How heavy undergarment for drysuit in 50 degree water???

[PaulChristenson]

Hey all, how heavy of fleece undergarment should I get for my shell drysuit if I'm diving in the 40-55 degree water range?? Thanks.

Here's a little table for you...

http://bare-wetsuits.com/bareshop/div_drysuitunderwearcht.asp

 

[JimC]

Jeesh...and I dive wet with a triweight tropical dive skin under a 5mm wetsuit, hood booties and gloves...nice and toasty even in 45 degree water...it's just when you get out into the breeze that your cajones crinkle...got a 7mm semi-dri seems to help a lot..

What if your boat wasn't there when you surfaced and you were forced to wait for a couple of hours in the water?

 

[cyklon_300]

Jeesh...and I dive wet with a triweight tropical dive skin under a 5mm wetsuit, hood booties and gloves...nice and toasty even in 45 degree water...it's just when you get out into the breeze that your cajones crinkle...got a 7mm semi-dri seems to help a lot..

of why this question and the resulting answers provide no useful info. Each individual is completely unique in their thermal requirements.

Reporting that one is 'toasty' diving wet in 45F water could mean this person has the same body fat percentage as a walrus, has an alternate meaning of the word 'toasty', did a very short dive, or was, as hard as it is for me to imagine, actually comfortable.

Before I acquired a drysuit, even short dives in 50F with a 7mm two-piece typically left me in a hypothermic state.

Maybe someone can tell us how tall you have to be to play in the NBA.

 

[cummings66]

Excellent summary. There simply is no way to base your garment needs on somebody elses usage. Even medicine will affect how a person reacts to cold, so to each their own.

For what it's worth, I can believe him, I'm comfortable in 42 degree water with a 7mm wetsuit, but not toasty. That's an hour dive to 60 feet.

 

[No Fish]

What if your boat wasn't there when you surfaced and you were forced to wait for a couple of hours in the water?

I shore dive with him. We try to make him stay out there and float around, but he keeps coming back in.

 

[scubamickey]

It's just like wetsuits, everybody is different. I used a 200 gr fleese undergarment and was comfortable last weekend with 38 F temps, not hot, not cold. Just right.

My husband is the same way. Last week in 38 degree water he used a one piece thick fleece. He never uses dry gloves either. He got flooded and still was OK. Some people have a higher tolerance for cold. The other divers where freezing and shivering and he just wanted to get back in and dive.

I say try different combos and see what's right for you. I dove in 58 degree water with a medium weight fleece one piece and I was warm and toasty. I am cold by nature too.

 

[Firediver]

Hally Hanson One Piece Heavy Fleece Thernal Underwear.. it will run you about $200. I dive a 4mm crush neoprene and I where Kombi base layer long john's <$24.99> and a Mountain Equipment Co-op light weoght polar tech undershirt($19.00) with a Light wieght thermotech Climbing sweatshirt.<$25.00> In the summer I just where the undershirt and pants. Temperatures in the Bay of Fundy range from 30F-43<in winter> to 53F in summer..... www.mec.ca .. prices are in canadian $$

 

[mikerault]

Like I said...while I am in the water I am fine, it is just when a majority of the body area is exposed to the cooling affects of a breeze that it gets chilly. Actually I would rather wait in the water then standing on the shore!