DIY Undergarments??!!

[Soggy]

nyresq once bubbled...
if your suit is squeezing you, then yes it will compress, as will anything.

My suit always squeezes me. I don't dive in a bubble which leads to overweighting, dynamic instability, and a host of other problems.

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...

I have a set of 300# polartec undies. They aren't very thick. I wear them with a 200# polartec vest (bought from Cabelas for $17 vs $50+ at REI) and polypropo tops and bottoms and am able to stay comfortable in 50 degree water. Below that (which is most of the season) and I get cold rapidly. That is why I am investing in some 200g or 400g thinsulate undies. I'd bet Bob3, our friendly Viking dealer, can get you a great deal on a set of thinsulate undies.

 

[nyresq]

I dive in a plain old short sleeve sweatshirt and sweat pants down to 50... but I also don't swim with my suit shrink wrapped to my body, an extra pound of lead is worth the comfort of a little air space around my core.

A 200 polartec jumpsuit with a set of long-jon pants over that and I'm good to the low 40s.
Below that and the skin tight thermax undies go next to the skin under the polar/long jons and I top it with a champion sweatshirt with the sleaves cut off. I've dove that way ice diving in lake george and in the NE atlantic in march. My computer said 30 degrees, and only my fingers were feeling it.

but I've always also wanted to try argon.....

 

[divinglife]

I don't check this for a day and wow, what replies... THANK YOU. As this whole thing is in preperation for Winnapasaukee Ice Diving, I think I will look into the thinsulate outside with polartec inside or I'm afraid I may need way too many layers. But the sporting goods store I will DEFINATELY look into. There is a street in NY that is just stock full of whole sale cloth stores which may have some options. I will keep you all informed as to the mom option... I've told her that is this works it could turn into a mini-business... hehehehe.

 

[Bob3]

I've always also wanted to try argon....

As long as your back gas contains no helium, the benefit of plain air vs argon leaves one to conclude that the $$ could be better spent on another layer of undies.
There's an article I scanned from the UHMS (Undersea Hyperbaric Medical Society) that you should check out.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page, can't link directly to the article (or upload):
"air vs argon"
http://www.angelfire.com/ca/divers3/links.htm
(used & posted with permission)

... our friendly Viking dealer, can get you a great deal on a set of thinsulate undies.

drop me a PM if you want to go the Thinsulate route.

 

[Soggy]

nyresq once bubbled...
I've dove that way ice diving in lake george and in the NE atlantic in march. My computer said 30 degrees, and only my fingers were feeling it.

but I've always also wanted to try argon.....

Where have you found 30 degree water anywhere near NY? Even in Maine the temps don't get that cold. I dive in the NE Atlantic year-round and have only seen 34 degrees...that was in the middle of February. 30 degrees would be diving in a salt-water slushy, as the Ocean freezes around 28-29 degrees.

 

[jonnythan]

Soggy once bubbled...


Where have you found 30 degree water anywhere near NY? Even in Maine the temps don't get that cold. I dive in the NE Atlantic year-round and have only seen 34 degrees...that was in the middle of February. 30 degrees would be diving in a salt-water slushy, as the Ocean freezes around 28-29 degrees.

The ocean is not inland fresh water

Lake George (as well as just about every lake and river in the area) gets a pretty good layer of ice of it in the winter.

 

[Soggy]

jonnythan once bubbled...
The ocean is not inland fresh water

Lake George (as well as just about every lake and river in the area) gets a pretty good layer of ice of it in the winter.

I misread the statement. I thought he was saying that he hit 30 degrees in the Atlantic. I have no doubt that Lake George gets to that temp near the surface. I've done some diving in Lake Champlain.

 

[nyresq]

thank you jonnythan....