Cold water protection?

[scuba127]

Major highjack. I apologize in advance. Does anyone happen to know off hand how bouyant the Fusion w/MK3 Undergarment might be? Also, how is the learning curve moving from wetsuit to Fusion?

 

[Doc Harry]

I dove in 58 degree F water in a 7mm wet suit with hood and gloves.

I ALMOST DIED FROM HYPOTHERMIA.

Okay, that's an exaggeration, but I was really cold and hated it and won't ever do that again.

Dry suit it the way to go!

 

[tgsmith]

keep in mind you can get a neoprene(uncompressed, just like a wetsuit but with seals and valves) for around $800, at least that's what one of my LDS's sold Atlan suits for. You also don't have to buy the $400 undergarments. Thick wool hiking socks and a polypro base layer from sportsmansguide.com and a heavy factory second undergarment from ebay and you're just over $100.

 

[Doc Harry]

Wet suits change in bouyancy with depth. That's what makes it so difficult to manage really thick wet suits in the shallows and why you need so much weight.

One of the advantages to going dry is the fact that, with the correct suit, you can eliminate the changes in garment buoyancy related depth. Going with an uncompressed neoprene dry suit combines the advantages of a dry suit with the serious disadvantages of a wet suit.

You don't need $400 undergarments for a dry suit. That's for an ideal, high end garment. You can purchase quality, generic Capilene or other synthetic underwear for layering. As a climber and skier, some of the best synthetic undergarments I have ever purchased cost me $10 at a chain department store. With the proliferation of online stores, you could do even better than that.

 

[Doc Harry]

Major highjack. I apologize in advance. Does anyone happen to know off hand how bouyant the Fusion w/MK3 Undergarment might be? Also, how is the learning curve moving from wetsuit to Fusion?

The learning curve is real but minimal. The problems of diving dry are over-rated.

 

[fnfalman]

Really, people, no multiple dives in one day with a 7-mm wetsuit in 50-F? I guess all those dives I did in the same day must have been all computer graphic/special effects?

Please get real.

Like I said, some of us are more cold resistant than others. Some 7-mm wetsuits are warmer than other.

Would I be as comfortable as a drysuiter? Nope. Can I dive and have fun? Hell yeah and then some. I don't have to miss out on dives because my seals are leaking or my zippers are broken or something got holed. I don't have to puke my guts out trying to balance on a bobbing boat in rough sea while buttoning up my drysuit. I can put on all my gears and in the water in two minutes. A dive parka and some hot tea/coffee/hot chocolate keeps me warm between dives. It's not that big of a deal.

Would I spend two hours underwater with a wetsuit at 50-F? Nope. But then I'm not underwater that long anyway. There are thousands of divers in Southern California who dive wetsuits year round. It's all about tailoring your exposure suit to your needs and your budgets. In my case it's not even budget (I can buy a Whites Fusion with associated accessories without batting an eye) but my needs and my wants.

 

[boulderjohn]

Major highjack. I apologize in advance. Does anyone happen to know off hand how bouyant the Fusion w/MK3 Undergarment might be? Also, how is the learning curve moving from wetsuit to Fusion?

Because your question is buried in a thread that is on a somewhat different topic and nearing the end of its useful life, the people who will give you the best answers are not going to see it. I suggest you repeat the question in the forum on thermal protection down below. You will get some very thorough and useful responses there.

That being said, I did exactly what you are talking about, going from wet suit diving to Fusion diving, although I have so far only used MK2's. With the MK/2's and a single tank with a standard back inflate BCD, my bouyancy weight needs were similar to a 7mm. I have done most of my Fusion diving, however, in a BP/W with double steel tanks. I have never dived in doubles with a wet suit, so I can't make any useful comparison.

 

[scubadada]

As per previous posts, cold tolerance and the need for thermal protection is individual and can be learned with experience. I dive mostly warm water in the 70s and 80s and generally rely on a 3 mm and a 5 mm full suit with or without hoods. I have dived in San Diego 4 times over the last 2 years where the water is considerably cooler. In San Diego, I dive in a 7 mm full suit, 5/3 mm hooded vest, 5 mm booties and gloves. I am quite comfortable in usual water temps of down to 52 degrees on dives up to 45 minutes, including dives to just below 100 feet on the Yukon or a single, shorter dive to 130 feet on the Hogan. On one trip, the water temperatures were only 49-50 degrees and I found I got quite cold at between 30 and 40 minutes of dive time. It is remarkable to me how much difference the 2-3 degree colder water made. It is quite clear to me that if I dived cold water frequently, I would invest in a drysuit to stay warm and toasty. I love being warm.

Good diving, Craig

 

[NudeDiver]

A pretty decent drysuit might cost $1800 (not the cheapest model around, not the most expensive)
DUI TLS 350 Select Men's Drysuit

Oh please. I got my suit, which I consider to be an excellent suit (Bare XCD Tech Dry) for $850. The undergarment was another $150. You don't need to spend $1800 to get a great suit.

 

[scubadada]

Oh please. I got my suit, which I consider to be an excellent suit (Bare XCD Tech Dry) for $850. The undergarment was another $150. You don't need to spend $1800 to get a great suit.

I've always thought you were nude diver, I'm shocked to hear you dive in a dry suit

:mooner:, Craig