DIY Undergarments??!!

[divinglife]

The question may seem totally batty BUT is there any way to buy Thinsulate material and just make your own undies with a conventional sewing machine?? The undies prices are just really getting under my skin right now and my mom can sew like a mad woman... hehe. But seriously, is that even conceivable or would the end product just be too sketchy??

 

[jonnythan]

http://www.arrowheadfabric.com/thininby3m.html
http://www.owfinc.com/Fabrics/insulation.asp

Not too cheap, but good luck.

 

[goatboy_k]

i noticed that most of the places that carry the raw thinsulate only carry up to the 200 level, while i think i remember that some of the suit manufactures off the 400 size. how cold can most people go with the 200, and is there anyone that carrys the 400 or do they just use 2 layers??

kurt

 

[spurtill]

cold is EXTREMELY relative. I used to dive in 100 mg thinsulate undersuit in 4 degreee Celius water. Chilly but you could live with it. I got a set of 100mg thermals for under the wooly bear and am toasty now in 4 degrees, hardly feel the chill at all. Don't know though if two 100 gram layers would be the same as a single 200 gram one.

400 sounds like WAY too much warmth for anything less than diving near Santa's kingdom

 

[pipedope]

Is what you want for drysuit undies.
It doesn't compress as much as the other grades which is good for both insulation and bouyancy control.

Yes, you can save money by doing the labor yourself, or getting mum to do it.

Remember you need to have good flexibility in the water so the cut of the suit is important. This will change under pressure when diving so you may need to do some cut and try.
I would (and probably will) start with a pattern of a jumpsuit designed for climbing or something like that.

The nice thing about undies is that sewing is easy so the home machine is fine and no heat or ultrasonic sealing machines are needed. You can customize the design as needed. Perhaps lighter material in the legs and arms and heavier on the torso.

You can also experiment with materials, thinsulate, fleece, etc. at the cost of a few yards of cloth.

Give it a go. Let us know how it works out.

 

[nyresq]

camping stores like "eastern mountain sports" "cabelas" and "REI" sell insulated undergarments with thinsulate or polartec for alot less than dive shops.
Thinsulate and polartec are the same regardless of their intended use.
Its seems anytime something is made for scuba, the prices are doubled then if its for camping, hunting or skiing.

Cabelas has a thinsulate two piece suit for $90/top $80/pants; or in 4way powerstretch polartec 300 weight for $70/top and $60/pants. these can also be used in the winter for outdoor activity so its value is beter then just for diving.

Just cause its not sold by the LDS doesn't mean you can't wear it under your drysuit, and if $130 for 4 waystretch polartec 300 is too much, then you need to find a different sport.

 

[mwilding]

Thinsulate Undergarments for <$100 - gotta love Cabelas!

 

[Soggy]

nyresq once bubbled...
Thinsulate and polartec are the same regardless of their intended use.

This isn't really true. Thinsulate for undergarments is usually type-B (boot grade) thinsulate...it's much stiffer and precompressed. Regular thinsulate compresses too much and loses a bunch of insulation.

Fleece is fleece, but doesn't work too well under a drysuit except as a bottom layer or mixed with thinsulate.

 

[Yerba Mate]

mwilding once bubbled...
Thinsulate Undergarments for <$100 - gotta love Cabelas!

Is this sort of thing what a lot of people are using and finding warm and comfortable?

I did my first dive in my white's shell last week, and since I don't have too much in the way of undergarments I just put on some of my own fleece. I was Cold, to say the least. My LDS is recomending one of those polartec 300 fleece jumpsuits, and basically says fleece is the only undergarment that is any good for diving.

Since I've heard about thinsulate, I thought maybe that would keep me warmer. Would this thinsulate be the right stuff for diving (ie. boot grade)? They never say boot grade anywhere.

In my effort to stay warm on one of my dives I threw on a thin (or what seemed like thin) snowpant, and suffice to say, I couldn't go down (needed like 15 lbs extra). So my first worry would be whether or not the undergarment holds too much air.

 

[nyresq]

soggy said "Fleece is fleece, but doesn't work too well under a drysuit except as a bottom layer or mixed with thinsulate."

I have only ever worn polartec under my suit as alot of other guys I have seen here on the NE atlantic boats. it doesn't compress and if you buy the stretch fleece, it moves with you.

as far as "diving grade" thinsulate or what ever, thinsulate is not airtight and doesn't compress as long as you have air in your suit. if your suit is squeezing you, then yes it will compress, as will anything. As someone was saying before, a neoprene wet suit would compress as the air pressure will compress the bubbles in the suit making it thin, polartec and thinsulate don't have bubbles as air flow through them.
I have felt the $300 thinsulate suits from DUI, Viking, Gates and several others and found no difference to the thinsulate suit I have for sking and playing in the snow
Thinsulate is available in different weights as is polartec and there is a significant difference in the feel of the different weights... and a significant difference in price too.
Alot of guys around here (NY) I dive with, are all using polartec suits either 200 or 300 weight for diving in water right down to freezing.
you'd be suprised how thick the 300 powerstretch stuff is...