What Do You Wear Under Your Drysuit Undergarments?

[KathyIGH]

Hi jonnybravo0311. The ECODiveWear is made with Polartec PowerDry. We particularly liked the PowerDry as it was a performance material made with recycled materials.

Bob Stinton is our VP of Engineering and he knows a lot more of the specifics on the particular fabrics. They are measured with a clo value. Different fleece has different values. The Polartec PowerStretch has some advantages. It stretches in both directions (some call this 4 way stretch) which for under a drysuit means less bulk. Less bulk means less weight. We are shooting for maximum comfort, warmth and low bulk.

The Thinsulate we use is low loft and the raw material is more expensive than the high loft Thinsulate. Again it works well in a drysuit as it resists the squeeze. High loft material will lose some of it's insulation with the compression. The low loft Thinsulate offers maximum warmth.

Bob wrote an article on Wool which you can find here... The Truth about Wool as Drysuit Insulation - DUI Online - drysuits

Another thing to consider - divers are quite different. For example my sister and I use different undergarments for the same water temperature in the same type of drysuits and we are diving together - which means physically we are expending similar amounts of energy. I prefer a warmer garment.

I would encourage you to try what you may already have and see how it works for you. Adjust accordingly. That's one of the amazing things about drysuit diving. Lots of layering options.

 

[Derelict]

I should have been clearer here. I was trying to make an apples to apples comparison between the branded diver-specific gear (like Fourth Element) and branded non-diver-specific gear (for example REI Patagonia Capilene). Fourth Element Xerotherm top is $139 at DRIS. The "thermal weight" Capilene top is $89. The mid-weight top is $59. The lightweight top is $49. Both brands are Polartec fleece blends. That's a pretty absurd premium to pay just to have the Fourth Element logo on your base layer. Even if we compare to the brand-name wool (Icebreakers), the wool undergarments still are less expensive than the Xerotherms - Oasis top at REI is $90, Zone top is $110.

I'm yet to see a non diving designed product that is the same style and design as the Fourth Element Xerotherm base layer. The material it is made from dries incredibly quickly, and the warmth it offers while being so lightweight is unparalleled. There's a reason diving specific gear is so expensive - research, development and lower production numbers. Also, diving specific undergarments are designed to function while soaked wet as well in case of an emergency. I'm not sure that a non diving specific design would do that.