Are Drysuit Undergarments really necessary?

[burna]

This is an interesting thread.
I have an Evo 2 (tri-lam). I normally wear a polyprop. top and bottoms with a merino top over that and then the Pinnacle temperate jumpsuit.
It's good to about 12C ish. (54F) Below that I need an extra layer. I have to confess that I do normally wear a cotton vest against the skin which I'm planning to ditch next winter.

My question.

Which is the better layer to have against my skin in terms of wicking away any moisture and maximising warmth, the polypropolene or the merino wool?

 

[emilylauren]

When i was doing my training it was january..in england.. i was told i would be fine with a normal jumper etc under my drysuit..when i got in the drysuit flooded with water and i was very cold..When i got out another diver told me i would be a lot better with some proper thermals so we went and bought some otter cosywick thermals from the dive shop, next time i did my training the drysuit leaked again ( didnt have much luck at first with them) but i was soo much warmer with the diving thermals on and im normally always warm now suppose it helps that water does not flood into my drysuit like it did before but i recommend the proper thermals )

 

[dave4868]

Which is the better layer to have against my skin in terms of wicking away any moisture and maximising warmth, the polypropolene or the merino wool?

For a wicking layer, I don't know if Merino wool is better than polypropylene fabric, but the latter is very durable and easy to launder, which I like.

For my first layer, I use Cabela's MTP Polar Weight polypropylene long underwear, which is relatively inexpensive, which I also like....

I love using Merino wool socks inside my drysuit boots, so I know the fiber provides excellent warmth and wicking. Like you, I'll be interested to hear how it performs as a thin first layer garment, but also how it holds up to laundering.

Dave C

 

[tbone1004]

so what's a "normal jumper"? dunno what you were wearing underneath it, but all that otter stuff is is a proprietary knitted polypro... Fast wicking like all of the other mentioned stuff. Not recommending "normal" street clothes, all of the stuff that isn't scuba specific all has been designed for skiing mainly

re. wool vs polypro. I'd go polypro for the wicking abilities. Wool is generally warmer, and although it does get warmer when it is wet, it tends to leave the water against your skin which isn't good. Wool can go longer without getting washed though which can be a plus for some people, I wear smartwool socks because I have them for skiing and backpacking, so they work double duty for scuba.

The way I see it with the polypro, that's what the military is using... 4th Element is what the British dive teams use, their Xerotherm baselayer is identical to REI's and a number of other brands jumpsuits, and the main thing that they have going for them is the "Arctic" layer is one of the best insulating jackets out there and is perfect for a LOT of applications.

 

[burna]

Thanks. The other thing is the merino is a bit "prickly" when directly on the skin so having the poly underneath does stop that.

BTW. A "jumper" is a knitted woollen top, I think you call them a sweater.

 

[tbone1004]

I knew what a jumper was, didn't know what it was made out of though. Problem with wool is that it doesn't wick which is a HUGE problem...

 

[airstream]

I dive with the 50/50 Fruit of the Loom sweats from Walmart at $6 each piece. Keeps me warm down to 50 degrees. I do have a Merino Pinnacle U/G but it is just too warm.

 

[furby076]

So I just got a BARE drysuit (haven't dove yet) and the t200 undergarment. Will I need anything other then that? I was planning on wearing my gym underarmor t-shirt (so if i sweat less of it get's to the undergarment...i would rather wash my underarmor t-shirt then my t200), and wear shorts.

I dive dutch springs, NJ wrecks. I figure water will range in temperature from 40 to 55F.

 

[tbone1004]

it all depends man, there is no way we can predict what undies you'll need. What I need is RADICALLY different than what one of my dive buddies uses. In 50* water I wear what she does in the caves, all depends on how you handle the cold. Get in and try it. Always bring too many undies, and you can either call the dive early and put more on, or at the end of the dive take em off

 

[AfterDark]

I just bought a new Pinnacle BlackIce compressed neoprene dry suit. I’ve yet to use it, 1st I was sick now the weather is awful. My experience comes from diving with the older neoprene suits like the UniSuit or JetSuit, these suits had insulating qualities of their own so the undergarments could be less. I found that a light polypropylene wicking undergarment covered with, a sweat suit, a ski suit or some other similar garment for warmth worked well for me. So well in fact I could use wet suit gloves and my hands stayed warm. I’m going to try the polypropylene wicking undergarment under ski pants and a Thinsulate M65 field jacket liner this Saturday for the first dive of 2011. I’ll report my experience after the dive.

Well I said I'd report on my experience. I went diving Sat and used light polypropylene wicking under garment top and bottom, sweat pants, a cotton long sleeve shirt and a Thinsulate M65 field jacket liner. On my feet I had light wicking socks liners and cotton socks. The water was 38F@30fsw 1 hour duration dive. I was warm except my toes started to get cold after the dive. So no you don't need the expensive under garments to stay warm as long as you stay dry.