Dry Suit Undergarments

[fjpatrum]

So, being the cheap bastard that I am, I decided to try my "new to me" dry suit this past weekend using some old military wool sweaters and a pair of home-made fleece leggings over a wicking layer that was basically a rash guard on top and a pair of spandex running tights on the bottom. As it turned out, I was incredibly comfortable (temperature wise) during the dive, even after I got a bit wet, in the 45 degree water.

Wetness aside, the only issue I had was the draw string on the waist of my homemade leggings was quite uncomfortable with my weight belt. The guys I was diving with both had on one-piece jumpsuits so I came home and immediately started working up a set for myself. I tend to sew without patterns so I just went at it but if anyone is interested and needs patterns to work from I can recommend a couple.

My material of choice is bright yellow no-pill fleece. I don't know the exact weight, but I think it's about a 200 polartec equivalent.

My suit, once finished will basically be leggings on the bottom half and a slightly roomier top half, just in case I need a thicker layer under it. No collar, two leg zips (inside calf) and a zippered chest pocket will finish it out with velcro closure so I don't get any wear from a heavier zipper on the inside of the dry suit. (I also had all these materials on hand already so no extra cost for me...)

Pics forthcoming...

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

So, being the cheap bastard that I am, I decided to try my "new to me" dry suit this past weekend using some old military wool sweaters and a pair of home-made fleece leggings over a wicking layer that was basically a rash guard on top and a pair of spandex running tights on the bottom. As it turned out, I was incredibly comfortable (temperature wise) during the dive, even after I got a bit wet, in the 45 degree water.

Wetness aside, the only issue I had was the draw string on the waste of my homemade leggings was quite uncomfortable with my wet belt. The guys I was diving with both had on one-piece jumpsuits so I came home and immediately started working up a set for myself. I tend to sew without patterns so I just went at it but if anyone is interested and needs patterns to work from I can recommend a couple.

My material of choice is bright yellow no-pill fleece. I don't know the exact weight, but I think it's about a 200 polartec equivalent.

My suit, once finished will basically be leggings on the bottom half and a slightly roomier top half, just in case I need a thicker layer under it. No collar, two leg zips (inside calf) and a zippered chest pocket will finish it out with velcro closure so I don't get any wear from a heavier zipper on the inside of the dry suit. (I also had all these materials on hand already so no extra cost for me...)

Pics forthcoming...

Great! I am also a big disbeliever in branded drysuit undergarments. They are overpriced and after looking at them in the store, they did not appear to be anything so high tech that they would warrant the price tag. I am also getting a 300 gram polar fleece material custom made for me.

Id love to see the pictures.

 

[Peter_C]

I am curious to see the pictures too. I always enjoy DIY projects

 

[spectrum]

While you guys are being crafty consider adding an extra layer of the same material or something even more incompressible in the chest area. Since the bubble rises the chest is usually the coldest area. Some extra insulation there will kick up the comfort considerably. I have considered Scotchbrite pads or the rubber mat material they use to hold work while routing or as motor home shelf covering. Anything that will truly maintain an airspace between you and the shell.

Pete

 

[fjpatrum]

About 2 hours total sewing time with another hour of noodling the pattern and I have a useable suit. I'm going to go back and make some adjustments to tighten it up around the waist a bit and make a couple of minor alterations to the design.

A couple of additions to my original notes:
1) I made the sleeves 3/4 length so they wouldn't interfere with my dry suit cuffs. Probably not a major issue but I decided I didn't really need the extra warmth those last 3 or 4 inches anyway and it would keep things less bulky where I wear my computer.
2) While I like the velcro I think next time I might just go ahead with a zipper and offset it from the centerline. Velcro and fleece make a messy pair.
3) The top ended up tighter than my original plan because I decided extra bulk wouldn't really do me any good and I can always layer a sweater on top of this if I really need extra warmth, which I don't expect.

Also, next time I'll go with a different design for the top. This is a full back piece with 2 front pieces that are made of 2 sections each. In the future I'd do some side panels to help streamline the fit a bit better.

All told, this cost me about $25 in materials and maybe 3.5 hours (after I make my alterations). Like I said, though, to me it was free (not counting my time) because I've literally had these materials for about 10 years. The fleece actually came from another DIY project I no longer use (a lined Bivvy sac for ice camping with no tent) so this is its second life. Hopefully there are a couple of quick pics attached. After I make the mods I might even take a couple pics with it on to better show the fit.

I mentioned I'd recommend a couple of patterns so here they are:

http://www.thegreenpepper.com/adults.html?id=85Xu7c3M

Specifically, 408 (Willamette racing suit) or 141/142 (Black Butte Jumpsuit) could be easily modified or sewn as-is to work. I have no affiliation with green pepper, they are just relatively inexpensive simple patterns to work with that I have used in the past.

My design would be similar to the 406 (Sporttight/capri pants) and 507 jacket sewn together at the waist.