Need an extra undergarment layer under my drysuit

[JamesK]

A good hood is a huge help. I personally use either Under Armor or Dri-Duke. Dri-Duke is what the Army issues us. It is basically UA with a different name and at $20 an item. You can find it at Ranger Joes online. Also look for what we call waffle tops. They are basically the poly pro we are issued now. They are nice and warm. They are also thin and do no restrict movement or cause air trapping issues like some of the thinsulate garments I have used and own.

 

[Mitchell Teeters]

A good hood is a huge help. I personally use either Under Armor or Dri-Duke. Dri-Duke is what the Army issues us. It is basically UA with a different name and at $20 an item. You can find it at Ranger Joes online. Also look for what we call waffle tops. They are basically the poly pro we are issued now. They are nice and warm. They are also thin and do no restrict movement or cause air trapping issues like some of the thinsulate garments I have used and own.

Since we are talking about locations, LA Police gear has the condor grid base II layers for really cheap right now. They have a couple zip tops worth looking at. Either way, there are a tremendous number of inexpensive (always good) options out there, they work as well, and sometimes better than the big name gear. It is up to you whether or not you smart with your hard earned $$.

 

[decidedlyodd]

You haven't mentioned it, but make sure you have a good hood. Not one of those el cheapo deals that are paper thin and compress to the planck length at depth, biut a proper 7mm+ one made of some quality neoprene. A nice hood can make your life much better.

I have a 7mm Bare hood that came with my drysuit. It's ok but not great. I have considered one of those Otter Bay helmet hoods. They're supposed to be amazing.
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[Peter_C]

I have considered one of those Otter Bay helmet hoods. They're supposed to be amazing.

YOU DON'T HAVE AN OTTER BAY HOOD!!! I thought everyone that dives cold water has one

They are awesome. The only thing I can recommend is when you take your jaw measurement is to put your reg in your mouth. She tends to have the crew make them tight there.

 

[HBDiveGirl]

hee hee... EXACTLY what Peter said.

Exactly.

YOU DON'T HAVE AN OTTER BAY HOOD!!! I thought everyone that dives cold water has one

They are awesome. The only thing I can recommend is when you take your jaw measurement is to put your reg in your mouth. She tends to have the crew make them tight there.

"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."
--Albert Einstein

 

[Kosibay]

Hi i'm a South African with a Farmer John and jacket neoprene wet suit, 7 Millimeter. I've moved Tool Germany Wehre i got my Butt frozen off in 12 degrees Celsius. Got myself a ursuit trilaminate dry suit and a fourth element 3D under suit. Dived with snow and 6 degrees Celsius 57 min. Got out off the water and drove home gliding with joy at the comfort this combination gave me. The next dive lasted 30 min. Froze myself to death and was completely wet at 6 degrees... Didn't close the zip properly. What an idiot will never make this mistake again.. Ursuit and fourth element BBBBIIIIGGGG FAN 😜

 

[jbb]

Well if you decide on 4th Element, Under Water Sports will have them on sale Dec. 15th - maybe only 10-15% though. 4th keeps tight control on their product. As others are saying you will need more insulation when you go to the trilam. I have a Weezle but it didn't do much for me in my USIA laminate - I think it crushes too easily. I've nearly given up on staying warmer around here. I am a photographer and when I get in the water I don't move around much so I'm going to get cold no matter what. I have had thinsulate surface garments and have been really please using gloves, jackets and boots with the stuff but never with a drysuit. I wish thinsulate would be a little more stretchy and more tolerant of washing. My latest combination has been my USIA thermals(one piece fleece with nylon outer shell) with my Apolo neoprene drysuit - stayed fairly comfortable - enough for a couple of 80 minute dives.

My thoughts are that we need something that will not crush at depth (means more weight at surface to sink usually) and keeps air from moving around. Everyone's experience is pretty subjective due to metabolism differences and body fat (nature's insulation). I think we could all save a lot of time and grief and get heated undergarments because for all the money I've spent trying to get the right warm undergarment I could have bought an electric one. I now use my weezle in the house if I want to save a little money on natural gas - man is it cozey, like a sleeping bag with arms and legs;-)

 

[sroeder]

Have you tried LavaCore?

I dive in Monterey, CA and test a lot of LavaCore products around here. I usually use a full suit as a layer underneath a 7mm wetsuit and it keeps me pretty toasty. I was actually getting pretty hot on my last dives last week and was pulling my hood open to let in some cool water.

Check out this video to see how you can layer it: LavaCore - Fall 2012 | Spring 2013 - YouTube

It's a relatively new brand with some awesome material to keep you warm. Let me know if you have any questions and I can try my best to answer them.

You can also check out the gear here:
http://www.facebook.com/LavacoreInternational
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