How to keep warm in a drysuit in cold water

[Ricky B]

I took a look at WoolNet and WoolPower products online. Apparently very limited distribution in the US. A search shows that quite a few vendors in the US have long underwear that is 100% Merino wool.

 

[tphelps]

Great article, thank you!! Even here in Hawai'i, there are a handful of us guys that dive dry for the 2-3hr run time deep dives. But even at 250-300 feet, 76F is hardly "hell freezing over!" And just so to clarify to the internet that I am NOT a pansy... diving dry keeps my skills fresh for when I do go back to California or somewhere else where I will actually need a drysuit, provides a redundant buoyancy system and finally... it can get surprising chilly when you're sitting at 20' for an hour!!

 

[fjpatrum]

tphelps, I'd dive dry at 76 for multiple dives too! I dove out of Kona and stacked a 5mm suit over my 4/3 suit because I was cold after my first dive. The fresh water coming from under/inside the island (so the guides told us) brings the water temps down significantly and I wasn't having any of it.

EDIT: To the discussion at hand, I wear "liner socks" as my only footwear under my dry suit. I believe they are synthetic material and quite thin, but they do the trick inside my dry suit with neoprene booties over the top. I wear fleece, and spandex (skins) layered for my undergarments and I'm comfy even when I get a little leakage through my seals.

The key for warmth is layering in light layers, at least for me.

 

[Storker]

I would like to mention silk as a base layer. I use it when in a dry suit, and also when cross-country skiing and ice skating. I know some people prefer wool, but if you have sensitive skin, silk works great.

Good tip. I've never used silk myself (very happy with wool, and silk is hard to find here), but I remember it was mentioned in my old information material on dressing for winter outdoors. It also used to be regarded as some of the best material for sleeping bag liners to increase the comfort while sleeping out.

I took a look at WoolNet and WoolPower products online. Apparently very limited distribution in the US.

No surprise there, availability of different brands varies quite a bit in different parts of the world. That's why I tried to focus the text on the mechanisms of freezing and the principles of dressing for the cold, and mentioned my preferred brands more as examples of what works for me.

A search shows that quite a few vendors in the US have long underwear that is 100% Merino wool.

That's a great fiber for a base layer

 

[Jandee]

I wear polar-tec 200 or 300 weight top and bottoms, good LL bean long underwear, dry gloves with 2 pair of liners and new fluffy wool socks. I stay warm when the water is in the 30's. I replace my polar fleece and socks when they are no longer fluffy. I also change my socks and top if I do a second dive. Any clothing that is sweaty won't keep you warm.

 

[Tigerman]

...
Any clothing that is sweaty won't keep you warm.

NOT true if you wear wool (which btw wont feel damp as easilly either)

 

[Storker]

Any clothing that is sweaty won't keep you warm.

I know I'm at risk for sounding a little bit testy, but did you read all of the OP?

Forget your childhood experiences of itchy underwear, most modern wool undergarments are no-itch and can be worn by everyone except the most sensitive of us. Myself, I'll even accept a little itching since wool is the best fiber you can choose if you're planning on being a little damp. Wool's position relative to the other fibers is even better if it's wet: no other fiber can absorb 30% of its own weight in moisture and feel dry, and no other fiber provides residual insulation when it's soaking wet. If your dry suit is ever flooded or has a significant leak, you'll be grateful that you chose a wool base layer.

(bolding mine)

 

[Ricky B]

Not testy, but I wool be willing to say perhaps you made Tigerman feel sheepish.

 

[Storker]

*golf clap*

--
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Typos are a feature, not a bug

 

[Tigerman]

Not testy, but I wool be willing to say perhaps you made Tigerman feel sheepish.

Very much so, but not because I pointed out what he said in the OP (which I have also mentioned in several other threads on SB).
I just got back in from the cold and am still in my wool undies