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Drysuit weighting

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 8:29 am
by Cupronickel
First drysuit dive tomorrow morning! I was wondering if anyone has any ballpark estimates for how much lead i should carry? I usually dive 24 lbs with my farmer john 7mm and my 119. Its a fusion suit if that makes a difference...

Re: Drysuit weighting

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 8:59 am
by CaptnJack
The undergarment would be the key variable you left out, plus your size.

The best thing you can do is bring a near empty (~700psi) tank and do a weight check first. Then go diving. You need a buddy who knows how to do a drysuit weight check. Its not that hard but you don't want to be vertical and fully vented, you want to be able to lay on the bottom in 5ft of water with a near empty tank and a normally lofted drysuit undergarment.

Re: Drysuit weighting

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 9:30 am
by Norris
The undergarment makes a big difference as the Cap has said. The key is that you will need more, period. Now you have more bubble to deal with where the wetsuit was minimal.
Ideally the 700psi tank weight check would be great but if that was not in your plan keep in mind that if you are underweighted, you likely wont be faced with that realization until the end of your dive when you want to safety stop but your heading to the surface.

Re: Drysuit weighting

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 11:40 am
by Cupronickel
In terms of size, im 5'11" 190 lbs. The undergarment I got is a Whites brand fleece coverall, its not super fluffy like some Ive seen. I only have one tank, so it will be full when I arrive at the site also.

Re: Drysuit weighting

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 11:59 am
by CaptnJack
Id' start with 28lb, but you might be too light at the end so don't push the NDLs cause you might float up on your safety stop.

Re: Drysuit weighting

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 12:37 pm
by Jeff Pack
Coverall? Do you mean a thermal fusion, or a mk3

Very different garments

Re: Drysuit weighting

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 4:35 pm
by Cupronickel
Jeff Pack wrote:Coverall? Do you mean a thermal fusion, or a mk3

Very different garments
Its the Whites Glacier Series MK2. Maybe "onesie" is a better term for it?

Re: Drysuit weighting

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 6:08 pm
by Jeff Pack
hmm, a mk2 and not a mk3? thats odd.

In either case, thats a lofting undergarment (Primaloft) so it'll take some lead to sink it.

Re: Drysuit weighting

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 7:03 pm
by Cupronickel
Ill be bringing 38 lbs of lead, which is all I have. Im hoping that will work. I dont chill too easlily, so we will see how the mk2 does by itself for me...

Re: Drysuit weighting

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 7:29 pm
by bradmond

Re: Drysuit weighting

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 7:40 pm
by Cupronickel
CaptnJack wrote:Id' start with 28lb, but you might be too light at the end so don't push the NDLs cause you might float up on your safety stop.
Thanks. I might do 30 or a little more to be on the safe side.

Re: Drysuit weighting

Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2015 10:33 am
by Tom Nic
Cupronickel wrote:
CaptnJack wrote:Id' start with 28lb, but you might be too light at the end so don't push the NDLs cause you might float up on your safety stop.
Thanks. I might do 30 or a little more to be on the safe side.
Your profile indicates you are a newer diver.

In my experience, the less experienced I was, the more weight it required to sink me. Many reasons for this - more movement in the water, skulling, etc, keeping more air in my lungs as opposed to letting it out more deeply, etc etc.

Since you only have the one tank, I'd start a bit overweighted, do your dive, then mess with a weight check at the end of your dive with your buddy's help.

You will reduce your weight a bit as you continue to gain comfort / experience, but initially overweighted (within reason) is better than underweighted, and you can then do your weight checking at the end of a dive

Drysuit weighting

Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2015 10:40 am
by Scubie Doo
Exciting stuff :) I remember breaking into the drysuit realm. I agree with Mr. Nic. As long as you are not super overweighted you should be fine. As Jack said just watch your NDL just in case you are light at the end of the dive.

Let us know how it goes.

Re: Drysuit weighting

Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2015 12:23 pm
by Clay
Great advice once again from the divers here, lots of contributing factors to consider. 10% of your body weight plus 10 lbs is a great starting estimate. So I'd hafta agree with 28 to start. With your height/weight ratio plus a 119 I'd assume you can trim quite a bit from that

Re: Drysuit weighting

Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2015 8:33 pm
by Tangfish
If you do this on a day that Gabby's there you can always toss up a few lbs after you get in the water and get a general feel for your sinkability (did I just invent that word?).

Re: Drysuit weighting

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 2:30 pm
by Cupronickel
The dive went well! But I came up wet in the chest and legs. Had the suit checked, and no leaks there, so maybe a folded neck seal or something. It was wayyyy easier than I expected it would be. I was using my suit for squeeze and my BC for buoyancy, was able to stay in trim the whole time! I did hit bottom a few times though... All in all it was awesome, hopefully next dive Ill be dry!! PS had 32 lbs and had no problems at the end of the dive.

Re: Drysuit weighting

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 4:19 pm
by fmerkel
Frankly I'm not terribly impressed with 'professional' suit checks. I think I do better myself with a used tank of air and a soapy spray bottle after sealing up all the outlets.

Re: Drysuit weighting

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 4:28 pm
by Penopolypants
It's also possible that your inflator valve was letting water in as you added air.

Glad to hear the dive went well!

Re: Drysuit weighting

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 4:32 pm
by CaptnJack
bad inflators, bad zippers, and loose/folded neck seals are all possible.

Re: Drysuit weighting

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 4:47 pm
by Jeff Pack
Perhaps running the suit too squeezey, as those valves will let water in.

Also, cutting those neck and wrist seals may not have been a good plan in retrospect.

Jeff checked the suit at tlsea, and he knows how to test a suit, so it's unlikely a suit leak

Re: Drysuit weighting

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 5:22 pm
by Cupronickel
Penopolypants wrote:It's also possible that your inflator valve was letting water in as you added air.

Glad to hear the dive went well!
Would this indicate a defective inflator, or one that needs to be tightened or something else? I also had Jeff at TL Sea check the seal tightness at the wrists and neck and he said they seemed tight enough. Zipper is in the rear of the suit, and my back was totally dry. Would putting too much squeeze on any suit valves let water inside, or just the apeks valves on this suit? During the dive I felt the squeeze, but nothing approaching uncomfortable or painfull

Re: Drysuit weighting

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 5:52 pm
by Desert Diver
Put plastic drinking cups in the wrist seals and a gallon pitcher in the neck seal, blow it up and spray it with soapy water. Sometimes the inflator valve or exhaust valve are not attached tightly enough. I've found a little silicone grease, not cement, on the surfaces lets them tighten down nicely and keeps them from leaking.

Re: Drysuit weighting

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 6:01 pm
by Cupronickel
Desert Diver wrote:Put plastic drinking cups in the wrist seals and a gallon pitcher in the neck seal, blow it up and spray it with soapy water. Sometimes the inflator valve or exhaust valve are not attached tightly enough. I've found a little silicone grease, not cement, on the surfaces lets them tighten down nicely and keeps them from leaking.
I did exactly that, at the dive shop, and we sprayed soapy water all over the suit. Neither of us heard hissing, or saw any bubbles. Suit looked like the stay puff man haha. And thanks for the silicone grease tip, good idea to remember!

Re: Drysuit weighting

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 7:57 pm
by Jeff Pack
Running the suit 10 clicks open, you don't want to feel any squeeze at depth. Or like I told you, run it closed, and open on ascent, but that's more tricky.

Those valves still reverse flow if you run them squeezed.

For testing just run the suit with no squeeze. Don't change your weighting yet either.

Re: Drysuit weighting

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 8:01 pm
by Penopolypants
Cupronickel wrote: Would this indicate a defective inflator, or one that needs to be tightened or something else? I also had Jeff at TL Sea check the seal tightness at the wrists and neck and he said they seemed tight enough. Zipper is in the rear of the suit, and my back was totally dry. Would putting too much squeeze on any suit valves let water inside, or just the apeks valves on this suit? During the dive I felt the squeeze, but nothing approaching uncomfortable or painfull
Eh, it could be the inflator valve is defective, or it could be a bit of grit could have gotten in when you attached your hose, or the valve may need to be tightened. Sometimes it's subtle, sometimes you can feel a squirt of water when you add some air when the valve is bad or the hose connection is bad.

If there are no obvious leaks when you test the suit, just tighten what you can, look for sand in your hose the valve, and see if you notice anything when you add air the next time. Honestly weird random leaks are a part of dry suit diving, but you should have mostly dry dives with a new suit.