Drysuit heater

[ajtoady]

OK so I have a question for those drysuit divers in the cold water areas. I know that there are electric heated garments for wear in a drysuit. My question is, has anyone tried chemical heaters? I have a lower back that occasionally spasm's and goes out of whack. I have found that the stick on heat packs seems to help it. Thus this thread. I have used the Thermocare stick on heat packs to keep it warm and wonder if it has been tried in a drysuit to help keep you warm.. If it has how well did it work?

 

[Mud&Rox]

yea Ive used them and they work great....I use the heated insoles to keep my toes toasty....the only time I used one on my lower back I had to end the dive tho as my kidneys were killing me from all the heat so I stick to the insoles. if you dive dry with a tight squeeze tho you wont see much benifit from them as they need 02 to oxidize the iron in them. the same will apply to anyone diving argon in there suits

 

[w ripley]

The trick is turning the chemical ones on when you need them. If you have to start the chem reaction while getting dressed and you're doing a short dive, no problem. If it's really hot out, getting dressed with added heat is not fun. On a longer dive you want the heat at the end of the dive, and not at the beginning. Some of the chem packs turn hard as they progress thru the reaction, so that needs to be factored, as well. It's just a matter of finding which work best for you, how you are going to turn them on, and placing them in a place that won't require too much flexibility.

The electric ones are pricey but with some, like Golem Gear's ( Q-Vest - Drysuit Heating system ), you can turn them on when you want and turn to the heat setting you lneed. More cost + more weight but more heat and more flexibility. GG, for example, also makes a 28AH battery for their heated vest and is coming out with drysuit heated gloves that plug into the same battery.

Just another option.

 

[Mud&Rox]

never was a fan of the crystallization type they end up as a brick and dont last long
[h=3][/h]

 

[jlovold]

Burned
Consider yourself warned!

 

[Wayne at DiveSeekers]

I just use the SANTI Heated vest with the 15amp battery pack and that gives me around 3 hr BT. I know it's pricey but I get my use out of it whether i'm doing Recreational dives in lighter weight undergarnments or doing Tec dives. I Love It & Totally Spoiled Now!

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