First drysuit dive.

[StanKeech]

I went with a co-worker to Rodondo (i think some other NWDC memebers were there) on Thursday. Got suited up with my "new" undergarment (Thanks dwashbur) and jumped in immediately feeling like a million bucks. No cold water hitting my body is sweet. But my fins are too small now, and they fell off once, luckily i recovered them. I added 10 pounds of weight to offset the drysuit (34 pounds total) and with my bc fully deflated i could not get down so i swam down. Playing with the inflater on the suit and my bc trying to adjust to neutral buoyancy was a new and difficult process. Even with the deflation valve all the way open and my bc all the way empty i would rocket to the surface. We were out to just play with our new gear anyway.

My BC is way to heavy for my back with the extra weight. Do people wear weight belts under their suit? How is this fixed?

How much weight should i need? I felt like i was close but i need a few more pounds.

I was wearing sweatshirt and sweatpants underneath my undergarment. Could this be the reason i was not able to sink? What should i wear instead?

Any other tips? Thanks

Stan

[Dashrynn]

Do you have ankle weights? Some people don't wear the but some do (I endorse this) just depends on your fin type and preference. That would relieve some weight. Also I put some weight in my drysuit pockets (just because its for my winter setup) to offset the extra undergarment I have to wear for winter

[Dashrynn]

I should also note that putting weight in your drysuit pockets will eventually rip the pocket away from your drysuit. I put my light in mine and it holds my knife its not DIR but it suits me just fine.

[dwashbur]

Stan,
You might try it with just the undergarment. You're a heckuva lot skinnier than I am, and I only use about 30 pounds. If you couldn't get down with 35 pounds something is definitely akilter.

As for the weight distribution, I have a DUI weight harness. 22 pounds goes in that (all it'll hold), 3 pounds on my ankles (1.5 per), and 5 pounds in various trim pockets here and there about my BCD. My wife wears a weight belt in the usual way, over her dry suit, but if the weight is bothering your back I'd suggest the harness. You can adjust it so that the bulk of the weight rests on your hips rather than your spine. I'd also second the idea of moving a couple of pounds to your ankles.

Hope the undergarment gives you many years of good service!

[LCF]

Well, the first thing you have to do is figure out how much weight you actually NEED. You can do that even when your tank is full; get in the water and add weight until you float, with an empty BC and empty suit, at eye level. Then add a pound for every 13 cubic feet of gas in your tank.

Drysuit diving does tend to need more weight. I put some of my weight on a belt, so that it isn't all hanging from my shoulders. That makes my rig easier to move around on land, too. I also put the weight on the rig as the last thing I do.

Depending on the kind of suit you bought, you may find that the undergarments you were wearing are not thick enough for full dives in the Sound. Most of us wear something that was designed for diving. It's important that whatever you wear UNDER the suit will insulate even if wet, because, as my mentor told me, all dry suits become wet suits . . . and then you get them fixed

[spatman]

welcome to the world of diving dry!

i would definitely start by losing those sweats, they're trapping air and making you more buoyant. try using some thin polypropylene long underwear underneath your undergarment. (that a lot of unders...)

the next trick is to determine proper weighting before you put yourself in a situation where you are imitating a polaris missile shooting to the surface. LCF's approach is a good way, and another is below, written by yours truly in this thread about weighting back in november:

the best way i've found to determine good weighting is to suit up with 500psi in your tank. keep some of your weights in your hands and in 5 feet of water, lay down on the bottom and exhale all the way. then take a deep breath an hold it for a few seconds. if you rise up off the bottom, and then sink back down when you exhale completely, you are good to go. if you don't rise up on inhalation, drop a pound or two that you're holding and try again. repeat as necessary.

obviously add weight if you are having a hard time staying down in the exercise above. good luck!

[H20doctor]

Welcome to the world of dry ... I am 165 lbs and dive with 30 lbs of weight , I also mix up what I wear under my Neopreem drysuit.. Sometimes I wear sweats, sometimes I wear a 2 piece Fleece thng... I dive on a LP 95 ... But when I dive on my ALum 90 I have to add 5lbs...

[Mattleycrue76]

You didn't mention what kind of tank you were using but for me when I went from an AL80/jacket BC to a steel backplate with a single tank adapter and a steel 119 I was able to remove about 14 lbs. The rest (24 lbs) went in a DUI weight and trim. I'm 6"1 and 210 lbs to give you an idea. I wouldn't recommend putting weight in your DS pockets as a regular solution BTW.

[Linedog]

I am still working on the weight with my drysuit, my first dive was with 38 pounds. Apollo drysuit, steel 90, sweats and a 4 pound light. It was a bit much, next dive, 34 pounds, better but a touch light. Next dive will be 36 pounds, I'm 6 foot 225 pounds. Hope this helps.