squirt of two of air on the way down and then > letting your auto-deflate valve on your shoulder handle the drysuit on the > way up, while deflating your wings manually. Personally I like to be on the > negative side when going up an anchorline and of course as neutral as > possible and finning up when doing a free ascent (drift dive). It's not a > good idea to use either your suit or wings as an elevator as this can get in > trouble real fast. > > I have also discovered that having a proper fitting drysuit is desirable. If > your suit is too small you will constantly be pumping air out of it whenever > you bend or flex your back. Then you get cold from constantly blowing the > air back in. If it is too large the air tends to hang out in the legs or one > arm or the other and you have to expend a lot of effort to move the air back > to where it belongs. > > As to manufacturer from personal knowledge I know that the life expectancy > of a neoprene suit is about 3 seasons. I suspect you get what you pay for in > this area. For balance and less mucking around with your buoyancy during the > dive the trilam works better hands down over neoprene. > > Jim > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > Learn About Trimix at http://www.cisatlantic.com/trimix/ > > > From: "Richards, Simon" <richardss@nm*.co*> > > Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2001 14:08:27 -0400 > > To: "'techdiver@aquanaut.com'" <techdiver@aquanaut.com> > > Subject: Drysuits > > > > > > Hi. I've been reading this site for a while, and I have found some very > > useful advice here (someone said "A wise man does not learn from his > > mistakes", and this must be true for technical diving as you often don't > > survive your mistakes). > > > > For background, I have about 4 years open water experience and am a keen > > (and OK) photographer. This year I started cave diving (intro to cave in > > Mexico, in a wetsuit), which was an eye-opener. I am sorting out my gear in > > a local quarry for a return trip to Mexico and hopefully full cave, and then > > I hope to try Florida (do the whole course again in a drysuit?). My kit is > > basically configured DIR style, but this is because it seems to make sense > > to me and I can't see any obvious fatal flaws, not because of "religion" > > (but I do rather like the idea that I have the WKPP team testing "my" gear > > configuration "for me" at 300 feet at no risk or cost to myself - thanks > > guys!). > > > > I would appreciate views on two questions: > > > > (1) I have a DUI CF200 drysuit, and I think I was originally taught not to > > use the wings underwater for buoyancy control, just the suit. I have seen > > the occasional reference here to using the wings underwater, but I have done > > a search and couldn't see any definitive advice. A couple of times (but not > > always) I have felt that I couldn't get enough buoyancy on the drysuit > > alone, and have got through a lot of air inflating the suit and then having > > it blow out of the neck seal (I've never had any water come in). Was this > > the wrong body position, overweighting, neck seal cut too loose, or just bad > > diving? Should I have put some air into my wings? Basically, I think I'm > > asking "how do I dive (properly, in the real world with big buoyancy changes > > during a dive as air is used) in a drysuit?" > > > > (2) My buddy wants a drysuit and her funds are limited. She is looking at > > something called an "Otter", which is a laminate I believe. I think George > > Irvine has recommended DUI TLS on this site, but she cannot afford one. > > Does anyone have any good or bad experiences with Otters? > > > > You can see that we are a long way off doing any serious dives yet, but we > > would like to get there slowly over the next year or two and to buy the > > right equipment now. > > > > Thanks in advance. > > > > Simon Richards > > > > > > -- > > Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. > > Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'. > > > > > -- > Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. > Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'. > NetZero Platinum No Banner Ads and Unlimited Access Sign Up Today - Only $9.95 per month! http://www.netzero.net -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
Navigate by Author:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Subject Search Index]
[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]
[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]