autodumps

[Wolfy]

Hi All
quick question for all you autodumpers out there...just bought a new suit that came with an autodump.
I dont want to just swap back to manual i want to give the auto a fair chance :)

so.... how do you use yours ?
and also what procedures do you adopt on CBL ?
ie do you open your valve before you lift someone ? do you open theirs before you lift ? or do you rely on both autos being adjusted correctly ?

im a real newbie as far as autos go so any advice is more than welcome..

thanks all..

Wolfy

[Nigel Hewitt]

quick question for all you autodumpers out there
so.... how do you use yours ?

Valve stays wide open, add gas to remove all squeeze.
Then ignore it totally and use the Wing/BCD.

On hitting the surface close it right up or the waves massage the comfort out of the suit and you might be last in line for a pick up.

I use the wing because it can dump much faster than the suit so having some gas in there give me more options, like a dump that works when I'm inverted. I can fly on the suit alone but I'll leave that for the next time the wing inflator comes off in my hand.

Too much gas in the suit and it moves about and when in a trendy frog kick position your boots are the highest point. Ending up still neutral but dangling from you feet is just plain embaressing.

(edit) CBL on their BCD/Wing as normal, both autodumps wide open. (/edit)

[dennis wilson]

i find that leaning to the right lets the auto let air out just open the dump all the way and just give it a click or two back then leave it as cbl`s use their jacket

[Mark_H1]

Hi All
quick question for all you autodumpers out there...just bought a new suit that came with an autodump.
I dont want to just swap back to manual i want to give the auto a fair chance :)

so.... how do you use yours ?
and also what procedures do you adopt on CBL ?
ie do you open your valve before you lift someone ? do you open theirs before you lift ? or do you rely on both autos being adjusted correctly ?

I'll tell you how I use mine although I'm sure other people have different views and won't hesitate to air them!

This is the way it was suggested to me to use an autodump when I switched over from cuff to auto, just a foolproof way of getting it set about right while you get used to it.

As you descend put air into the suit to feel comfortable on the way down. When you get to the bottom, close the dump and then put the right amount of air into the suit (the right amount of air is the amount that feels comfortable - enough to remove squeeze but not so much that it's sloshing everywhere!). Assuming you've done your weight check right you should also be pretty much neutrally buoyant at this point. Then open the dump until it just starts to bubble and then close it a quarter turn. This method normally does me, it bubbles nicely if I come up and I can stick more air in if I want to drop down a bit deeper without it just pouring straight out again.

I should add though that I also use some air in my wing to get my trim right and so make minor adjustments to this too.

If I was doing a CBL the first thing I'd do is open their autodump all the way; suit squeeze doesn't really matter to them and it'll make your life easier. I'd probably open mine all the way too - one less thing to think about on the ascent.

Just my thoughts,

Mark

[gareth]

Wolfy

As you can see a lot of advice from others. Here's my tuppence worth.

1/ If you are correctly weighted you will find that the auto dump is probably a quarter closed (possibly a little less) at the end of the dive.
If the valve is all the way open you will find controlling bouyancy difficult.
If you have to close it a long way you are probably over weight - a large amount of air in the suit can make it interesting!
2/ I tend to dive on the suit all the time - even with twin 12's.
3/ You will find that you develop a habit of rolling to your right a little on ascent, lifting your left shoulder to encourage dumping.
4/ You will need to do a series of dives to gain confidence in the function of the autodump if you are switching from a cuff dump.
5/ Remember pressing it will force it open - so you do have a manual override.
Also remember to keep you left arm down so that the wrist is below the Dump when ascending. If you lift your arm as per the cuff dump technique, the arm of the suit will fill with air with little escaping from the shoulder dump!
6/ When you start using it for the first time I suggest you do the usual fin pivot exercise to check your bouyancy & adjust it procressively. Then make a note of how many 'clicks' closed it is. This will help for the first few dives as a reference point. As you get more used to it you will be able to adjust it by 'feel'.
7/ Once you get used to it you will not really be concious of it dumping air - your posture in the water & habit of bringing the right shoulder up becomes very automatic.
8/ Once on the suface close the valve & add air to the suit for comfort.

For CBL's
I generally open my CVD fully, & that of the casualty then use their BCB to lift the two of us.
It is possible to lift on their suit, but it is more difficult to control!

Sorry if I put anything in that is obvious, but I thought it was better from the point of view of clarity.

If you dive with someone who already has an auto dump, do your first few dives with them, (especially if they are an instructor,) they will high light any useful technique in water.

Gareth

[dennis wilson]

but if you check the suit should not be used as a bouyancy divice so you only put air in to stop squeeze and use your jacket for bouyancy

[david tombs]

Hi All
quick question for all you autodumpers out there...just bought a new suit that came with an autodump.
I dont want to just swap back to manual i want to give the auto a fair chance :)

so.... how do you use yours ?
and also what procedures do you adopt on CBL ?
ie do you open your valve before you lift someone ? do you open theirs before you lift ? or do you rely on both autos being adjusted correctly ?

im a real newbie as far as autos go so any advice is more than welcome..

thanks all..

Wolfy

I have no experience of autodumps. I understand that Whites suits have a cuff autodump,anyone any experience of these. This is of use as I am considering one of these suits,although shall probibly go for the shoulder dump option.

[Wolfy]

thanks for all your comments guys....
i think id go with the option of opening both rescuer and casualtys autodumps on CBL ...

thinking about it though,,,,if we only either run with them fully open as one or two posts mentioned...why have auto anyway ? i mean a fully open auto is just a manual dump but in a different place,,,,isnt it ?

smiles....still will give it more time underwater to "play" with it

regards

Wolfy

[nick kay]

i think id go with the option of opening both rescuer and casualtys autodumps on CBL ...

One thing with the CBL... Put the casualty's left hand over your right shoulder and then your right hand over their arm to hold their direct feed...
1. Puts their auto or cuff dump "up", so that it bleeds air off automatically / more easily.
2. You tend not to "spiral" on the ascent
3. You have better control of the casualty
4. If they're conscious, helps keep the two of you face-to-face and thus more rea-assurance for them

[Tony Dwyer]

but if you check the suit should not be used as a bouyancy divice so you only put air in to stop squeeze and use your jacket for bouyancy

Nope.
It's perfectly OK to use the drysuit for buoyancy control underwater. I for one dive with my BC completely empty. Because I'm correctly weighted, I don't need to put much air in my suit. On ascent I can simply drift up slowly, letting the autodump take care of air expansion. Apart from the descent stage, I am neutral at all stages of the dive.
MY BC is for emergency buoyancy should I get a suit leak, although with my neoprene suit that would not be a serious issue, or buoyancy on the surface.
I appreciate that many divers carry more kit (side slung cylinders etc) than I do and will need their BC to provide buoyancy underwater. My suit buoyancy is fine for my twin set rig.

[Wolfy]

:=i think id go with the option of opening both rescuer and casualtys autodumps on CBL ...

One thing with the CBL... Put the casualty's left hand over your right shoulder and then your right hand over their arm to hold their direct feed...
1. Puts their auto or cuff dump "up", so that it bleeds air off automatically / more easily.
2. You tend not to "spiral" on the ascent
3. You have better control of the casualty
4. If they're conscious, helps keep the two of you face-to-face and thus more rea-assurance for them




Hi Nik...(its Paul from the DPM course with the incident at Capern the other month)
hope u r well....

thanks for the tips...i must admit to not beiong totally confident with the auto yet....meaning im not putting as much air in suit as i used to...meaning i get cold sniff ;)

see you around Nik,,,,

[budgy]

On some suits I've noticed that my undersuit has a tendency to block the dump valve. It doesn't happen on all suits, it may have something to do with the exact position, but I don't really know. If you have a problem try using an armband.

[nick kay]

Alternative methods are:
1. Duck-tape
2. Cut a (circular) hole in the undersuit "under" the cuff dump

[Ed Howart]

Alternative methods are:
1. Duck-tape
2. Cut a (circular) hole in the undersuit "under" the cuff dump

or 3. Sew a few buttons on your undersuit sleeve to hold the material off the back of the dump. I frightened myself with a buoyant ascent after a couple of years using the same suit/undersuit and think every undersuit should be "factory fitted" with some protection. I try to minimise the number of items I have to strap on/fit before a dive as sods law dictates something will eventually be forgotten.

Ed