(Help) Cold in new shell drysuit - do I need more weight?

[sambolino44]

Oh, my mistake. I didn't read the OP right the first time. Fleece under a wetsuit. Right. Heh, heh.

 

[spectrum]

Would I be getting cold because there is no air in my suit at shallow depths (rather than too few undergarments)?

In The end air is your primary insulator. The garment provides a structure to trap and disperse a bubble of air around you. If you spend a lot of time at the end of your dive with you garment crushed you are in effect diving without effective insulation. All things being equal your old neoprene suit (like I dive) will rebound as you approach the shallows so even if you bleed the suit down to control excess buoyancy the loss of garment performance is offset by an increase in suit material performance. So being in an fully vented shell suit for a spell should do as you describe. I would consider running a bit more air in the suit and if that means a few more pounds of weight then that is the price of admission.

In you post I did not discern a wicking layer of underwear. Could it be that by the end of your dive your skin and inner layer are wet with perspiration? Or does "Whites MK2 and MK1, " include the wicking layer?

Pete

 

[fisherdvm]

Don's some people dive with neoprene under their dry? Have anyone done this, and what is the advantage and disadvantages? I can see the advantage that you can still have some thermal protection if you have a massive flood...

 

[TSandM]

The problem is that you buy more things than just warmth by running your suit with more air. It compounds buoyancy problems in the shallows as well, and as I found out the other day, can make non-horizontal postures problematic. And although more air does make for a little more warmth, it's not as good as good insulating material (and won't work if wet )

I've spent almost two years working on how to stay warm enough in the PNW. I couldn't do it with fleece, either normal fleece or divewear. 200g Thinsulate layered OVER fleece got closer, and 200g Thinsulate layered over 200g Thinsulate over fleece was pretty close. Now I'm using a heated vest and argon when I can. (To my surprise, argon made a really noticeable and reproducible difference.)

I don't think you're going to find that adding weight to add air is going to make you comfortable. One way or another, you're going to have to invest in better or additional insulation.

 

[stiebs]

I wear Ice Breaker 100% Merino under my Weezle. If you not keen on a Weezle, you can layer the IceBreaker range with infinite combinations. It wicks extremely well, and being wool insulates even when wet.

 

[matt_unique]

Air and thermals. Distance from water is what it boils down to. Notice how warm you are in the car? Ha ha, seriously though, more air pushes the water farther away from your body. Thermals keep you warm of course and provide more air space between you and the cold ocean.

--Matt

 

[scarefaceDM]

4th elliment artic undies..freaking warm and toasty...BUT I dive a crushed neoprean suit. The trilam stuff is nice but you have to add more layers. Also if you do not have an ARGON set up. Try to borrow one. Since Argon is an insulating gas...it should keep you alittle warmer. Air will become moist in the suit, thus making you cold.

If you want to get technical!!!!....Try a bikers heating vest. A buddy i know modified his drysuit. Punched a whole...for the battery cable, got a used very small can light canister. Made some thingy and voila...he has heat in the suit. Has not leaked on him. He says it works well.

I use one of them biker heated vests for snowmobiling/4 wheeling..it does keep you toasty.

Think about that little gadget. If you are a skinny minni maybe put on alittle more insulation..

Stephen...

 

[matt_unique]

I have wondered about battery powered warmth as well. Has anyone tried it? REI sells these ski socks that use a 9v battery. The batteries snap right into this little pouch on the sock at your calf. If the suit was not too tight it might be a good solution. The socks were about $25 as I recall.

I would not punch a hole in my suit to run a larger power supply but something 9v powered would be a different matter.

--Matt

 

[matt_unique]

Correction...2 D batteries...

http://www.rei.com/online/store/Pro...703131_7086Lrg.jpg&view=large&vcat=REI_SEARCH

Anyone ever try?

--Matt

 

[Dive1Dennis]

Currently, I am weighted such that my BCD and drysuit are both completely empty between these depths. I also have a fair amount of suit squeeze. Would more air in my suit keep me warmer? I seem to be warm at the deeper parts of the dive then cold near the end when I get shallower. Note that I have enough weight (36 pounds) to safely stop just below the surface (~3-5 feet) with ~300psi in my tank. Would I be getting cold because there is no air in my suit at shallow depths (rather than too few undergarments)?

Nairn

Nairn, I do not know anything about the Whites underwear, I dive a Weezle, but I'll bet that you are experiencing some of the same things I have.
If you are noticably squeezed at your safety stop I think you my need more air to loft your suit more. When I first dove dry I kept dropping weight to the point that I was always squeezed a little. When I did that and I would get cold so I put a couple pounds back on my belt and it made a big difference. If the Whites undies are compressable, like my Weezle, you might be experiencing the same thing.
What I don't understand is why you would need more weight with a shell than a neo DS. My experience is just the opposite. Admittedly the neoprene DS I used prior to getting my shell suit was a little bit to big on me and probably accounted for some of the extra weight I had to carry.