Drysuit undergarments for Monterey

[Hamatchi]

I am a new drysuit owner and am trying to get some parameters about insulation for Monterey diving.

For reference my drysuit came with a 250g thinsulate undersuit and I am overheating badly within 3 minutes of donning my drysuit despite it being in the high 40's outside. Big soggy sweating mess by time I hit the water. My clever assumption is that I have too much insulation.

I know everyone has different temp requirements, but I thought I would ask to get an idea of what others are using for insulation so I can start looking at other options. So what type of base layer and insulating layer undergarments are you using?

Thanks in advance!

 

[runsongas]

I use a 200g most of the year when the water is mid 50s or higher. i break out the thermal fusion for the winter and also deeper dives in carmel.

 

[JellyMan777]

I dive Monterey/Carmel in an XM450 all year round.

If you are using a drysuit for shore diving, then you are always going to have to deal with topside overheating. The way that I typically handle it is as follows:

• Delay suiting up until the last possible moment. Dress your tanks, test your rig, and stage your gear for deployment. Only after you have done EVERYTHING possible do you then suit up.
• Delay actually donning the top and sealing the suit until you have put on your boots, gaiters, and ankle weights AND you have stocked your pockets (if you have them). Doing this allows your top half to breathe as long as possible.
• While you are dressing, unzip or doff the top half of your insulation suit until you are ready to don the top and seal the suit. The top half will just heat you up while you work your way into the suit, so you might as well put it off until you absolutely must don it.
• Eat ice chips. Seriously. I do this on dive boats all the time where the wait to/from dive sites is long. You can also do the inverse and imbibe hot water or tea to warm you as well. NO CAFFEINE!!! No cold soda or coffee given the well-documented relationship between diuretics/dehydration and decompression sickness susceptibility.

During your SIT, also consider unzipping the drysuit. If you are really desperate, you can always also wear against your chest or abdomen a water bottle full of either cold/hot water (depending on your need). You can use cold/hot compresses as well, but the packs must be as close as possible to major blood vessels (i.e. underneath your top undergarment).

Also consider that the blood vessels in your hands, wrists, and armpits provide easy access to modify your core temperature. In extreme cases, I've heated my body by placing hot packs against my wrists/armpits. If you go this route, make absolutely certain to remove the packs before you return to the water. The chemistry of some compresses is accelerated at depth and can cause severe burns.

Hope this helps.

 

[Imla]

In addition to the tips from the above poster, after you have donned your suit... but before you put your rig on, have a quick cool down in the water. In and out. The water evaporating will help keep you cool when you are getting your rig on.

 

[elgoog]

I wear a SmartWool baselayer with XM450 year round under a trilam drysuit.
As @Josh Honomichl detailed, don the suit as late as possible. My rig is fully set up and most pre-dive chit chat done before I even put my undies on. Basically, top of the suit goes on and zipped up right when we're ready to go. The only thing done after getting fully zipped up is putting the gear on, pre-dive check and splash.
On the few occasions when there was some delay after suiting up, I pour some iced water from my bottle over my head - that helps for a few minutes. If it's even longer, I'll even go take a dip in the water.

 

[lexvil]

I dive Monterey most of the time, as I get older I've found I'm less tolerant of the cold, I use Hollis 450 with a base layer and most often an additional 100 weight shirt added to the Hollis. In addition to the already mentioned technique of waiting as long as possible to seal your self in the rubber bag I open up as soon as I get the rig off after the dive and on warmer days I take the drysuit off between dives.

 

[Akimbo]

... I am overheating badly within 3 minutes of donning my drysuit despite it being in the high 40's outside....

Welcome to drysuit diving! I always climb down the ladder as soon as the zipper is closed.

 

[undrwater]

I am overheating badly within 3 minutes of donning my drysuit despite it being in the high 40's outside. Big soggy sweating mess by time I hit the water.

How does the dive go? Overheating as well?

 

[Hamatchi]

How does the dive go? Overheating as well?

The dive went not so well. I was going through my air supply way to fast from the heat, started cooling off, but called it the as I was so uncomfortable.

Based on all the solid advice given here I need to rethink my approach, before assuming my insulation is too much.

Thank you for the help everyone.

 

[andrewy]

here what i do, and im the sweatiest guy in a gym.
0. if u swet u get cold right away
1. use smart wool, no cotton
2. before getting in cool down shirtless
3. use P-valve, drink water
4. i use 450G for long dives with doubles, and 250G for singles /boat dive.