I hate my drysuit !

[JonR400]

This is a bit of a blatant call for some help from more experienced divers, some of who I hope have been through the same issues as me.

I'm a beginning PADI diver (50 something warm water dives), just bought my own kit so I can dive (nearly) as much as I'd like to.

I decided to do a drysuit course, and did a couple of dives at Vobster, but on both dives felt I had big problems with my bouyancy, and was about to do a fins first ascent. I managed to stop this by grabbing the railings on the 6m training platform and shoving my size 9s down!

I was told this was probably due to my position in the water (knees bent and fins up, rather than straight legs) and I should be able to sort this, but haven't been in my drysuit since.

Not long after, I had a week in the red sea and did 6 great wetsuit dives, concentrating on keeping my legs straighter, but I've not had the guts to get back in my drysuit since. I'm a bit confused, as a lot of the pics I see of the DIR folks seem to have bent knees, fins held fairly high. I've read a few articles about drysuit inversion, but nothing that makes me feel confident about getting back in the water.

I was thinking of going back to Vobster, heading down to 6m and practising inverting and sorting myself - any better ideas?

At the minute, I'm thinking of selling my drysuit (unfortunately I bought an expensive one) and sticking to wetsuit diving only - but I think it would be a shame. Any advice appreciated.

[Sakara Drinker]

Are your boots the right size? I had a problem with floaty feet purely because my boots were too big and air got trapped.

[JonR400]

Originally Posted by Sakara Drinker

Are your boots the right size? I had a problem with floaty feet purely because my boots were too big and air got trapped.

Hi, Yes the boot size is pretty much perfect. I started worrying about things like this, and wondered if my problems were due to the size of the lower legs in the suit. I've got sparrows legs (like most blokes) so there's room to spare in the bottom of my neoprene suit, but I thought this should be quickly squashed down once I got in the water.

I've thought of getting a set of gaiters, and a cuff dump, but don't want to add on kit if it means I keep a poor technique.

I did a dive in a membrane suit, and had no such problems, but that was a different construction, and cuff rather than auto dump. Maybe that's the difference? I don't know really. I'm happy to put the work in to sort my problems, but I guess I'm looking for a pointer in the right direction

[Darren A]

Hi mate,

I rarely offer advice as I'm pretty inexperienced myself, however in this instance I think I may be able to offer good advice.

It sounds to me like your drysuit doesn't fit propery. I bought a drysuit at a dive show, which was a supersuit (oceanic adura), but it just did not fit. This along with being overweighted as I was so scared of a rapid ascent meant I had so much air in my suit that I could feel it rolling from side to side across my shoulders as I swam.

So I decided to splash out on an O3 MTM suit and it is bloody brilliant. It fits so well that quite litteraly all I do is squirt 2/3 very quick squirts of gas in and its equalised, ther is no gas travelling to my legs, 1) cos the leg measurements are so tigh there's no space for the gas to go through, and 2) the foot size is spot on so there is no space for gas even if it trys to get there.. Hardly any gas vents on the ascent.

Anyway, thats my advert for O3 finished

Safe diving

Daza

[Steve S]

Hi Jon,

the dir folk run their suits on very little air, so migration won't be such a problem, is your weight system so tight that it traps air down in your legs, are you using your suit for buoyancy, and if so are you overweighted? all these things could add to your floaty feet. I don't like ankle weights but many divers swear by them, so that may be an option for you.

Stick with it, it will come.

Safe diving,
Steve

[JonR400]

Originally Posted by Darren A

Hi mate,

I rarely offer advice as I'm pretty inexperienced myself, however in this instance I think I may be able to offer good advice.

It sounds to me like your drysuit doesn't fit propery. I bought a drysuit at a dive show, which was a supersuit (oceanic adura), but it just did not fit. This along with being overweighted as I was so scared of a rapid ascent meant I had so much air in my suit that I could feel it rolling from side to side across my shoulders as I swam.

So I decided to splash out on an O3 MTM suit and it is bloody brilliant. It fits so well that quite litteraly all I do is squirt 2/3 very quick squirts of gas in and its equalised, ther is no gas travelling to my legs, 1) cos the leg measurements are so tigh there's no space for the gas to go through, and 2) the foot size is spot on so there is no space for gas even if it trys to get there.. Hardly any gas vents on the ascent.

Anyway, thats my advert for O3 finished

Safe diving

Daza

Hi mate. Thanks for the advice - My suit isn't a MTM, but I had it fitted by the guys at 03 (apparently I'm pretty much a standard Large, even with my beer belly )

The suit is obviously fantastic quality, but I feel like even more of an eejit having an expensive suit (which lots of much better divers would like) and not being able to manage it.

My girlfriend (and regular buddy) has a similar O3 (we've spent ages paying for 'em!) and she loves hers, despite it probably being a bit 'baggier' fit than mine.

So if I trust the guys at O3 (which I'm inclined to do) then I'm not sure it's down to fit. But all ideas are appreciated at this stage!

Steve, I was using my suit for bouyancy, I'm tempted to try again using my bc, and taking the squeeze off with the suit.

Oh, and thanks all for the responses and encouragement. That's as important to me as some magical answer at the minute. As much as anything, I want to feel ready to head down to Vobster and try to get on with things without feeling like I should pack up and go home. I know that probably sounds a bit pathetic, but that's where I am at the minute.

[KeyLimePie]

Hi Jon,

I don't want to open a can of worms, but... Like Steve said, DIR divers don't use their suit for buoancy, nor do many other divers for that matter. If you do use your suit for buoancy then floaty feet syndrome is much more likely as are inversions. However, plenty of people do use their suit for buoancy and do so perfectly well.

I would advise two things: 1) go somewhere to practise recovering from inversions, you really need to be able to do this. It isn't difficult, but takes a little practise. 2) Use your bc for buoancy and keep the suit for redundant buoancy.

Dave

[aqua0]

[quote=JonR400]
I decided to do a drysuit course, and did a couple of dives at Vobster, but on both dives felt I had big problems with my bouyancy, and was about to do a fins first ascent. I managed to stop this by grabbing the railings on the 6m training platform and shoving my size 9s down!QUOTE]

Where was your instructor during all of this and what advice where you given to try and rectify the problem?
If the boots on your suit are neoprene lined then the chances are that you will have "floaty feet" - the best and easiest way to overcome this is to buy some ankle weights - about £20 from a shop - and this should help avoid the problem. Don't be put off using your suit and get out and keep practicing with it, nothing comes naturally straight away - remember how long it took you to get the hang of a BCD?
Failing that - I'll have the suit off you for £100

[Stesh]

Hi Jon,

Steve, I was using my suit for bouyancy, I'm tempted to try again using my bc, and taking the squeeze off with the suit.

Do it! It's what I do and it works.

I've thought of getting a set of gaiters

This thread should help:-

Drysuit gaiters or gators review

[JonR400]

Dave/Aqua0,

Agreed, I think I need to head down to 5/6m at Vobster and practice inversion recovery. Hopefully nobody will take the mick when I head past with my fins on the surface in my fancy drysuit

My instructor suggested I get out and practice (which seems to be good advice) but I wasn't taught inversion recovery as part of the course - this seems like a bit of a shortcoming to me.

I'll get out there next weekend and give it a bash - I'm not going to come to too much grief ascending from 5m, and if my pride takes a bit of a bashing then so be it. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy.

I just hate turning up somewhere like Vobster and being rubbish when there are so many good divers there. I know everyone has to learn but

Thanks all for the help. I'll give it a bash (i'll even strap on my ankle weights), and hopefully I'll be enjoying my drysuit diving as much as all my other dives before too long.