Submatix drysuit inflation

ianfirmin

Hi All, I'm interested in what other people do about drysuit inflation. Using an air dil I inflate my wing from the dil and use the bailout for suit inflation. However, since I am a very new user and my buoyancy is not the best I'm using quite a lot of gas from the bailout for buoyancy control with the suit. I use virtually no gas from the dil except when I inflate the wing on the surface.

I can't decide whether it's a better idea to use the dil for suit inflation and keep the bailout for... just bailout (and inflating the wing). There are probably good reasons for both. I would be interested in your opinions.

Kind regards
Ian

PaulTG2

Hello,

I like to serve all my "needs" from my main sources and reserve the bailout for it's primary purpose of serving in an emergency. I don't like cutting into my emergency supplies for my routine needs.

If the on board diluent didn't serve my routine needs I would consider going to a larger Diluent source. The back of my mind always begs me to go to an asymmetrical O2/Diluent set-up -- using a smaller O2 and a larger diluent. This better reflects the real-world use. I've been trying to figure out how best to do that -- probably by putting my bailout opposit my diluent.

The other side of me doesn't like the asymmetric look. It just doesn't look tight.

Fashion vs. function... hmmm..

-

Dinspiration

Hi

On the Submatix I always used a 0.85 or 1.5 Litre alu tank, mounted on the left side on the enclosure just for drysuit inflation. The wing was feeded by the diluent. As bailout I used a 40 or 80 cuft tank depending on the planned dive.

DINspiration

ianfirmin

Yes, this seems a better idea. Or perhaps to use the Dil tank for both wing AND drysuit. I like the idea of just using the bailout for bailout.

Thanks for the response.
ATB
Ian

Stephane

Hi,

Just keep a direct-system hose on your bailout in case you'll go out of gas in your diluent tank.

__________________
Stéphane
Hammer-rEvo powered!

Guilhem

I feed the wing from the inboard diluent tank (air so far), and the suit from a separate off board 0.9l al tank (6 cuft). The purpose is to make sure I always have a working flotation aid. As a ccr beginner, I tend to use also a lot of diluent, and it goes fast. If the inboard dil tank gets empty, it's not so much of an issue, as the dive is ended, but I want to make sure I still keep something to keep me afloat (suit in this case), even if that's just once at the surface waiting for a boat, where a lot can happen.
I will probably swap the two though, as summer approaches and I'll switch to wetsuit, but will still want to keep the separate tank for wing inflation, to be sure it's independant from the inboard diluent.

Nick Kay

I use the onboard DIL to drive the wing, but do buoyancy on my suit
I drive the suit from my bailout (typically a 5L sideslung)

Hmmmm - are you correcty weighted?
I find that incorrect (ie. heavy) weighting on the Rebreather causes way more problems than on OC
- get the weighting right and its a joy
- even marginally overweight and I use LOTS of gas trying to control buoyancy
- my ideal weighting is such that I have to "swim" the first few metres down (full O2, DIL, 50B in the stage/bailout), its then absolutely spot on
- too light and I can't get down anyway
- takes some getting used to but once you do
- do you have weight in the head of the unit? I know they're expensive, but 2 of the 3Kg shaped weights in the head of the unit (and therefore 6Kg off your weightbelt) makes a HUGE difference to the way the unit feels in the water
- do you dive MLV or tend to fill the counterlungs? Again, makes a difference...

Hope this helps

Nick

zoo_diver

Good call...keep the bailout for what it is intended to be used for.

As to the original post: As long as you are using air, I would run right off the dil. Risking a potential heated debate, I think you might find working your suit alone will be easier for getting that perfect bouyancy instead of working the wing and suit -- I'm probably not telling you something that you already know. As you venture deeper an deeper (or longer and longer) in the water, I think you will find having a small bottle with dedicated air for your suit will be best.

ianfirmin

Hi Guys, thanks for the replies. As expected, things have got better since the original post. The last dive was probably as bad as it can ever get for gas consumption: A shallow (max 15m) sawtooth profile (gullied reef) in a strengthening tide (lots of finning and a big blob at the end). Over the 54 minute dive, using DS alone for buoyancy with the wing on the surface; 7l stage for bailout and DS, dil for dil and wing my: gas consumption (litres at atmosphere) was: 80 litres O2. 110 litres dil. 200 litres of bailout used just for ds buoyancy and blob. I can live with these numbers.

Weighting is about right, 5kg in the top of the unit and I need MLV and a big exhale to atmosphere on the surface plus a bob up and down to get down the first 2 or 3 metres. I'm using a neoprene DS (O Three) which loses significant buoyancy from compression in the first 20m or so, so this does not help at shallow depths.

200 litres out of a 7 litre bailout (about 25b) for a 54 minute dive in a worst case scenario leaves me plenty for a real bailout and at greater depth the gas consumption for buoyancy will probably be less.

All in all things are coming along fine. A badly torn muscle from humping twin 12's a couple of weeks ago is clearing up. All I need now is just more practice....

ATB
Ian

Nick Kay

Hi Ian

Let me know what you have planned - I'd love to come up to your area and dive with you