Tried a new drysuit valve placement and it changed my dive flow

I had my drysuit serviced last month and asked the repair guy to move the exhaust valve about 3 inches higher on my left arm. I figured it would just be a small change. First dive after getting it back, I noticed I wasn't fighting to dump air nearly as much. The valve sits right at the high point now so all the gas goes straight out. It made my bottom time way more comfortable on a 40 foot bridge inspection last week. Has anyone else tweaked their gear setup and gotten better results than you expected?

3 comments

3 Comments

pat_moore5d ago

Wait, you did a 40-foot bridge inspection in a drysuit?

wade2505d ago

Man, 40 feet on a bridge inspection with a new valve placement? I gotta tell you @dixon.james, I nearly dropped my phone when I read that part. Three inches higher on the left arm sounds like a tiny shift, but it's the difference between fighting bubbles and just letting them go. I've been playing around with my inflator hose routing and even a slight bend change made my shoulder stop aching halfway through a 50 minute wreck dive. What kind of schedule do you run on those inspections to stay at depth that long without getting cold?

dixon.james6d ago

Moving the valve that high sounds like it would interfere with my arm movement when I reach for my knife or my console... I had a buddy who did the exact same mod and ended up with the valve getting bumped open every time he bent his elbow. The original placement on most suits is low for a reason, to keep it out of the way when you're working. Different strokes for different folks though, if it works for your bridge inspection then you do you.