Heated vests - Do they actually work ?

[JohnN]

After reading the replies and also some other threads I am surprised that no-one appears to state that a heated vest is a "must have".

Reading between the lines I would now almost suggest that it appears to be a nice to have but not a vital.. Alternatively, I am starting to take far more interest in the layers/undergarments. I will definitely begin by sourcing some good quality merino layers + heavier socks//gloves before I make any rash decisions about vests/batteries..

Thanks to all, it has given me food for thought.

Depends on your cold comfort level and your bank account. If you are diving in the PNW and doing multiple dives/day for multiple days, the cost benefit ratio makes a heated vest like the Ventureheat a no-brainer

 

[acxc]

After reading the replies and also some other threads I am surprised that no-one appears to state that a heated vest is a "must have".

Reading between the lines I would now almost suggest that it appears to be a nice to have but not a vital.. Alternatively, I am starting to take far more interest in the layers/undergarments. I will definitely begin by sourcing some good quality merino layers + heavier socks//gloves before I make any rash decisions about vests/batteries..

Thanks to all, it has given me food for thought.

One of the other things I haven't seen mentioned is what a difference a really good hood makes. While teaching regularly in 38f water last winter I went back and forth with a bunch of different undergarment combos, along with borrowing a heated vest for awhile. In the end the biggest game changer, for me at least, was investing in one of the high quality hoods on the market.

 

[mr_v]

@Roy_W - you have the best suit setup on the market. 4 Pads and a valve will cost you ~620 EUR. Save up for a battery, around 800EUR or so, and you're all set. I have the same setup as you do plus the pads / battery and can tell you that things are quite cozy around 5C. Get a ticker base layer if your suit cut allows that, dive without heat for the first part of the dive and then crank it up on the way out.

 

[Cali_diver]

They work great until they don't (I got a pretty good burn on my back from a malfunction while diving wet). I can't imagine what it would have been like if I was in a dry suit at depth. That being said if it was a matter of not being freezing cold I would wear one! I have lots of friends with them and a couple wear them with their dry suits.

 

[Roy_W]

@Roy_W - you have the best suit setup on the market. 4 Pads and a valve will cost you ~620 EUR. Save up for a battery, around 800EUR or so, and you're all set. I have the same setup as you do plus the pads / battery and can tell you that things are quite cozy around 5C. Get a ticker base layer if your suit cut allows that, dive without heat for the first part of the dive and then crank it up on the way out.

Hi Mr_V,

Where did you see the pads and the valve for only 620 €, I can't find better than 850 € ? 1400 goes a little beyond, 40% beyond lol. my budget but I could stretch it if it was truly worth it. For 1400 I would have to be 100% convinced that it's a lot more than just slightly better than improving on what I already use with better undergarments..

I saw that their draw was 3.3 A, so I assume that even a small Santi 8A battery should give almost 2 hours... In the real world, especially at 7° , do the batteries suffer from the cold like normal batteries do or do they have some kind of protection which means they can actually provide the amperage advertised?

One point that I don't see though is an On/Off switch or any other means of controlling the heat.. It looks like it is all of nothing.

 

[Chris H]

I currently have a Santi vest and gloves with a 20Ah LM can with their controller in the lid. The gloves might be my favorite. It is nice to have a controller that you can start with low heat, and then work your way up to the highest setting. I've learned that my old body adjusts to the heat so you can get used to the high setting and then there isn't more available when you want it. If you start at a lower setting, as the dive goes on you can add more heat. The disadvantage of any heated undergarments is definitely when they quit working. You realize in a big hurry how much warmth they were adding.

 

[grantctobin]

Hi Mr_V,

Where did you see the pads and the valve for only 620 €, I can't find better than 850 € ? 1400 goes a little beyond, 40% beyond lol. my budget but I could stretch it if it was truly worth it. For 1400 I would have to be 100% convinced that it's a lot more than just slightly better than improving on what I already use with better undergarments..

I saw that their draw was 3.3 A, so I assume that even a small Santi 8A battery should give almost 2 hours... In the real world, especially at 7° , do the batteries suffer from the cold like normal batteries do or do they have some kind of protection which means they can actually provide the amperage advertised?

One point that I don't see though is an On/Off switch or any other means of controlling the heat.. It looks like it is all of nothing.

I would encourage almost any other battery than the Santi one.

Here would be a “value” example with built in output regulation: 12V Diving Heater Battery - SmartTex

Can take total Wh and divide by the advertised W draw of whatever you’re using.

E.g when new, this battery is 290Wh. A 60W vest on 100% output (add 10% for misc inefficiencies) = 290/66 = ~4.4hr

Note, the above is a big battery that isn’t really IATA airline compliant but puts it into perspective. An equivalent 30Ah battery from LM is ~$1600 US that also kind of skirts the IATA regulation via a loophole esque thing.

I’m not familiar with batteries other than UWLD that are constant output. This means that if you start the dive at 100% output, the same 100% output at the end of the dive is less warm. @Chris H suggestion of gradually turning the battery up as the dive goes on balances this out. You’ll find most people either save it for deco or run it on a very low setting during the bottom phase and increase into deco.

 

[mr_v]

Hi Mr_V,

Where did you see the pads and the valve for only 620 €, I can't find better than 850 € ? 1400 goes a little beyond, 40% beyond lol. my budget but I could stretch it if it was truly worth it. For 1400 I would have to be 100% convinced that it's a lot more than just slightly better than improving on what I already use with better undergarments..

I saw that their draw was 3.3 A, so I assume that even a small Santi 8A battery should give almost 2 hours... In the real world, especially at 7° , do the batteries suffer from the cold like normal batteries do or do they have some kind of protection which means they can actually provide the amperage advertised?

One point that I don't see though is an On/Off switch or any other means of controlling the heat.. It looks like it is all of nothing.

I will DM you with pricing details.

As I don't know your dive profiles, I'll give you a general answer: Usually, you don't want to run heat all the way through the dive. When you begin a dive, you're on-gassing. Heat will help the process - exactly what you want to avoid. That's why I don't turn on the heat until the second part of the dive, when I am ready to start surfacing; unless I am really cold. Heat will then help with off-gassing, which will make deco more effective. That's for deco dives. Look up heat/decompression relationship for more detailed info.

For non-deco dives, I run heat at 20%. Speaking of that...

You should get a controller for temperature regulation. My controller / battery setup is from UWLD. It is the best product we can get in the States. Not sure if it is available where you live. I haven't noticed battery performance degradation. I haven't done any scientific tests. However, controllers may not be cheap and will definintely push you closer to 2000EUR. But I can tell you one thing - being warm on a dive is fantastic, especially if you dive cold weather often. The warmth you get from a heating system gives you a different feeling than what you get with an additional layer that at some point trapped air and is using that air as insulation.

Here is another setup for you from Light Monkey:

- Shirt (including pads): $440

35.300.-Heater Base - Top

shop.lightmonkey.us

- Controller: $329

Stand-Alone Heat Controller v2.0

- 20Amp battery, $1255

35.220.000-20 Amp Heater Pack

shop.lightmonkey.us

- Heater valve bulkhead, $140

35.110.-Drysuit Inflation Valve Heater Bulkhead

shop.lightmonkey.us

That should be close to 2000EUR... So that's pretty much over your budget, but realistically, that's what you'd spend on a good heating system.

Note, Light Money is the base layer. It will have to go under your SF Tech top. My top is a perfect althetic/slim fit and I would not be able to fit it, so I'd have to get a differen top.

 

[Roy_W]

"As I don't know your dive profiles, I'll give you a general answer: Usually, you don't want to run heat all the way through the dive. When you begin a dive, you're on-gassing. Heat will help the process - exactly what you want to avoid"

I have read this before and I am glad that you reminded me. This means that I only really have to take the duration of the moment that resurfacing starts into account rather than the entire dive length. On a typical winter dive we might go down to around 34m foe verying lengths of time, it's only vers seldom that we need to do deco because of the cold. In general we only have around 1 or 2 minutes of deco to do. We always add a couple of minutes over and above the required deco. Because of the site profile that we most commonly use we generally are finning around at the 5m mark for the last 5 minutes or so, we don't enjoy hanging onto a line or remaining static at the end.

Those damned cans truly are the breaking point of the heating equipment. They represent around 60% of the budget, ouch... I have now realised that some of them do possess a control switch , so at least that is taken care of...
If I have to spend 2000 then I will just wait out until the budget is there.

 

[Kendall Raine]

They work great until they don't (I got a pretty good burn on my back from a malfunction while diving wet). I can't imagine what it would have been like if I was in a dry suit at depth. That being said if it was a matter of not being freezing cold I would wear one! I have lots of friends with them and a couple wear them with their dry suits.

Sorry to hear that.

Did you figure out the cause? Sounds like a short in the heating element, not battery related. What brand, please?