Boyancy problems after new dry/undersuit and shoulder auto dump

[andyevans1981]

I wondered if anybody would mind giving me a little advice on a problem im having at the moment. When I first started diving I borrowed a Roho dry suit to learn with a wrist dump valve and also a roho undersuit.

Last year I decided to treat myself and went out and bought a Scubapro Fjord drysuit with a outodump shoulder valve and a weesle extreme under suit.

Before the purchase I was on 10kg with a 3litre faber pony cylinder and a 15ltr faber tank. or 11kg with a 12 ltr.
Since the purchase I have stuck on the same setup but am really struggling by being over bouyent and when it comes to the end of the dive with around 80-100bar left I really struggle to control boyancy and sometimes cant control at all after 5m. I feel that I could do with another 2kg but I feel this is too much weight to be taking in.

I am also really not getting to grips with the shoulder dump it just doesnt seem to dump air quick enough compare to the wrist dump?? What would be the consequences if I was to put a wrist dump on as well as a shoulder one.

This might be simple stuff for a lot of you guys but being a competent but still fairly inexperienced diver any advice and tips would be much appreciated.

Thanks

[Nigel Hewitt]

If you need more weight you need more weight. A weezle extreme is a pretty buoyant item.

Try more weight and see if that works. Normally I'd be wary of giving that advice because some people are already so overweight they are blown up like a balloon and and the dump can't keep up so they feel like they're underweight.

We always say: do a weight check on empty but it can be a bit of a faf if you don't have a handy pool session. I trim my gear out for neutral on empty and horizontal in the pool just off the bottom in water I can stand up in. Then add 3Kgs for seawater and go dive. Look super cool with perfect trim and buoyancy for no effort. If the weight's right everything is so easy.

Stick with the auto dump. Once you get used to them they are truly auto and just work. Oh and expect the weezle to compact and need less weight as it beds in.

[Hickdive]

You might also find that the outer shell of the undersuit is obstructing the autodump, causing it to be slower.

There are various solutions to try;

A strip of tubular bandage worn over the outside of the undersuit at the bicep, under where your autodump sits on the drysuit or

A couple of turns of duck tape wound round the undersuit at the same location or

A series of vent holes burned into the outer shell of the undersuit with a heated screwdriver or soldering iron at the same location.

[AllynCarter]

A pretty obvious question, but worth checking... Have you set the auto dump to completely open. Except on the surface, I always have mine open.



I am also really not getting to grips with the shoulder dump it just doesnt seem to dump air quick enough compare to the wrist dump?? What would be the consequences if I was to put a wrist dump on as well as a shoulder one.

[Woz]

If your undersuit outer shell is wet, Weezles have a nasty habit of blocking dump valves. A contributing factor to one bend in our club.

[Ed Howarth]

And to look like a real nerd, I have sewn 7 or 8 buttons on the undersuit under where the dump is. The diving equivalent of sellotape on NHS specs.

Ed

[bomber]

My thoughts are pretty much the same as everyone else has said......
a weesle undersuit will trap a lot of air thats what it does to keep you warm!! but the down side of this is that it will mean you are more buoyant, ideally each time you alter your exposure protection you should do a buoyancy check, so if you change to a thinner under suit or you wear less layers..... or the reverse and add more layers.... its all because more or less air is being trapped in the confines of the suit to keep you at a suitable temperature.
Also as already said by others the outer shell of the undersuit could be causing the autodump not to dump at its optimal, tubigrp, a cut sock, tape... basically anything that will compress the undersuit in the region of the auto dump helps.
As for a wrist dump, it doesnt have any detrimental affect i know a few divers that have both auto shoulder and wrist dump as a kind of belt and braces. Personally i just have the shoulder dump and have it set a couple of clicks back from fully open.... works fine for me :)

HTH

[TheNakedArchaeologist]

Had a issue with dump recently as well, was most likely my undersuit as suit arm was a bit damp which prob helped block the dump. However this was first incident...

Agree with others, things take time to wear in.

I would stick with Autodump,

Hope that helps.

[Maria]

And to look like a real nerd, I have sewn 7 or 8 buttons on the undersuit under where the dump is. The diving equivalent of sellotape on NHS specs.

Ed

This I have to see - such a style icon :D

On a more constructive note, I've noticed that many people struggle to get the right position to vent from a shoulder dump: air rises, so the shoulder dump needs to be the highest point. Depending on the exact placement of the valve, you may need to twist round, also I've found that bending my arm helps and one buddy has developed a technique of bending his arm back so it's pointing to the back of his head!!

Maria

[andyevans1981]

Many thanks for all the replies everybody has been really helpfull, Im off in the morning for a dive and will try put all the advise into practice.
Many Thanks
Andy

[TobyH]

While we're on the subject of Auto's, I've been diving for years with a wrist dump, but am looking to fit an auto dump (and block off the wrist dump) to my suit.

Was just wondering on where exactly I should fit the auto dump, obviously at shoulder height, but should it face slightly forward, be bang in the middle or slightly rear? I'm going to have a look at friends suits, but just wondering what others have...