Drysuit In Warm Water Questions

[Doc Intrepid]

Rick,

I've used my DUI 450 each time we go to Morehead City, and the temps there are generally in the 70s. I just leave off the hood and drygloves, and I'm perfectly comfortable.

I will say that the first time I went down there I took my weezle and nearly vapor-locked. Don't tell anyone, okay? It was a stupid move. You are looking for a mid-weight polarfleece undergarment. I just wear a two piece set I wear when skiing. The idea is that it keeps the sun off, but the wind goes right through it and dries off any sweat, moisture around your cuffs or valve, etc. Plus, with a 2 piece I can pull the top off and catch some rays!

On the one hand I don't own a wetsuit, so really don't have much to compare against. On the other hand, diving with doubles on dives involving any sort of overhead, I'd much rather dive dry anyway. With a lightweight polarfleece undergarment (and no hood or gloves) I'm perfectly comfortable in water temps into the pretty high 70s.

but its a subjective thang.... YMMV.

 

[limeyx]

What did you wear under it?

TLS-350 with DUI 200G thinsulate and a thin layer below that.

(yeah, I am a "cold wimp" )

 

[TSandM]

Rick, when I dove with Tim and he used his dry suit, he was wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt and a pair of light workout pants underneath it. Water temperature was 78 degrees on that trip, if I recall.

 

[BOB L]

Rick, I thought when diving wet, AL 80's and AL back plate is the way to go, and considered a balanced rig. The thing is to have drop able weight, IE weight belt or canister light. I dive a 3/2 WS, AL 80's , Al BP and Pro 4 canister light and a 5 lbs wt belt. At start of dive a little hard to swim up but can be done. Last resort for me is to drop weight.
BOB

 

[do it easy]

I've never been to Hawaii, but I did dive out here in the summer on a hot day. Air temps were in the 80s and water was in the high 70s. I dove my drysuit (DC Pinnacle 200) with just a layer of med weight polypro underneath. I think I did sweat a little during the dive, but I didn't get cold. During the surface interval, I just peeled off the top half of the suit and the polypro dries quickly. I would also set up all my gear first, before changing into the drysuit so there was NO DELAY after donning the suit.

 

[Rick Inman]

I've never been to Hawaii, but I did dive out here in the summer on a hot day.

Then you don't need to go!

We'll, now I'm torn. I was pretty set on just taking my drysuit, but on the dive today, my buddy insisted that I'd be happier taking his 5mm wetsuit, which is the correct insulation for those waters doing technical diving, according to Dive Tek (the DIR shop) in Kona.

 

[do it easy]

Then you don't need to go!

We'll, now I'm torn. I was pretty set on just taking my drysuit, but on the dive today, my buddy insisted that I'd be happier taking his 5mm wetsuit, which is the correct insulation for those waters doing technical diving, according to Dive Tek (the DIR shop) in Kona.

You should ask them to post it on the internet so that you can take it as truth.

You are damned if you do, and damned if you don't, unless the team you are diving with is similarly configured.

 

[Rick Inman]

You should ask them to post it on the internet so that you can take it as truth.

They don't need to. The King himself has already spoken about this shop, so what they say must be truth:

"Date:
07/11/2002
Comments
BY George Irvine :

It is really good to see that the things that make sense in diving are being quickly adopted by thinking people, and that the influence of the idiots is quickly waning. Pina and I were very happy with Gary's operation. He has a perfect boat, his partner and captain is squared away, his buddies are squared away, his gas setup and equipment is first class, and he is running a stroke-free operation. "

 

[pickens_46929]

Rick,

Dove 2 years ago in Hawaii and used a 5mm for the techical dives and was fine. Would have probably been ok in my dry suit with a very light (100g) undergarment. Had one guy on the boat diving dry and he was in a long sleeve t-shirt and track pants.

 

[LAJim]

This morning I did a pool skills session ca. 75 F wearing a Body Sock undergarment (ca. 50 - 100 g) and the TLS 350 - I would consider this in FL or Hawaii.

Jim