High end drysuit undergarments

[hydro12]

A lot of good undergarments mentioned (Xerotherm, etc.), but definitely check out Santi - http://www.santi.com.pl/en/index.php?kasuj=lang

if he doesn't mind a custom suit and the wait that goes along with it.

 

[Marcin2005]

I just got my Sanit BZ200 with a vest. The whole thing took 3 weeks from the day I ordered it. Fits like a glove. Price wise, the entire cost (with shipping) was similar to purchasing the 4th element stuff.

 

[Mark Vlahos]

In SoCal in the summer the DUI Powerstretch 300 will do just fine. In the winter he will want to add some extra warmth. This can be done by adding some heavy long johns or switching to a DivingConcepts TPS Thinsulate Extreme undergarment.

I have used these combinations with my CLx450 in the same waters you and your frined will be diving and these are the undergarments that work for me. Both of these are stretchy for a closer fit without compromising mobility. I like to stay warm, others may say that the same undergarments may be too much insulation for them in the same conditions, that is for your friend to decide.

Dry gloves and good socks also make a big difference in comfort underwater, and of course a thick, well fitting hood.

Have fun,

Mark Vlahos

 

[CompuDude]

Thanks, Mark.

I also should mention he will be wearing a Carol Davis base layer. (Like how I keep remembering relevant details? LOL)

With either the DUI or Fourth Element UGs, he'll be wearing a little more than I currently do (I wear Carol Davis + Dive Rite Polartech 200w), so I would think he'd be fine. The real question is, which is better of the two, or is there a better (non-nylon-shelled, machine washable, stretchy) option.

I have to admit, the Santi suit looks like an interesting option, but I don't think it's the direction I want to recommend right now... it's still a question of the Fourth Element vs. DUI.

DUI is available all over the place, including a couple of places we can get pretty significant discounts from due to personal relationships. For the Fourth Element suits, is there a place other than NESS (stateside) that sells them online?

 

[Stu101]

Sorry to be coming to this thread late.

I'm in the hunt for warm and flexible drysuit underwear. In my next life, I'll pursue something easier to find like the holy grail. I dive the DUI crushed neoprene drysuit. For my undergarments, I wear a cheap, Under Armour knock-off t shirt and a sleveless sweatshirt over the t shirt. With this arrangement, I can easily reach both posts and my isolator. Unfortunately, I also get cold, especially on longer dives (and this is in 72 degree caves - I am clueless and in awe of how you tolerate really cold water!). When I shift to standard dive underwear (e.g., an Andy's thinsilate jumpsuit), the material feels like it bunches at my shoulders and I struggle to reach my posts. I'd wonder if my issues with reach were technique, except that I can so easily reach with my lighter weight stuff. I looked at the Fourth Element gear at the NESS website and it looks promising. So .... for those of you familiar with the 4th Element gear, is it stretchy, non-restricting and non-bunching? I almost feel like warm enough and flexible enough are mutually exclusive. Or do you recommend something else to achieve my reach/warmth ideal? Thanks so much for your help!

Stu

 

[Mark Vlahos]

Sorry to be coming to this thread late.

I'm in the hunt for warm and flexible drysuit underwear. In my next life, I'll pursue something easier to find like the holy grail. I dive the DUI crushed neoprene drysuit. For my undergarments, I wear a cheap, Under Armour knock-off t shirt and a sleveless sweatshirt over the t shirt. With this arrangement, I can easily reach both posts and my isolator. Unfortunately, I also get cold, especially on longer dives (and this is in 72 degree caves - I am clueless and in awe of how you tolerate really cold water!). When I shift to standard dive underwear (e.g., an Andy's thinsilate jumpsuit), the material feels like it bunches at my shoulders and I struggle to reach my posts. I'd wonder if my issues with reach were technique, except that I can so easily reach with my lighter weight stuff. I looked at the Fourth Element gear at the NESS website and it looks promising. So .... for those of you familiar with the 4th Element gear, is it stretchy, non-restricting and non-bunching? I almost feel like warm enough and flexible enough are mutually exclusive. Or do you recommend something else to achieve my reach/warmth ideal? Thanks so much for your help!

Stu

Stu,

In Florida caves for me the DUI Powerstretch 300 I mentioned in my post above works well. I wear it with only regular daily wear undershorts and no T shirt.

Things like wet hands and a thinner hood help to moderate the insulation, but the longer run times of the caves mean I still need that good basic core of the thick undergarment.

Mark Vlahos

 

[Stu101]

Thanks for the reply, Mark. I agree about needing adequate thermal protection for longer runtimes. My hope/need is to get this without compromising my ability to reach my posts. So far, I've found I can have warmth or reach, but not both (which is why I came up with my t shirt and sleveless sweatshirt combo). The DUI Powerstretch hasn't bunched or restricted your reach?

Stu

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I purchased the Fourth Element Xerotherm Arctic tops, bottoms, and socks a few months ago. Ended up only using the top on some dives, and the socks on every dive, as the entire unit proved to be too buoyant for my purposes.

Given other options available to me, I'll probably be selling the top and bottoms ... I love the warmth, but they take an awful lot of weight to sink ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[BigTuna]

For my New Jersey diving I used to wear a DUI 300 (not powerstretch) under my TLS-350. That was until I did a dive in 45 degree water. Besides the garment not fitting well, I was cold.

So I replaced it with a DUI 560 Powerstretch and haven't looked back. It keeps me warm at 45 degrees without being bulkly, the stretch makes it fit well, and I'm not too hot when the water is in the 60s. I wear DUI's matching sox plus a form-fitting poly undershirt and long nylon shorts under it.

For colder water I use a Weezle Extreme, but I find that its loft requires more ballast than the Powerstretch. This suggests that the Powerstrech has a good "warmth to ballast ratio."

 

[CompuDude]

I purchased the Fourth Element Xerotherm Arctic tops, bottoms, and socks a few months ago. Ended up only using the top on some dives, and the socks on every dive, as the entire unit proved to be too buoyant for my purposes.

Given other options available to me, I'll probably be selling the top and bottoms ... I love the warmth, but they take an awful lot of weight to sink ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

You'll have to let me know when you decide to sell... if I fit, you may have a sale.

How thick are they? I was under the impression that they were quite thin and comfortable to wear, yet warm. Is the Xerotherm Arctic notably thicker than the DUI powerstretch?

I wish I had a local dealer so I could just try for myself.