I'm used to cold water diving, and my exposure suits thus far are a 7mm semi-dry wetsuit, which I really love for the local Boston waters, and a Fusion dry suit which I bought for the winter months, and a rash guard that I got for diving in Mexico.
In preparation for my upcoming scuba trip to Hawaii this winter, I was thinking about exposure protection, and really wasn't that thrilled with the standard rash guard. On the positive side it was small and easy to pack, but the negatives are that it took forever to dry out, quickly developed a foul smell, doesn't provide very much protection against stings or scrapes, and isn't very durable.
For those reasons, and since this trip is going to be considerably longer, I thought I would invest in a more durable option. I selected the Sharskin Chillproof suit which I have been curious about for a while. I love that it is supposed to be neutrally bouyant, and don't think I would consider it for a rash guard if it wasn't. People say that it adds the equivalent of a 3mm wetsuit in warmth, and while I won't need the warmth in hawaii, it's not going to make me overheat and if anything would probably make me more efficient with my oxygen if my body isn't trying to thermoregulate as much.
I'm 6'0", 165 lbs and ordered a large. Putting the suit on, it slides on very easy, much easier than a wetsuit. It fights snugly. The material is not as stretchy as neoprene, but it is stretchy enough that it doesn't feel uncomfortable for me to move around. The leg length seemed right, but the sleeves were about 1.5" shorter than I would prefer. My arms are a tad longer than average. The diagonal back zip is easy enough to access solo.
I tested it out today at a local swimming hole which runs a bit on the colder side. With the suit on I was very comfortable and my girlfriend, with no suit, was a little jealous. You can see a sheen on the suit underwater, as it forms a very thin layer of air bubbles that cling to the outside. This reminds me of the way that penguins and some other marine animals stay insulated, so it probably helps to provide some of the insulation factor, and might also reduce drag.
I am curious to measure the exact bouyancy, but in fresh water, I float with a breath hold, and sink with an exhale, so I was still neutrally bouyant. I would guess based on this that it could not be more than about 1 lb positively bouyant at the most.
The suit stretched out and got bigger as it got wet. This caused the outside to get a little less streamlined. The foot straps which had been tight before got loose, and the arm sleeves got longer, now they were only 0.5" short, which is a net benefit for me. Although the material is stretchy, it's not form fitting when wet, and I noticed that as a result the opening in my sleeves increases drag a little bit. If I was wearing reef gloves over this, it would likely mitigate that issue.
The suit is extremely easy to take off, doesn't stick to you like a wetsuit. Amazingly, immediately after removing the suit, the inside of it still looks completely dry despite being flooded. It's clearly a very hydrophobic material, which explains how it's able to maintain it's insulation properties when wet. I think that this will also make for an amazing undergarment with my Fusion drysuit.
I'm very happy with this suit, and I love how versatile it is. Basically my logic is:
Need a rash guard in warm water? -> This offers better protection than a typical rash guard, and the extra warmth doesn't really have any downsides
Need warmth equivalent of a 3mm or less wetsuit? -> This gives it to you, while remaining neutrally bouyant so you don't need extra weight
Need 5mm to 7mm of warmth? -> I will just continue to wear my 7mm semidry
Need more than 7mm warmth? -> I will wear my Fusion drysuit with the Chillproof as my undergarment
In preparation for my upcoming scuba trip to Hawaii this winter, I was thinking about exposure protection, and really wasn't that thrilled with the standard rash guard. On the positive side it was small and easy to pack, but the negatives are that it took forever to dry out, quickly developed a foul smell, doesn't provide very much protection against stings or scrapes, and isn't very durable.
For those reasons, and since this trip is going to be considerably longer, I thought I would invest in a more durable option. I selected the Sharskin Chillproof suit which I have been curious about for a while. I love that it is supposed to be neutrally bouyant, and don't think I would consider it for a rash guard if it wasn't. People say that it adds the equivalent of a 3mm wetsuit in warmth, and while I won't need the warmth in hawaii, it's not going to make me overheat and if anything would probably make me more efficient with my oxygen if my body isn't trying to thermoregulate as much.
I'm 6'0", 165 lbs and ordered a large. Putting the suit on, it slides on very easy, much easier than a wetsuit. It fights snugly. The material is not as stretchy as neoprene, but it is stretchy enough that it doesn't feel uncomfortable for me to move around. The leg length seemed right, but the sleeves were about 1.5" shorter than I would prefer. My arms are a tad longer than average. The diagonal back zip is easy enough to access solo.
I tested it out today at a local swimming hole which runs a bit on the colder side. With the suit on I was very comfortable and my girlfriend, with no suit, was a little jealous. You can see a sheen on the suit underwater, as it forms a very thin layer of air bubbles that cling to the outside. This reminds me of the way that penguins and some other marine animals stay insulated, so it probably helps to provide some of the insulation factor, and might also reduce drag.
I am curious to measure the exact bouyancy, but in fresh water, I float with a breath hold, and sink with an exhale, so I was still neutrally bouyant. I would guess based on this that it could not be more than about 1 lb positively bouyant at the most.
The suit stretched out and got bigger as it got wet. This caused the outside to get a little less streamlined. The foot straps which had been tight before got loose, and the arm sleeves got longer, now they were only 0.5" short, which is a net benefit for me. Although the material is stretchy, it's not form fitting when wet, and I noticed that as a result the opening in my sleeves increases drag a little bit. If I was wearing reef gloves over this, it would likely mitigate that issue.
The suit is extremely easy to take off, doesn't stick to you like a wetsuit. Amazingly, immediately after removing the suit, the inside of it still looks completely dry despite being flooded. It's clearly a very hydrophobic material, which explains how it's able to maintain it's insulation properties when wet. I think that this will also make for an amazing undergarment with my Fusion drysuit.
I'm very happy with this suit, and I love how versatile it is. Basically my logic is:
Need a rash guard in warm water? -> This offers better protection than a typical rash guard, and the extra warmth doesn't really have any downsides
Need warmth equivalent of a 3mm or less wetsuit? -> This gives it to you, while remaining neutrally bouyant so you don't need extra weight
Need 5mm to 7mm of warmth? -> I will just continue to wear my 7mm semidry
Need more than 7mm warmth? -> I will wear my Fusion drysuit with the Chillproof as my undergarment
