dry suit undergarment - here's what i'm thinkin - opinions ??

[rick00001967]

so i picked up a bare nex gen pro drysuit. but i have nothing yet for insulation. after looking around for quite some time now, here's what i am thinking of doing. any other opinions are appreciated.

Hollis AU100 - this will give me a good outer shell for wind protection etc while getting dressed or undressed, will glide in and out of the suit easily (i hope), has pockets, and has neoprene on ankles and wrists to help stop water penetration from a small leak. it also has a 100g fleece liner for insulation. this should be enough for warmer water. i can add my thin base layer i use for snowmobiling for a bit more protection if needed.

then i was gonna pick up maybe a 200g or a 300g extra fleece one piece to add for the really cold waters.

this seems to be the most cost effective way i can find to cover all the bases. unless i am missing something. at least this way i figure i can add or subtract layers depending on the dive conditions.

btw......i live in canada on lake superior. most of the lakes around here are cold even in summer once you go below 30 or 40 feet. in summer shallower dives may be in the 60's but in spring and fall or if going deeper, we can be in the 30's.

so what do you guys think ?? opinions ??

 

[flots am]

I don't know anything about the items you mentioned, but all you're really looking for is is ability to trap air and not absorb moisture, while also not interfering with your neck or wrist seals or blocking the exhaust valve.

Anything that meets these requirements should be fine. Thicker = warmer = more trapped air = more lead.

I would recommend not having a lot of layers. They tend to not stay layered and just bunch up in inconvenient places.

You can probably get by with almost anything for the summer, and maybe a 200g suit for the rest of the year, but that really depends on your personal tolerance for cold. You might want to borrow or rent some underwear from a local shop and see how happy you are with various thicknesses.

Also, anything you see in marketing literature about "reflecting heat" is just marketing BS. You're not a fireplace and don't radiate a significant amount of heat. Most heat loss underwater is via conduction and convection. Thicker insulation that reduces air movement will keep you warmer.

flots.

 

[KD8NPB]

I would advise a Fourth Element undergarment.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

There are lots of ways to skin the cat. The thinsulate dive specific solutions offered at a premium price are tempting, but beyond my budget. Here is what I do.

I always use inexpensive thermal underwear (poly type) as my skin layer. These get washed often and I have 2 sets on hand (along with socks) in case I leak a little. I use poly socks and leave my cotton in the drawers at home. It is amazing how a little leak + cotton underwear = misery.

I use a polar fleece dive undergarment purchased on the web for my main layer. Its 2 X 250Gr and is good down to 44F easy. I has the basic features (finger and foot loops, no collar) that you expect and for $90, its well worth the money. I never wash this, its still nice and fluffy (warm).

I sometimes add a general purpose polar fleece outer layer. Its actually the type sold at sporting good stores for mid-layer winter wear. Added to the other, it keeps me toasty to 39F, but adds bulk and is a bit more loose than I would like. It's also nice to wear top side as a cover over the other stuff.

If you really want to dive in the mid 30's, then pay the money and but the good stuff. Polar fleece is amazing for the amount of warmth for the buck, but too much fluff = too much lead and at some point you have to buy the good stuff.

 

[rick00001967]

i was also looking at a 2 x 250g one piece for about the same money you paid. but i thought having a couple of lighter layers instead would give me more flexibility depending on water temps. instead of always having to wear the 500g one. the price on the hollis is pretty good. like 125 bucks. and i an pick up a heavy layer to add to it for 50 to 75 bucks. and the hollis gives me the added bonus of the features mentioned. i especially like the idea of having the nylon shell for protection from the elements when getting in and out.

btw......totally agree about the cotton. cotton has no place in cold climates. where i live we have a simple saying for being in the bush......"cotton kills". and up here, that can be absolutely true. you don't wanna be caught out in the bush stranded overnight in a sweat soaked cotton outfit when it is 40 degrees below zero. nothing but gortex and fleece for me thx

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Top side doing outdoor activities multiple layers is the only way to go. You need to prevent excess sweating and the radiant heat from the sun as well as the swings in exertion generated heat vary wildly.

In you dry suit diving, the temperature is more constant, no radiant heat and you tend to have a constant low level of exertion. You can control the loft of the polar fleece a but in adding or reducing the air volume since a slightly crushed suit will suck the heat right out of you. Just my opinion, but with Canadian water varying between cold and frick'n cold I would error on more rather than less.

 

[swimmer_spe]

I have a Bare crushed neoprene drysuit with the latex neck seals.

I have the thickest one Bare sells.

I got it for a great deal: buy drysuit get any underwear free.

 

[Ken T]

In Banff, I use some MEC long johns with a MEC fleece pant, Icebreaker merino wool longsleeve undershirt and a generic wool sweater I bought at Eatons years ago.

I do have a Bare SB system fleece top...I found it a little constricting compared to the above and have only dived it twice.

This is under a Bare SB system drysuit.

 

[boat sju]

The "nylon shell" part of it always makes me a little nervous. I want to be able to cover my face with the material and be able to breathe through it. Otherwise, I figure it's restricting air movement and harder to vent. I know a lot of the high end garments have a wind breaker shell and a lot divers with way more experience than me use it - but I don't get it.

Seems like Primaloft, PolarTec and Thinsulate are the state of the art in garments for everything from skiing and hunting to drysuit underwear now. Just put together a little differently.

 

[rick00001967]

The "nylon shell" part of it always makes me a little nervous

the best shell of course would be a breathable type like gortex or other. but then again, that will drive the cost up as well. so i guess it is a trade off. i won't be doing heavy work loads when diving so i am not that concerned. but it would be a benefit.