Body Temp Issues -- Freezing...

[MegDiver792]

If you are cold, have proper undies, dont use trimix (I use argon), **** can those thermolution vests. Anyone with an electrical degree laughs at their claims. I think once I calced one out to around 15w of heat. I dont recall exactly, but wasnt much. Those tiny batteries just cant do it. Look into the santi or Lola heat vest, at 55w. Those are real vests. But you will need an external canister for battery power. I regularly dive in low 40's. , even high 30's. Under Armour Compression base wicking layer, 4th Element Artic over that, and a White Thermo Fusion over that. Plus a Lola 55w vest with argon for suit inflate.. I can manage multi hour dives easily.

BTW, wet gloves arent doing you any favors either. Thick hood is a must, we use the KO1s right now.

 

[Mr.Wreckdiver]

I usually buy a new hood when I feel folder and sometimes use a thin ice hood on top. Hoods lose their isolation after a while. A new hood once can really make the difference. (I usually dive in 2-7 celcius.)

And I don’t fill the suit with helium. It’s a “cold” and expensive. Air in an inflation bottle works well. Then you also have redundancy on buoyancy.

Argon in a inflation bottle is best in very extreme conditions around the freezing point. Otherwise I just use air or nitrox in inflation bottle (5-7 celcius). That’s ok. But never helium. It’s for breathing.

 

[Hoyden]

I would echo three points made up thread.

1. Get a seperate inflation bottle - air is fine. Helium is a terrible choice for suit inflation.
2. Get a thick custom hood. I was never warm in cold water until I bought a 12 mm Otter Bay Hood.
3. Consider a rebreather...

The last suggestion is one that no one else has mentioned, but I generally wear a full-face mask in really cold water. It sure is nice to have a less cold face...

Also, I do have a friend that wears a heated vest, and he swears by it...

 

[Valyngar]

My setup for diving in 1c water
Drysuit trilaminate (air as filling gas)
1x silk undergarments topped with 1x merino wool undergarments
Weezle extreme + (warmest undersuit I have tried)
Drygloves (thin silk under, then thin merino wool and then thick merino wool)
JJ rebreather.
32000 lumen light (can be used to warm hands)
And always eat and drink before dive. Just about 3 mins before going to water drink 2 cups of hot juice.
That way I can dive ok 40-50 minutes and not so nicely 90 minutes.
With OC 20-30 ok and 50 mins not so nicely.

Next to buy is heated undersuits and battery for that.

As you I would get Air as filling gas and dry gloves an if possible swap undersuits/ get heated one. Merino wools with silk are nice to skin and warm.

 

[Mr.Wreckdiver]

My setup for OC in 2 celcius up to 60 min:
Inflation bottle with air or argon
Drysuit: trilaminate
Baselayer: Fourth Element Xerotherm (top, bottom and vest)
Undersuit: Santi BZ400
Vest: Santi BZ400
Drygloves: Nordic Blue
Underglove: Wool
Wristwarmer: Houdini
Hood: Waterproof 10/5 mm
Icehood: Waterproof
This setup is ok for me without dry suit leak.
À bit cold fingers though.
Will try electric west since I am geting older...

 

[shoredivr]

In addition to dry gloves and suit inflation gas being other than trimix, divers around here are buying camel hair undergarments. Like the Russians use. Camel hair is hollow and retains heat better than wool or silk.