wrcook
Regular Diver
Posts: 26
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Post by wrcook on Oct 5, 2010 8:14:30 GMT -8
I am considering getting a Hydroglove dry suit. and have been reading my 1959 edition of "The Science of Skin and Scuba Diving": They have a section on "suit squeeze". For anyone who has used this suit, or a similar dry suit... At what depth does the suit squeeze become annoying? How good are these suits,in really cold water? I have always dived with a wet suit ( I got mine custom made from Central Skin divers, way back when) I have always wanted to try a dry suit. I am also looking at an Aquala dry suit. I have heard from some former Navy Frogmen, that those tunnel entry, with the clamp, are miserable.
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Post by SeaRat on Oct 5, 2010 20:18:05 GMT -8
wrcook, This is a photo of me in an Aquala dry suit in about 1974. I had one, and made a lot of modifications to it. I was not happy with the front entry tunnel, and so tried to seal it with a survival suit zipper. It was never completely dry after that. But it was very warm. I always used a Farmer John wet suit bottom under it, and a wool sweater on the top, with a hooded stocking cap under the hood. Even with a little water coming in, it was a toasty warm suit. I dove in Hood Canal, Washington with my Air Force buddies on a training dive, and was at almost 90 feet and comfortable while they were freezing in wet suits. The suit squeeze is a potential problem in two areas, the ear and the body. The ear could be vulnerable if there was a seal formed by the suit around the ear, and no equalization. But by using an old-style mask (oval) under the face seal, a diver could breath air from his nose into the suit, and thereby equalize the pressure. Likewise, the diver could vent out the arm cuff when surfacing; but that was problematic for me as I wore three-finger mitts which went up over the arm cuff's seal. So I put a small hose into the back of the suit, and an inflator hose into the front (when you could buy an inflator hose independently of the suit; I still have that inflation mechanism. I thought Aquala was gone; are they still around and making suits? John
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wrcook
Regular Diver
Posts: 26
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Post by wrcook on Oct 6, 2010 14:18:12 GMT -8
Yes Sir... Aquala is still making them. Just perfect for the 1950's Navy frogman experience.
Thanks for the dry suit insights. It will help. I think that I will try the Hydroglove suit. I have a 3mm wetsuit or fleeces that I can wear underneath.
Bill
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Post by DavidRitchieWilson on Oct 10, 2010 9:13:04 GMT -8
I am considering getting a Hydroglove dry suit. and have been reading my 1959 edition of "The Science of Skin and Scuba Diving": They have a section on "suit squeeze". The seventh chapter of Fred M. Roberts' book Basic Scuba: Self-contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus is entitled "Survival in cold water - rubber suits" and provides plenty of information about donning, doffing, sealing and venting old-school drysuits, whether neck, front or waist entry. For anyone who has used this suit, or a similar dry suit... At what depth does the suit squeeze become annoying? How good are these suits,in really cold water? I use my Hydroglove for snorkelling and can vouch for its warmth even in the chilly waters of the North Sea. I can't comment on suit squeeze at depth. I have always dived with a wet suit ( I got mine custom made from Central Skin divers, way back when) I have always wanted to try a dry suit. I am also looking at an Aquala dry suit. I have heard from some former Navy Frogmen, that those tunnel entry, with the clamp, are miserable. My earliest suit was also a wetsuit, purchased, I think, in or about 1969. At the time, I was toying with the idea of buying an imported green Skooba-totes suit instead, but plumped eventually for a lined wetsuit that cost twice as much as the Skooba-totes. I've often regretted making that decision since, but a few years ago the opportunity arose to buy an authentic Skooba-totes, new in box. I've snorkelled with the suit and it indeed closely resembles the Hydroglove suit, which is based on the Totes design. As for Aquala, the company produces an historical front-entry suit, donned via a chest-level tunnel and sealed with a clamp. More information at: www.aquala.comOriginally, the "LA" in "Aquala" stood for "Los Angeles", where it was first manufactured. Nowadays, the "LA" stands for "Louisiana", where the company is currently based. "Aquala" is not the company's first name. It began life as "Bel-Aqua", changing its name to "Aquala" in the late 1950s. An excellent source of information about the origins of Aquala suits is Underwater: The Skindiver's Manual by Bill Barada. The chapter entitled "Cold water diving: Rubber suits to keep you warm" describes how Bill's first attempts at making a "frogman suit" involved sewing together rubber hospital sheets. The result was a very leaky outfit. After much experimentation, improved suits using 3-ply material were finally produced and Bill marketed them via Bel-Aqua. Bill Barada was a larger-than-life character who turned his hand to many pursuits over the decades. Read more about him at www.auas-nogi.org/bio_barada_bill.htmlThere's a picture of him in a Bel-Aqua/Aquala suit. He died twelve years ago.
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wrcook
Regular Diver
Posts: 26
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Post by wrcook on Oct 29, 2010 7:40:00 GMT -8
Thanks for the info. I have just ordered my Hydroglove suit.
I remember reading stuff by Bill Barada when I was a kid, and my wife and I have just finished reading (again) his book with Lloyd Bridges. Great stuff.
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Post by cnotthoff on Apr 2, 2012 17:34:12 GMT -8
I just stumbled upon this thread. I've only been diving a drysuit for about 20 years. At that point they came with valves to inflate the suit at depth, and release air on ascent.
I looked at the Hydroglove suit website. On top of being a very fragile thing to dive in, how do you dive to depth in that thing? Is it just for surface swimming?
Charlie
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Post by SeaRat on Apr 2, 2012 19:58:13 GMT -8
Charlie, When I first got the dry suit, an Aquala, I did not have an inflator. The means of getting air into the suit without an inflator (essential if you dive to depth) was to put the mask's skirt under the face seal of the dry suit, and snort air into the suit through the face seal (there was no neck seal). Then, on ascending, you needed to bleed off that air through an arm seal. I went away from that with a power inflator, which I bought independenly of the suit. I also installed a vest inflator hose (first the very small diameter one, then a 1 inch one, into the back of the suit. This is Hannes Keller on one of his record-breaking dives, using the constant volume dry suit. Equalization for this suit was also through the mask. Concerning the front entry chute, it is a pain. Sometimes I could get it completely water-tight, but most of the time I could not. And yes, at one time I did have hair on the top of my head. Here is a U.S. Navy diver with a dry suit, and you can see the mask under the hood seal. Note that this diver is coming close to a suit squeeze though. I think he is in a heated tank, as it does not look like he has any insulation under the suit. John
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Post by cnotthoff on Apr 3, 2012 16:07:01 GMT -8
Thanks John. I think I'll stick to my White's drysuit for now.
Charlie
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Post by rosalind on May 10, 2012 0:54:20 GMT -8
I am considering getting a Hydroglove dry suit. and have been reading my 1959 edition of "The Science of Skin and Scuba Diving": They have a section on "suit squeeze". For anyone who has used this suit, or a similar dry suit... At what depth does the suit squeeze become annoying? How good are these suits,in really cold water? I have always dived with a wet suit ( I got mine custom made from Central Skin divers, way back when) I have always wanted to try a dry suit. I am also looking at an Aquala dry suit. I have heard from some former Navy Frogmen, that those tunnel entry, with the clamp, are miserable. Well, definitely you use Hydroglove dry suit. It consist of either neoprene, mashed neoprene or some other type of light and portable material that is strengthened with a water resistant content such as vulcanized plastic.
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Post by scubadiverbob on May 10, 2012 6:20:29 GMT -8
I've never wore a dry suit. I go in the Feather River in a 3/16" (3 mil) shorty and the water temps range 54 - 60 degrees. In the winter it can drop into the 40's and I have a 3/16" full wetsuit. Having never wore a drysuit; that's, the extent of my knowledge on them ....
I have a friend that sometimes dive in the river in a drysuit and he has to wear a lot of extra weights to get down ... I wear 6 to 8 pounds of lead with my shorty ...
I never dove in the ice in Pennsylvania when I lived there. I probably would have needed a drysuit.
Sorry I'm no help with your question. I'd go with what John said ...
Robert
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Post by alonzomerrill on May 15, 2012 2:18:44 GMT -8
I personally using dry suit for scuba diving and some times i prefer to use wet suits. It is help to keep clean and dry skin and protect all time to the skin. I don't know much more about an Aquala dry suit but i am interested to learn about this suit.
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Post by DavidRitchieWilson on May 15, 2012 2:42:44 GMT -8
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Post by hellboy888 on Sept 19, 2013 0:55:43 GMT -8
Hydroglove dry suit was made in honor and memory of the old skooba totes dry suit. Most of the products listed ( including swim trunks ) were once made by totes. If you took the time to download all the historical pdf files by David Wilson it would clue you in on a bit of the history in staying warm underwater.
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Post by cstmwrks on Jul 13, 2014 20:32:24 GMT -8
I am considering getting a Hydroglove dry suit. and have been reading my 1959 edition of "The Science of Skin and Scuba Diving": They have a section on "suit squeeze". For anyone who has used this suit, or a similar dry suit... At what depth does the suit squeeze become annoying? How good are these suits,in really cold water? I have always dived with a wet suit ( I got mine custom made from Central Skin divers, way back when) I have always wanted to try a dry suit. I am also looking at an Aquala dry suit. I have heard from some former Navy Frogmen, that those tunnel entry, with the clamp, are miserable. It would seem that it has been forever since I've made any contribution to this forum, but this post caught my eye. To cover the question of what depth does suit squeeze become annoying? Answer: in the first 33 feet of depth. From any scuba course one is taught about pressure and volume and that the most dramatic change in volume vs pressure happens in the first atmosphere. Early dry suits of the sport variety lacked in valves to add gas as needed to keep the inner suit volume constant. Jacque Cousteau came up with a simple constant volume suit that turned the hood into some what of a full face rubber helmet. Adding air on descent was a simple case of venting air into the suit from either the mask or regulator mouthpiece. On return to the surface a duck bill valve was charged with the task of venting air as the volume expanded. Suits like the Totes had no valves or the Cousteau style helmet but that did not stop divers from going to depths beyond 33 feet, or suffer suit squeeze either. One trick was to let the hood cover over the mask skirt. I wont say adding air was simple, but with practice the diver was able to vent air from his nose and it would make it into his suit. On the trip back the air expands, no duck bill valves on the Totes either. Two ways to let air escape, one is to pull a wrist seal away while holding it over your head. the other was to pull the chin of the hood away just enough to vent air. Both methods work well and do not let large amounts of water in the suit either.
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Post by scubadiverbob on Jul 15, 2014 17:01:00 GMT -8
I've heard if you get to much air in the leg and feet section; they can flip you upside down ...
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