Drysuit + Cold Cold Water

[Safety Stop]

I'm in the market to buy another drysuit. I have a Bare 4mm compressed since 2006 and it served me well but for some reason, it shrunk a bit (I don know if it's the property of the neo after a while) and I have problem to do my valve drill on my double. So, I'm looking for a trilam this time but I'm a little concern about the type of environement I dive.... cold water. I know some of you will say a drysuit is made to keep you dry and not you warm.... I already know that. But I want to know if with the right type of undergarment such Weezle Extreme Plus and a base layer, if I can do a 60 - 70 minutes dive with a trilam without feeling the cold. I have to mention that the temperature here year long is 34 F (1.11 C).

 

[StreetDoctor]

I'm in the market to buy another drysuit. I have a Bare 4mm compressed since 2006 and it served me well but for some reason, it shrunk a bit (I don know if it's the property of the neo after a while) and I have problem to do my valve drill on my double. So, I'm looking for a trilam this time but I'm a little concern about the type of environement I dive.... cold water. I know some of you will say a drysuit is made to keep you dry and not you warm.... I already know that. But I want to know if with the right type of undergarment such Weezle Extreme Plus and a base layer, if I can do a 60 - 70 minutes dive with a trilam without feeling the cold. I have to mention that the temperature here year long is 34 F (1.11 C).

I have the same water temps here and I dive a TLS350. I just ordered DUI xm450's. You might want to look into a heated vest also.

 

[Dragon Eye]

Hubby has a BARE trilam and the thickest undergarment they make. I teased him that he got the "snowsuit". Dove Lake Superior and didn't get cold and he grew up in the south and defines cold as anything under 60 degrees.

I have a fuzzy bear and have always been toasty warm in those cold conditions. But I would love an undergarment like his as it doesn't trap as much air.

 

[Matt S.]

With the right thermals you can definitely stay warm in a shell suit. If I was diving freezing water maybe I'd want some inherent insulation in the suit, but my shell suit is good to 45F, as cold as it gets where I dive.

 

[drl]

I've never been in water colder than 37F, but for that a trilam and Weezle extreme plus are just fine, and I am very sensitive to cold. Dry gloves help a lot too.

 

[Crush]

I dive a DUI TLS 350. I have been in the water at 2C for 40 minutes and came out with hold hands and cold feet, but my body was OK. I have solved that problem by adding more insulation to my feet and by modifying my dry gloves. A heated vest might help you out. It is all in the layering.

With respect to undergarments, I have opted to not buy a set from a dive mfg. Instead I went to MEC and bought some moisture-wicking sport shirts, 100- and 200-weight Polartec long top and bottom undergarments, and polar fleece tops and bottoms. I mix-and-match according to the water temperature. Plus, separating out the pieces makes them dry more quickly in the event that something went wrong. For the feet I have thick wool socks cut off at just above the ankle. I have cut the fuzzy liner out of my dry gloves (it compresses too easily) and now just use regular thinsulate gloves underneath.

 

[Michelle!]

+++ to the heated vest, and also the xm450 from DUI. A very well constructed diving undergarment that beats out any of its kind. I would also recommend DUI's article from John Boyer regarding drysuit insulation.

 

[StreetDoctor]

I got my xm450's today and I'll be diving them saturday most likely in water temps around 35F for about an hour, I'll report back. I also got Hestra quallofill glove liners and they are SUPER warm. Probably similar to wearing two pairs of the yellow liners but extremely warm, not sure if I'll need them with the xm450's. Hopefully my otterbay hood will be here tomorrow.

http://www.hestrausa.com/prod.php?p=HES3159&k=31501

 

[a22shady]

I have not used the Fourth Element SubX but spoke with another that Did and he said he could not even feel the cold while wearing that and an under layer. I use there Arctic which is next one down from the SubX with an under layer and comfortably do 30-45min in 40F. I have the Bare Trilam Hd Tech Dry. Fourth element Makes nice undergarments

 

[StreetDoctor]

I purchased the subzeros and returned them after one dive. They are way to bulky and the collar is very large and annoying. From what I can tell so far the xm450's are much less bulky and hopefully just as warm. The artics are what I use now, a couple weeks ago I did an hour in 35F water and my hands and feet were starting to get really cold on deco.