Cold Water Suit Options?

[tbzep]

I used my drysuit for the first time last week recovering a car from a large stock pond. Wow! I went in dry, came out dry, and didn't freeze after coming out of the water. Best part was there was no mud and cow **** in my ears after the dive! (integrated hood and FFM) I agree, save your money for a drysuit even if it means doing without something for a few months!

 

[Bierstadt]

Look here, Dry Suits from Seaskin Custom Drysuits home page - Seaskin Custom Diving Suits, you can get a bare bones neoprene drysuit for a little more than a really good wet suit costs. I really love wetsuit diving but can no longer handle the cold, I can do an hour @ 54° in my Hollis Neotek but I wear a 1mm under it. Save money in the long run, get a drysuit.

I may very well opt to do just that. In the meantime, do you ever dive a normal 7mm to compare that to your Hollis?

 

[Ojai Diver]

For what it is worth, I have dove comfortably in a double layer (farmer john) wetsuit to 50 degrees F at Monterey.

I'd be doubtful if I could do 35 F degrees in that, though.

 

[Ojai Diver]

...on the other hand, if your drysuit developed a significant leak in 35 degree water (just a hypothetical; drysuits never ever leak) you could be in peril in a short period of time.

 

[Bierstadt]

...on the other hand, if your drysuit developed a significant leak in 35 degree water (just a hypothetical; drysuits never ever leak) you could be in peril in a short period of time.

Yeah... I am not a fan of catastrophic failure modes on exposure protection. Just one factor among many.

 

[Neilwood]

One thing to bear in mind especially as a new diver is duration of dives as well as temperature.

Surface conditions play a part as well. A 45F dive when you come out to a roaring fire is not bad whereas if you come out of a 60F dive to high wind chill conditions (wind, rain etc), you will have more problems keeping warm. Investing in a large windproof and waterproof jacket that you can wear over your suit is worth the effort.

Starting out as a new diver, a 45F dive that lasts 25 mins could be comfortable but if that dive extends to 45-50 minutes when your SAC rate improves it then you become progressively colder. Also if you happen to do multiple dives per day, dive 1 will be good but dive 2,3 etc will get progressively more miserable.

I can and have done 45F dives in a 7mm wetsuit (especially when a newer diver) but I tend to find towards the end I am getting cold especially now that for the same depths I can add about 40-50% duration. I also know that if I am diving those temperatures I want warmth on the surface be it a roaring fire, hot tea/coffee/soup etc.

With regards to drysuit leaks, if you are diving with the right type of undersuit, you will find that they can still be pretty warm even when pretty wet. Even a membrane suit will act as a very thin wetsuit if flooded so minimising the amount of flushing that happens. That, along with the undersuit, will keep a reasonable amount of heat. It will still be a dive shortening experience but not necessarily a catastrophic one.

 

[lexvil]

I haven’t been back into a 7mm since I started diving dry, over 10 years. I tried a pinnacle 8 mil semi dry last year, about 23 minutes in all I could think about was getting out, I start getting those thoughts at about 45 min with the Hollis. In theory a neoprene dry suit that fits right (Seaskin custom fit helps a lot) will provide additional insulation even if it leaks, not tested by me but I’m really thinking of getting one for local diving.

 

[runsongas]

only way i can see a wetsuit working is with surface supplied hot water

 

[EireDiver606]

I am looking at getting something a bit warmer than my 3mm full suit. I have been reading to try and learn what the options are. My goal is to have something that will keep me acceptably warm on the bottom of Lake Erie in the summer and dive in the late fall and spring. So down to at least 40F, preferably 35F. The obvious choice is a drysuit with suitable undergarments, which is the go-to in my area. But I don't have $1k to spend on an exposure suit anytime soon. So moving on...

A 7mm suit would be suitable for summer wreck diving but would not extend as far into the shoulder season as I would like. Conversely, I have heard a fair bit about some wet suits being made of superior materials than others, or alternative design approaches. So my question is how many degrees of warmth is added (over a conventional 7mm suit with gloves and hood) by:

1) Semi-dry suits;
2) Free diving "open cell" suits such as Mako's;
3) Farmer John style 7+7mm suits;
4) Magical special 7mm suit manufacturer claims is warmer than other 7mm suits (are they?); and
5) 7mm suit with added hooded vest or other layering accessories.

Those are the cold water diving options I have identified between the "standard" 7mm suit and drysuits. Please tell me if I missed an option. I also recognize that perceived temperature comfort varies wildly between divers. Personally, I find 59F in my 3mm with a cap to be delightful and refreshing. I may be part polar bear. However, I am doubtful I would like ice diving in an off-the-shelf 7mm.

I can weigh the cost, comfort, and complexity tradeoffs decently, but I could use some help on the warmth part. Thank you, and feel free to educate and correct.

I got a semi dry hooded 7mm and 5mm vest. It’s warm but the zip let’s water in and out. All wetsuit zips do. My suit will not be changed until it has to, but if I was buying again I would get the thickest freediving wetsuit you can. No zips. No water slish sloshing. More warmth. Not to mention it’s a lot tighter.

The main reason you should get the freediving wetsuit, is because it gives you much better flexibility. Especially useful for skin diving. When I go skin diving it’s hard to swim as fast, because I feel like a small Michelin man....

 

[Jack Hammer]

I'd really say look for a decent shape used drysuit. Or even an "entry" level new one. There are deals out there, keep an eye out for demo or closeout models. I frequently dive in water temps in the 30's F, a drysuit is a must for most people as it's just too cold for most in a wetsuit.

Call Mike or Chris at Dive Right in Scuba and see if they can find something that'll work for you. They're straight shooters and carry and are familiar with a lot of brands.