Done Diving Wet

[stuartv]

Ever since taking AN/DP and getting into photography, my diving speed/movement has gone way down. While it’s improved my SAC, I’m getting cold for the first time, even in warmer conditions. Cold at a deco stop sucks! I’ve tried open cell, semi-dry, sharkskin underneath, and just can’t stay warm.

So, I figure it’s time for a drysuit. Any suggestions?

Looking for something that travels well for temps above 50 degrees F. Don’t imagine going much colder. Think Red Sea in the spring/fall/winter or the med. I know I want a pee valve, pockets, and folks seem positive about user replaceable seals. I imagine fabric is better than neoprene for my purpose.

Tricky part is my budget is about $1500 to include any undergarments. I see seaskin is talked about positively, but they seem to be closed for now and I’d like to get something in the next month or two.

I dive almost 100% sidemount, if that makes a difference.

I’m 6’, 190lbs, willing to buy used, but really have no idea what I’m looking for. I live overseas in India right now and do not have a local dive shop to rely on.

thoughts?

We're heading into summer. I would suck it up and hold out for a Seaskin. They're the only company I know of that will meet all your requirements, including budget.

Nova (trilam), w/attached socks. (for travel)
Thigh pockets, choose the front-mounted option, so they aren't interfering with your sidemount tanks.
Pee valve (I like the Trigons in both my suits, but they have other options).
Quick Neck neck seal setup, with silicone (or replaceable neoprene, if they will give you that option).
Tech Base layer
150-gram socks
150-gram undersuit (which is also made-to-measure, like the drysuit)

You can do all that for under $1500.

Because you're talking about temps above 50, I would probably not spend for dry glove rings, and just wear wet gloves. In that case, I would try to get neoprene wrist seals, if they offer them on a trilam. If not, I would CONSIDER getting dry glove rings anyway, just for the ability to easily replace the seals if they get damaged. Otherwise, latex is your only option.

 

[Subcooled]

just can’t stay warm.
So, I figure it’s time for a drysuit. Any suggestions?

It's not the drysuit. It's what you wear underneath it.

A drysuit is nothing but a shell. It ONLY keeps you dry. Not warm. There are exceptions, but that's the general rule of thumb. You should pay attention to wool and fibre instead: the undergarments.

Also, add some weight so that you can add some extra air. Extra air keeps you warmer. No minimal weights in cold water - ever.

Tricky part is my budget is about $1500 to include any undergarments.

Get a cheap drysuit and wear something warm underneath.

Who said you need to buy your undergarments at a diveshop? It's just clothing. It must let air through, of course, but no other special requirements.

OK, dive shop undergarments tend to repell water... and so on... but supposedly you should stay DRY so what's the difference?

(btw, do make sure that the drysuit exhaust valve works as expected; some undergarments are too fluffy and seal the exhaust; this makes you into a balloon; it's not fun; my dive buddy is using duct tape on left arm at the relevant height )

I dive almost 100% sidemount, if that makes a difference.

Me too, and it does not affect my clothing.

Electrically heated under garments exists too, if you prefer that.

 

[Subcooled]

Quick Neck neck seal setup

My dive buddy has that setup. There was a slight problem with it and the +4 celsius water entered his suit at 100 ft depth inside a mine. I'm happy he's alive. Quick neck sounds good, but please make sure that it is properly mounted.

Dry glove systems can be incredibly technical
OR
Dry gloves with latex seal. Even better with Hestra Quallofil gloves underneath.

ps. The first glove (either hand) is easy to don but with the second one (the other hand) you will absolutely need some help from your dive buddy. Under water these are lovely, though. Your boltsnaps had better be BIG though. Some sidemount harnesses are designed for childrens fingers.

 

[Subcooled]

 

[stuartv]

Who said you need to buy your undergarments at a diveshop? It's just clothing. It must let air through, of course, but no other special requirements.

OK, dive shop undergarments tend to repell water... and so on... but supposedly you should stay DRY so what's the difference?

(btw, do make sure that the drysuit exhaust valve works as expected; some undergarments are too fluffy and seal the exhaust; this makes you into a balloon; it's not fun; my dive buddy is using duct tape on left arm at the relevant height )

Riiight. So, buy any old undergarments. You don't need to buy them at a dive shop.... exceeept....

You really want one that wick moisture away from your skin. You could wear cotton of equivalent insulative value. But, it will not pull moisture away from your skin, so you will feel a lot colder than something with equivalent R-factor (if you will), but that moves the moisture away from your skin and towards the outer shell.

Also, some undies that are specifically made for diving under a drysuit have special construction in the left shoulder area, specifically to allow air to move through and get out of the drysuit's dump valve.

So, you totally don't need special undies. It's just clothes, right? Except that you do...

Okay, so, really, I think when you're talking about water that is not TOO cold, you can wear pretty thin undies and all that "special" stuff is really not so important. It's when you start diving colder water and needing thicker undies where the special construction is more important.

E.g. if some Under Armour Cold Gear for a base layer, and some medium or even heavy weight Merino wool long john's are all you need to be warm enough, then that's probably just fine. But, when it gets cold enough that you start wanting, say, 150-gsm Thinsulate or equivalent, then the wicking and the other special features start to be more important.

In my opinion, anyway.

I can definitely say, with no hesitation, that how well your base layer and mid layer wicks make a HUGE difference to how warm you feel. And, unfortunately, it is really hard to know from reading manufacturer websites how well any given piece wicks.

 

[Subcooled]

Riiight. So, buy any old undergarments. You don't need to buy them at a dive shop.... exceeept....

You really want one that wick moisture away from your skin. You could wear cotton of equivalent insulative value. But, it will not pull moisture away from your skin, so you will feel a lot colder than something with equivalent R-factor (if you will), but that moves the moisture away from your skin and towards the outer shell.

Also, some undies that are specifically made for diving under a drysuit have special construction in the left shoulder area, specifically to allow air to move through and get out of the drysuit's dump valve.

So, you totally don't need special undies. It's just clothes, right? Except that you do...

Okay, so, really, I think when you're talking about water that is not TOO cold, you can wear pretty thin undies and all that "special" stuff is really not so important. It's when you start diving colder water and needing thicker undies where the special construction is more important.

E.g. if some Under Armour Cold Gear for a base layer, and some medium or even heavy weight Merino wool long john's are all you need to be warm enough, then that's probably just fine. But, when it gets cold enough that you start wanting, say, 150-gsm Thinsulate or equivalent, then the wicking and the other special features start to be more important.

In my opinion, anyway.

I can definitely say, with no hesitation, that how well your base layer and mid layer wicks make a HUGE difference to how warm you feel. And, unfortunately, it is really hard to know from reading manufacturer websites how well any given piece wicks.

A good post, but I have to comment on it.

"So, buy any old undergarments." - I did not exactly say that

"Any old" is not good, but everything does not need to have a dive stamp on.

The base layer must keep ones skin dry, that is true. Moist skin looses heat more rapidly than dry skin. I admit I forgot to mention that. It is hard to imagine that anyone would use cotton underwear for any kind of sport anymore... Anyway, I would not purchase the most expensive Fourth Element diving base layer unless I have tested the cheaper options that might already exist in my closet... I got mine from a hiking store when they were selling away their winter collection in april... Great prices. That won't happen at a diveshop.

Because I only need thin technical underwear underneath my coverall (for a 60 minute dive +4C or 39F), I have not found any need to cut holes in my underwear... Air can escape pretty well. The coverall does need them though. Some people use Woolpower Ullfrotté underwear succesfully, and those can be found in outdoor stores, too.

In addition to the base layer there must be other clothes that bind moisture and also isolate. There are many "diving brands" for big money, and they are usually really good. The often tend to have holes or vents in the left upper arm to let air pass. There are, however, expections. The Weezle Extreme Plus coverall, especially designed for diving, that I own, does NOT have those holes, and it tends to block the exhaust valve. That's why I am using a thinner undersuit from another manufacturer. Not everything with a "dive" stamp on is golden. The Weezle is a warm suit, that's for sure, but also other people around me who own the same have have cursed it.

It is also worth remembering that thick wool garments have been successfully used in drysuit diving for centuries. It's worth testing if you already own such. And as always, test in a pool or in sheltered water first. The same applies to undersuits from diveshops.

And oh, make sure you do not have an exposed lower back (a known risk of separate skirt and trousers), because it's hard to pull up your trousers while diving

 

[Moby_]

I think Seaskin is back in production and $1500 will get you a fully loaded suit with almost every feature.

 

[JBFG]

Yes there website is back up and taking orders.

 

[formernuke]

For under the drysuit avoid cotton anything. As mentioned cotton does not wick and it loses all warmth properties when wet.

Drysuits keep you dry overall however there will be some moisture from sweat prior to actually getting in the water after gearing up and condensation. With wicking materials I don't even notice the effects of these.

I dive cold water sometimes (year round New England)

I were sweat wicking underwear, wool socks over that goes merino wool sking/ winter hiking base layer (others like under armor cold gear or the drysuit manufacturers base layer), over this goes the undergarments then the drysuit. Depending or your cold tolerance, water temps and air temps you can very the undergarments.

 

[broncobowsher]

And when you get out of the drysuit and everything is damp, it probably isn't the drysuit leaking. It is your perspiration condensing on the cold shell. That wicking layer, wicks it to the shell where it stops and collects at.