PerroneFord
Contributor
So I've been trying to get a cold day in a Florida spring for a while now. Hoping to test my drysuit undergarments in a proper environment. While speaking to a friend, he noted that his pool was now COLD. I asked how cold and he said he'd go check the thermometer. "Fifty Five" he says. PERFECT!!! A chance to try my fleece as well as my thinsulate in something colder than the normal 68F of Morrison.
So I tossed my gear in the car today and drove over. He's not a diver so I spent some time talking about my gear, put the oxygen at the steps of the pool "just in case", and got dressed in the fleece. Here was my layering:
Base :Top = Underarmour cold gear Bottom = Underarmour warm gear shorts
Mid Layer: Top = Polarmax midweight long Bottom = Polarmax expedition weight long
Undergarment: USIA Exolite Fleece (about 200g I think)
Socks: Thin wool socks as a base then Smartwool Hiking socks on top
I got dressed, walked into the pool to fully squeeze the suit, then got it. For today, I wanted to test the thermals with full squeeze at 10ft. I stayed in the water about 20 minutes total with this config. At the end of the time, I just stayed at the surface (head out of water) and talked to him for another 10-15 minutes. I noted that I felt "cool" while just floating there talking. I was not uncomfortable at all and not cold. I felt like I could have done that 30 more minutes. All in all, a very successful test.
I got out, warmed my hands up (no gloves at all) and had a nice hour out of the water. For the second test, I would be keeping all the base layer and mid layer, and just changing the undergarment. For the final test, it was to be my Pinnacle Evolution undergarment. I put that on, and got dressed. Walked into the water to vent the suit, and the difference was immediate. Before I could feel the coolness of the water, but was quite comfy with the fleece. I didn't feel the water with the Pinnacle.
I stayed in the water about 35 minutes with the Pinnacle suit on. Did some pool maintenance while I was down there, played with weighting, etc. I never felt the water on my legs or core. Nothing. What was odd, was that when I got out, I didn't need to go warm my hands. My core was so much warmer, my hands never really got cold.
I now feel confident in taking this suit diving in water down to 45F for at least 30-45 minutes. I put zero air in the suit with either undergarment. With a couple squirts of air, I feel the Pinnacle suit will keep me plenty warm for any diving I have planned other than the great lakes. But I am going to have to get some dry gloves!
The only bad news the entire day was that I flooded my can light.
So I tossed my gear in the car today and drove over. He's not a diver so I spent some time talking about my gear, put the oxygen at the steps of the pool "just in case", and got dressed in the fleece. Here was my layering:
Base :Top = Underarmour cold gear Bottom = Underarmour warm gear shorts
Mid Layer: Top = Polarmax midweight long Bottom = Polarmax expedition weight long
Undergarment: USIA Exolite Fleece (about 200g I think)
Socks: Thin wool socks as a base then Smartwool Hiking socks on top
I got dressed, walked into the pool to fully squeeze the suit, then got it. For today, I wanted to test the thermals with full squeeze at 10ft. I stayed in the water about 20 minutes total with this config. At the end of the time, I just stayed at the surface (head out of water) and talked to him for another 10-15 minutes. I noted that I felt "cool" while just floating there talking. I was not uncomfortable at all and not cold. I felt like I could have done that 30 more minutes. All in all, a very successful test.
I got out, warmed my hands up (no gloves at all) and had a nice hour out of the water. For the second test, I would be keeping all the base layer and mid layer, and just changing the undergarment. For the final test, it was to be my Pinnacle Evolution undergarment. I put that on, and got dressed. Walked into the water to vent the suit, and the difference was immediate. Before I could feel the coolness of the water, but was quite comfy with the fleece. I didn't feel the water with the Pinnacle.
I stayed in the water about 35 minutes with the Pinnacle suit on. Did some pool maintenance while I was down there, played with weighting, etc. I never felt the water on my legs or core. Nothing. What was odd, was that when I got out, I didn't need to go warm my hands. My core was so much warmer, my hands never really got cold.
I now feel confident in taking this suit diving in water down to 45F for at least 30-45 minutes. I put zero air in the suit with either undergarment. With a couple squirts of air, I feel the Pinnacle suit will keep me plenty warm for any diving I have planned other than the great lakes. But I am going to have to get some dry gloves!
The only bad news the entire day was that I flooded my can light.
