DIY Undergarments??!!

[Bob3]

... says fleece is the only undergarment that is any good for diving.

Let me guess, your shop doesn't carry any Thinsulate, right?

There are several types of Thinsulate, 3-M even makes some for soundproofing & insulating engine compartments.
Boot grade is the preferred flavor for dive undies, don't draw parallels with regular sports wear, the 2 are different critters.

The major advantage of Thinsulate is that it retains 80% of its insulative properties when wet.

One of my favorites for undies are the military surplus arctic weight polypro. I slap some of those over a thin set of polypro & am good for down into the 50s.
Uncle Sam also has some nice Polartec, comes in bibs & jacket. You can get a brand new set of those for under $50.

 

[buff]

Bare undersuit at LeisurePro:

About 135-185 US$

 

[jonnythan]

nyresq once bubbled...
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.

Uh, absolutely not. Polartec makes fleece. Go to your local EMS or wherever and look at a fleece jacket. Then, go find someone that sells Thinsulate gloves (usually Wal Mart has them) and cut them open.

You won't find fleece inside. They're very, very different materials.

 

[3500PSI]

Believe it or not i just purchased a 200 weight PolarTek top and bottom for a total price of $30. . . brand new!!!!

buddy of mine told me of this shop that makes their own jackets pants, and vests for outdoor activities and am glad i checked them out!

if your wondering they are not on the net but are located in puyallup washington (1hr south of seattle). if anyone is interested in exact directions..just say something and i'll post directions

 

[jonnythan]

It's not hard to find cheap 200 or 300 weight fleece bottoms and tops. Hell, the EMS house brand retails for less than $80 for top and bottom combined. A quick hop at Sierra Trading Post revealed a fleece top and bottom combination for less than $40.

Fleece isn't as good as Thinsulate for diving because it compresses very very easily. The part of the fleece that provides warmth is the soft brushed fabric exterior that traps air, and it compresses with very little pressure. That's my guess at least.

 

[3500PSI]

"Fleece isn't as good as Thinsulate for diving because it compresses very very easily"

value wise i can buy 2 - 3 polarteck vest for the price i would buy 1 thinsulate vest. i got mine for $15!!!

 

[Yerba Mate]

So is the "Cabela's Thinsulate Quilted Underwear" a good product for use as shell drysuit underwear?

Is it the boot grade stuff, which is not too bouyant for diving?

 

[Bob3]

Those undies are a start, you'll need to add more underneath them, like some polypro. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...atalog/pod-link.jhtml_A&_DAV=MainCatcat470076

If using 2-piece undies always get the tops in TALL so there's a nice tail to tuck in, they can ride up & give you a cold spot back there.
That Thinsulate won't be boot grade, the only boot grade Thinsulate you're going to find in a sporting goods store will be in the boots.

If you're going to go out & buy stuff just for diving, make sure you "shop well" or you'll wind up having invested more on "sporting undies" than you would've just getting "dive undies".

 

[nyresq]

I wasn't saying that polartec and thinsulate are the same as each other.... yes I know what thinsulate looks like and what polartec looks like and no they are not the same... duh...

I was saying that polartec 300 is the same whether you get a polartec suit from your dive shop or you get it from a camping store.

 

[jonnythan]

nyresq once bubbled...
I wasn't saying that polartec and thinsulate are the same as each other.... yes I know what thinsulate looks like and what polartec looks like and no they are not the same... duh...

I was saying that polartec 300 is the same whether you get a polartec suit from your dive shop or you get it from a camping store.

Oh, I get it now. Sorry <g>