Ideas and advice for using short sleeve shorty for thermal layering

[yellowfins]

Looking for short sleeve shorty for my wife for extra thermal protection. My research has shown that the shorty can be worn over or under a one piece jump suit. She currently has a .5mm seaquest suit that's a little loose above and between shoulder blades but otherwise fits well and a 3mm Bare Velocity that fits well. Are there pros and cons to wearing the shorty over or under i.e. greater warmth through less leakage and flushing, ease of donning and doffing? If both one piece and shorty have rear zip and velcro closures at neck will this constitute a problem or would a front zip shorty be more comfortable or leak resistant?

The other main concern is the sizing of the shorty. I don't anticipate any problem with the .5mm because of its thinness and flexibility. The 3mm Bare is another story. She wears a size 6 and is 5 feet tall and the Bare is the only off the rack suit that fits her decently; that is, quite snug but comfortable, so I want to stay with Bare products. Will the 3mm fit comfortably over a 2mm Velocity or Nixie shorty? For over wear should we stick with a size 6 shorty or go up a size? Is there a general rule of thumb about that? I know ideally we should find a shop that has these suits to try on but I may be limited to buy online and want to avoid the return and credit game if possible. Any feedback and advise, especially from females will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[NAM001]

just a guess but i would think wearing the shorty under would work best.

 

[Aviyes]

How about a hooded top instead? So much body heat is lost through the head, especially when diving. Or even just a thicker top/vest. The shorty just adds so much additional bulk that is probably not helping as much as a no-hood/hooded top or vest would. You may have to look outside of BARE for those items, I think its lavacore and sharkskin brands i've seen recommended on this board.

 

[WetRocks]

Another vote for a hooded vest. Adds core warmth without sacrificing range of motion. I personally prefer the hooded vest under my 3mm suit but that is because both are slightly big for me, so this configuration makes for a better fit.

 

[stuartv]

This question has been asked many times on SB. I don't think there has ever been a consensus regarding which is better to wear on top. So, make it a more practical decision.

I would say wear whichever one on top is going to be the one you want to take off during your surface interval. If you'll want to wear just the shorty during the SI, then put the full suit on top of it. Or vice versa.

A good hood makes a big difference. My preference is to have a good drysuit style hood, rather than anything with a hood attached. Then you can wear the hood any time you want, and you can take the hood off without having to take anything else off. For ME, just pushing the hood back and having it bunched around my neck makes me pretty uncomfortable. So, I don't want to wear anything with an attached hood.

 

[ronscuba]

It is a matter of fit. Whichever you wear on top needs to fit a little loose in certain areas to allow room for what you wear underneath.

If a 1 piece fits loose in the chest, but good in the arms and legs, wear a vest underneath. If everyplace fits well, wear a shorty 1 size larger on the outside.

Zippers on opposite sides will reduce water flushing.