Ice Diving and Great Lake Undergarment ideas

[Ulfhedinn]

I'm trying to decide on what my next undergarment should be for Ice diving at June Lake or my trip to the Great lakes next year for some wreck diving. Here in So Cal I wear wool base layer and wool socks followed by FE Exotherms. In the winter I add the FE Artic Top. Drysuit is Santi Elite. IDEAS?

My dives average 45-90mins

BZ400x over base layer?
BZ200 over Exotherms?
Flex 190 over Exotherms?
Heated Vest Flex 2.0?

 

[grantctobin]

BZ400x, Halo 3D, Weezle Extreme + heated vest and merino wool base layer. Get as warm as you can before adding the heat because at some point, your battery is going to die, or you’re not going to connect the bulkhead inside the suit, or you’re not going to connect the battery into the lid, or your E/O will give out. Deco is not the time to find that you “need” heat to not get bent.

Bottoms of feet cold (drysuit, 39F / 3.9C water)

I'm trying to dial in my exposure protection for winter Lake Tahoe diving. It gets down to (and is currently) 39F, pretty much from the surface on down. I've taken a number of steps to boost my thermal protection and have successfully done 90 minute dives at this temp without getting too chilly...

scubaboard.com

 

[Ulfhedinn]

So you recommend the BZ400 + heated vest... over wool base layer.

I guess I should start a post on heated vests and batteries?

 

[grantctobin]

Feet get cold for two reasons (three if you count misc medical things like reynaud's). Cold core (body moves heat towards things it wants to protect) or poor circulation (body can't put warmth in places blood isn't actively going in and out of).

I do think there's a point in warmth/duration where safety increases for a slightly heavier suit gas:wing ratio and you're about there.

Your options, assuming you're already optimizing caloric intake, pre dive ritual, etc, (imo) in order of decreasing value per warmth unit, include:

-FE XCore vest or similar
-12+ mm Otter Bay custom hood (get one of these)
-Heated vest
-Heated socks+gloves
-Heated BZ400x
-Neo suit
-CCR (warmer gas)

At a certain point in sub 40 degree water (and with deco), there's little choice but to add external heat. You're also approaching exceedingly poor offgassing, especially in times of year without thermocline.

Here's a draft of a External Heat Wiki, that eventually @rjack321 (who like me spends too much time in cold water) and @tbone1004 (engineering/ocd/textile understanding) will be asked to edit

So you recommend the BZ400 + heated vest... over wool base layer.

I guess I should start a post on heated vests and batteries?

 

[Ulfhedinn]

Ty sir! Great info.

 

[rx7diver]

I'm trying to decide on what my next undergarment should be for Ice diving at June Lake or my trip to the Great lakes next year for some wreck diving. Here in So Cal I wear wool base layer and wool socks followed by FE Exotherms. In the winter I add the FE Artic Top. Drysuit is Santi Elite. IDEAS?

My dives average 45-90mins

BZ400x over base layer?
BZ200 over Exotherms?
Flex 190 over Exotherms?
Heated Vest Flex 2.0?

For three seasons Great Lakes (Superior, Huron, and Michigan) diving, I wore Thinsulate beneath a DUI crushed neoprene suit. Wet gloves/mitts and wet hood. Still got cold--especially in northwest Lake Superior in August and September. Even then you couldn't count on warming up during the shallow deco stops.

The diving is deep, so you need an undergarment that doesn't crush down. And you need your undergarment to keep you reasonably warm even in a flooded suit, during your deco stops.

FWIW,

rx7diver

 

[beldridg]

I'm trying to decide on what my next undergarment should be for Ice diving at June Lake or my trip to the Great lakes next year for some wreck diving. Here in So Cal I wear wool base layer and wool socks followed by FE Exotherms. In the winter I add the FE Artic Top. Drysuit is Santi Elite. IDEAS?

My dives average 45-90mins

BZ400x over base layer?
BZ200 over Exotherms?
Flex 190 over Exotherms?
Heated Vest Flex 2.0?

I used a FE Halo 3D and a Venture Heat heated vest in the Great Lakes in July this year (40F bottom temps) and had run times up to two hours. I put out a quick blog post with the equipment I used:

Presque Isle Dive Equipment

Diving and taking photos at the bell on the Typo wreck 180′ deep in 40F water (Photo Credit: Mel Clark) Background Quite a few people have asked about the equipment needed to safely dive and …

wreckedinmyrevo.com

Regards,

- brett

 

[Ulfhedinn]

I used a FE Halo 3D and a Venture Heat heated vest in the Great Lakes in July this year (40F bottom temps) and had run times up to two hours. I put out a quick blog post with the equipment I used:

Presque Isle Dive Equipment

Diving and taking photos at the bell on the Typo wreck 180′ deep in 40F water (Photo Credit: Mel Clark) Background Quite a few people have asked about the equipment needed to safely dive and …

wreckedinmyrevo.com

Regards,

- brett

Love the info blogs Brett! Appreciate the time taken.

 

[Jack Hammer]

There are a lot of variables in deciding what to use. Early in the season here deco will be in very cold water vs late in the season when those same depths will be much warmer. The bottom on deeper wrecks will typically be around 39f/4c, shallower temps depend on time of year, winds, currents, etc. I always use my merino base layer and wool socks. For deep I'll put a BZ400 over it, shallow depends, could be a BZ400 or bz200. For longer times a vest and heat may be added.

 

[Tracy]

I wear the fourth E j2 base layer, a backup thermalution heated vest and a venture heated vest as my primary heat, and then the halo 3d.
I wear the fourth E hotfoot pro socks and an 8mm k2 hood. I use the fourth e neoprene glove liners with blue smurf gloves on a ring system.This is under a tri-lam drysuit.
That is my normal everyday gear for local great lakes diving. It serves me well. As with everything, your mileage may vary.