Ice Diving

[ththooft]

Hello-

So I've decided to try ice diving this year. I just picked up the dry suit today (I'm pumped!) and it came with some undergarments. Here is the link to the suit and undergarments http://www.dive-rite.com/ChristmasSpecialSecond.htm
I have the suit, but not the shorty, instead an additional fleece vest. My question for those of you ice divers out there...is this going to be warm enough? I've been told it's warmer than it looks and to wear some under armor or long undies underneath. What do you experts think?!?!
Either way, I'm just pumped to get in the water with this new toy!

Thanks!
T

 

[spectrum]

No shorty but the vest? Do you mean you do not have a full thermal jumpsuit (or is that "the suit") as part of the package? Unlike a neoprene suit what you have is zilch thermally. You need a full thermal undergarment and fleece and or underarmor is hardly adequate.

I hope you plan on getting a good number of openwater dry dives before going through a hole in the ice.

Hello-

So I've decided to try ice diving this year. I just picked up the dry suit today (I'm pumped!) and it came with some undergarments. Here is the link to the suit and undergarments http://www.dive-rite.com/ChristmasSpecialSecond.htm
I have the suit, but not the shorty, instead an additional fleece vest. My question for those of you ice divers out there...is this going to be warm enough? I've been told it's warmer than it looks and to wear some under armor or long undies underneath. What do you experts think?!?!
Either way, I'm just pumped to get in the water with this new toy!

Thanks!
T

 

[JimC]

Not even close.

Here is what I do to stay warm in 32F water. My run times are in the 60 minute range.

Diving Concepts TPS Thinsulate (layer 1)
Diving Concepts TPS Thinsulate Vest (layer 2 - torso)
100g Power stretch fleece (layer 3 - torso)
300g Polartech fleece top (layer 4 - torso)
300g Polartech fleece bottom (layer 2 - legs)
Diving Concepts TPS Thinsualte Booties (layer 1 - feet)
100g Polartech fleece sock (layer 2 - feet)
-40C Wigwam fleece sock (layer 3 - feet)
Polypro gloves (layer 1- hands)
100g power stretch fleece glove (layer 2 - hands)
300g polartech fleece glove (layer 3 - hands)
7mm hood (layer 1 - head)
3mm stretch hood (layer 2 - head)

Add argon to taste. By the end of an hour my toes and fingers are cold and my face is nicely numb. I wear all of that so I can survive big time screwup and pull 2 or more hours if I need it. I am getting a dryhood if I decide to dive in the cold water this year and can figure out some way to attach it to a zipseal.

If I were pulling any sort of planned deco, I would also be looking at electric heating and buy some more thinsulate

 

[artw]

that sounds like far too much work. diving is supposed to be fun.
I'll see you in the caves bud!

 

[JimC]

that sounds like far too much work. diving is supposed to be fun.
I'll see you in the caves bud!

Smart ***.

 

[ppo2_diver]

Not even close.

Here is what I do to stay warm in 32F water. My run times are in the 60 minute range.

Diving Concepts TPS Thinsulate (layer 1)
Diving Concepts TPS Thinsulate Vest (layer 2 - torso)
100g Power stretch fleece (layer 3 - torso)
300g Polartech fleece top (layer 4 - torso)
300g Polartech fleece bottom (layer 2 - legs)
Diving Concepts TPS Thinsualte Booties (layer 1 - feet)
100g Polartech fleece sock (layer 2 - feet)
-40C Wigwam fleece sock (layer 3 - feet)
Polypro gloves (layer 1- hands)
100g power stretch fleece glove (layer 2 - hands)
300g polartech fleece glove (layer 3 - hands)
7mm hood (layer 1 - head)
3mm stretch hood (layer 2 - head)

Add argon to taste. By the end of an hour my toes and fingers are cold and my face is nicely numb. I wear all of that so I can survive big time screwup and pull 2 or more hours if I need it. I am getting a dryhood if I decide to dive in the cold water this year and can figure out some way to attach it to a zipseal.

If I were pulling any sort of planned deco, I would also be looking at electric heating and buy some more thinsulate

With all of those layers, you must look like the Stay Puffed Marshmellow Man.

 

[JimC]

With all of those layers, you must look like the Stay Puffed Marshmellow Man.

But I am a warm Stay Puffed Marshmellow Man!

 

[Xanthro]

With all of those layers, you must look like the Stay Puffed Marshmellow Man.

LOL, that's the same mental image I had.

 

[Paco]

I'd also be concerned about getting dry suit experience before I coupled that with the extra stress of ice diving. Careful!

 

[ppo2_diver]

I'd also be concerned about getting dry suit experience before I coupled that with the extra stress of ice diving. Careful!

Very true. Learning how to use a dry suit for the first time while under ice is not the most safest way to learn.