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New Drysuit

1K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  Pretty Flowers 
#1 ·
Hi all,
Just got my new otter skin drysuit and I thought that I'd consult the oracles here about a couple of things.

1. How much extra weight should I start off with - I use 10Kg with my existing 5mm Semi. I've got about another 3.5Kg of shot kicking about.
2. As the boots are slightly too large when walking to the water, what's the best to use, a couple of pairs of thick socks, some neoprene socks or what?
3. Only use the suit for buoyancy or just to take the squeeze off (and use the wing)?

Thanks for your help anyway :D
 
#2 ·
Get the boots changed. I had oversized boots and overlong legs (the suit) felt like my fins were coming of and didn't enjoy a dive until I accidently put on my buddies suit. Got the legs taken up and boots changed straight after and now enjoy every dive :angel:

Oh and I use the wing for buoyancy. But there are no rules so try both and go with what you prefer.

Neil
 
#4 ·
Why don't you try a nice warm pair of Weezle Sock. At 30 pounds they won't brake the bank and they're very toasty. They'll take up some of the slack in your boots. I find the boots on my drysuit compress some when I dive. They too felt slightly too large when I first tried on the suit, but thats inevitable when you first move from wet to dry suits as they are so much larger, as they have to accomodate the under suit.

When I first started diving I wore 15kg with my compressed neoprene drysuit. I'm now down to 10kg with a single. Put slightly more on to start with and just do a few shallow dives to get used to the different feel of a dry suit. If your doing a course, the instructor should help you out with your trim and show you all the drills like doing a forward roll to get out of an inversion - where the air moves to your legs as they become higher than the rest of your body meaning you invert and end up upside down.

If you've any more questions about dry suits fire away. Don't try and dive as deep as you did in a wet suit, untill your comfortable in your new drysuit. We were first taught to use the suit for bouyancy. Try to keep your upper body higher than your legs for the resons I wrote above. If you have to put lots of air in your suit to compensate for the weight, then try adding a little air into your BCD so there is less air to migrate around your suit, and less to dump later as you assend. I found air would blead out of my neck seal initially as I was over weighted. Try to reduce your weight over a series of dives. If you have a auto dump, you'll need practice in dumping air from your suit. Its easyer to dump with a wrist seal but an auto dump, I found, easier in the longer term. Try dumping with your arms out sligtly in front or you, hands held together, and then slightly roll over to the right, if your auto dumps on your left upper arm. If your not happy with either your auto dump or wrist dump if you have one, then try another suit with the other. You choose what your happiest with.

Finally if after a few dives, you find your still struggling to keep your trim, i.e. your horizontal position in the water your probably slightly over weighted still, try shedding another kg.

If you've done the drysuit course then I've wasted my time typing but every little bit of info helps you.

Good luck.
Dave C
 
#5 ·
I had the same problem with boots as you, and solved it by wearing neoprene socks over my wooly socks. It stops the air migrating to your feet and you getting that fin-coming-off feeling.

Only downside is that your feet stink afterwards, but then that's diving for you.

Laters,
Janos
 
#6 ·
I'm still quite new to DS's, but I did have the same problem with the boots, and neoprene socks done the job. I find using the suit best, cos it only gives me one thing to worry about. I guess if I end up on twins etc then there may be a need to switch to the wing.

As for weighting, do a proper weight check. There are too many variables with drysuits in my opinion, suit material, suit type, undersuit, body shape etc so there is not really any way to predict. I use 4kg with a 5mm semi, whereas I use 12kg with a membrane (same cylinder). I'm assuming this will decrease as I get used to the suit.

Hope this helps

Conor
 
#8 ·
I find that ankle weights do quite well for avoiding that floaty feeling.

My problem is that I have very little feet size 3/4, and its really difficult to get fins that fit properly. I go through fin straps like a does of salts, but I'm converting to spring fins, so hopefully this will resolve the problem.

I love my Otter Drysuit, and have never had problems with it.

For weight, the main consideration is the undersuit, I dive a weezel, and this needs a lot more weight than other makes. Not that I'm complaining mind, it does an excellent job at keeping me warm...
 
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