Lavacore shirt & pants vs jumpsuit

[Landstander]

I'm strongly considering either a Lavacore shirt & pants combo or jumpsuit, in order to supplement a 5mm wetsuit... trying to avoid the additional buoyancy hit of a 7mm wetsuit, and for the time being a decent dry suit is way out of the budget.

I was initially leaning toward the shirt & pants option, since being able to mix and match with other articles (such as a sleeveless Lavacore vest which I already own) adds a bit more flexibility. Unfortunately the pants don't include foot straps, unlike the jumpsuit, and it seems like their omission would make it difficult to get under a tight wetsuit without the legs being pulled well up and compromising the coverage(not to mention comfort). Can anyone comment on whether or not this is a significant issue in practice?

If you've tried this approach, I'd love to hear your comments on how well it worked out. Suggestions for other, similar products and/or alternate approaches would be most welcome as well.

Thanx!

 

[seeker242]

I don't have a problem wearing the 2 pc set under a 3mm wet suit. The lavacore does not stretch as much as neoprene does, so it's hard to pull it up further than it should be. As long is it's fitted properly.

 

[sheeper]

i have both the LS shirt/pants as well as the 1 piece.
love them both. the two piece stuff is more versatile. i'll wear the shirt alone under a 3mm on cooler days that are not cold enough for the 5mm. another advantage is when you catch a sleeve on a boat thingy you can replace 1 piece instead of the whole thing
the one piece i'll sometimes wear under my drysuit and fleece.

 

[Landstander]

Thanx @seeker242 and @sheeper! It sounds like the issue isn't near as bad as I'd feared, so I'll most likely opt for the 2-piece set. I appreciate your help! (-;

 

[Kairoos]

Could get one of these:
Thermalution Compact Dive Series (70M)

No experience with it, just thought it was pretty cool.

 

[Landstander]

Could get one of these:
Thermalution Compact Dive Series (70M)

No experience with it, just thought it was pretty cool.

Definitely interesting, but I think it's a bit out of my price range. In addition, for that amount I'd want to be able to rent one and try it out beforehand. Finally, I think I'd be concerned about potentially flooding the battery chamber if the seal failed (probably not too likely in practice, but still).

If I ever encounter one "in the wild", however, I'll most certainly inquire about the experience.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

For my drysuit I bought these Hot Chilly's Stirrup pants - just wear these in 40 degree water and no issues of being cold.

Men's Micro-Elite Chamois Stirrup Tight

Work well for me but I have not tried them with a wetsuit ..

 

[Landstander]

Thanx everyone! I ended up going with the 2-piece Lavacore option, paired with an Akona 5mm wetsuit.

 

[kelemvor]

I wear my lavacore over the top of my wetsuit, not under it.... works well for my purposes. FWIW, I use the jumpsuit and wear it over a 3/5 shorty. You could wear the 2 piece over the wetsuit as well.

I also use the lavacore as a drysuit undergarment in the florida springs. However I'm considering replacing it with something that wicks better.