Dry Suit Core Warmer

[FishDiver]

When I use my dry suit in cold water I only get cold in my torso. It seems foolish to increase undergarment thickness in the entire suit to improve core warmth. My legs and arms never get cold but suit compression eliminates the insulation in my core.

I add vests which works OK but I am looking for a thick vest of incompressible material (maybe very thick tightly woven poly or wool?) that would provide insulation exactly and only where needed.

Anyone have a similar experience? Recommendations?

 

[Diver Lori]

Years ago I got a polartec fleece vest from Campmor for this purpose. You might also look for a wool sweater vest?

 

[dave4868]

I use a homemade fleece chest pad, folded to create a four-layered pad about 12 x 18 x half an inch thick.

It's compressible, but still retains good loft and it's nice and soft and flexible.

Less than $5 at Walmart.

Expect to add about 5 lbs of lead to offset the added buoyancy.

Despite the extra weight, it's worth it, as it keeps my chest toasty warm, rather than feeling like I'm lying on a cold marble slab!

It's simply held in place by the main undergarment.

I may try adding a similar pad over my kidneys this winter, perhaps sewn as a waistband so it stays in place.

Dave C

 

[FishDiver]

I use a homemade fleece chest pad, folded to create a four-layered pad about 12 x 18 x half an inch thick.

It's compressible, but still retains good loft and it's nice and soft and flexible.

Less than $5 at Walmart.

Expect to add about 5 lbs of lead to offset the added buoyancy.


Dave C

Is this is literally just a pad placed over your chest? I had assumed I would need a vest to cover my back and kidney area too. Now that I think of it, my chest is the only area that really gets cold.

I have a thick set of poly pants and jacket and they are really not much warmer than long johns and a poly vest. I thought maybe a set of thick long underwear and a super thick vest (or chest pad) could be as warm as a standard heavy drysuit undergrment and require less lead to sink.

 

[dave4868]

Is this is literally just a pad placed over your chest? I had assumed I would need a vest to cover my back and kidney area too. Now that I think of it, my chest is the only area that really gets cold.

I have a thick set of poly pants and jacket and they are really not much warmer than long johns and a poly vest. I thought maybe a set of thick long underwear and a super thick vest (or chest pad) could be as warm as a standard heavy drysuit undergrment and require less lead to sink.

I had the same thought and found it worked very well to go as light as possible, except where needed. That can reduce lead, especially in moderate temps.

Unfortunately, I tend to get cold easily, so I also increased my overall insulation and that made my lead increase. I'm toasty warm, though!

Yep, when trimmed horizontal or head downward, I would feel the cold water mostly where it was pressing against my chest and the front of my shoulders. The higher areas, such as the back of my legs and back of my torso seemed to be warmer, probably because the undergarments maintain loft better in the air bubble.

I simply lay the fleece chest pad between my wicking layer of polypropylene long johns and my outer layer. The materials cling to each other and stay in place.

Usually, for water temps of 45 to 60F, my outer layer will be a 300 weight Polartec jacket (Cabela's). For water temps from the low 30's to 45F, it will be a Weezle Extreme Plus.

Your plan of wearing just the amount you need on the extremities and then adding to the core makes good sense to me. I'm just using Polartec outdoorwear and that chest pad most of the year for temps typically in the 45 to 60F range.

For the winter, since I seem to get cold more easily than most people, I've been tweaking my thermal protection so I can continue doing my typically long, lazy photo dives, usually 70 to 90 minutes, sometimes more.

Using this fleece chest pad along with two liners in my oversized drygloves, an ice cap 1/8" neoprene underhood, and two or three pairs of socks in oversized boots gives me excellent comfort for over 90 minutes in water temps down to the low 30's.

All of that insulation requires lots of lead, but you're right, it's lessened by putting the insulation only where you really need it.

By the way, what are your water temps?

Dave C

 

[FishDiver]

Has anyone tried making a vest from open-cell foam?

I understand that closed-cell neoprene will compress with water pressure but what about using dense foam like the stuff used to make furniture?

The water temps I am preparing for are 46- 52F.