Polartec's

[sjmueller61990]

Hey everyone now that im finally certified im looking at getting some gear, one thing was wetsuits. I recall in class talking about polartec's. Im very warm tempered (usually my body temperature stays extremely warm) so I figured that having I believe a 2mm outside with a lyrca dive skin inside would be perfect. I can dive in warm water while still having some protection aganist scrapes and cuts and stings. So basically I was wondering if anyone dives with one. If so some pros and cons to them? Anything different to them I should be aware of?

 

[AndrewA]

I have been diving in Fourth ElementThermoclyne suits (Drysuit Undersuits - Diving Wetsuits - Dive Clothing : Fourth Element) which are made from Polartec, for the last couple of years. They are very comfortable and certainly keep me as warm as 3ml neoprene. They are also great for other watersport and are comfortable out of the water after the dive. One point to remember is that Polartec is neutrally buoyant (so you need less lead) so does nt give you any extra buoyancy if you fall out of the boat!!!

 

[knotical]

In the tropics, I only dive fleece suits (not just Polartec®).

Pros:
- Flexible and stretchy enough to snugly fit wide range of body types.
- Neutrally buoyant – and don't lose warmth with depth.
- Plenty warm enough for tropical waters.
- Weigh less than neoprene – somewhat helpful with reduced baggage limits on airlines.
- Can double as dry-suit undergarment.
- If one is so inclined as to urinate in them, the urine dissipates much faster than if wearing neoprene (hey, that can be important to someone with prostate issues).

Cons:
- Not inexpensive.
- A bit delicate – don't put them in the washing machine.
- Harder to find suppliers since Henderson stopped carrying them. I've had good luck with Aeroskin® http://aeroskindivestore.com/cart/page.html?zenid=f4b768d4e27df6a7e45ebb973e0a731b&chapter=0&id=9
- Can dry slowly, so I usually carry two.

 

[ColoDale]

Knotical summed it up very well on all points. My wife and I both used fleece suits which we obtained about 10 years ago for tropical diving. Mine was an Aeroskin and by wife had an Oneil fleece that was not as thick as the Aeroskin. The fleece suits are very comfortable. I originally used the fleece as a solution due to my height (6’7”) since it was flexible. I have since found wetsuits I can use.
I have used the fleece under a wetsuit since I didn’t have a 5 mil at the time. It worked ok. A thicker wetsuit would be better.

I found early on that I tolerate cold much better than my wife so I either dive in surf shorts, a thin skin or a wetsuit depending on temps. My wife gets cold in 85 F water so she now uses only wetsuits and now uses a 3mm Henderson Hyperstretch (plus core warmer if necessary). I am not sure why but both of us have stopped using the fleece.

The only downside to the fleece suits, as mentioned, is that it takes longer for them to dry out. If we are on the edge of airline baggage weight limits flying to the location then unless the fleece is totally dry (more time), it can put us over limits coming back. Hand wringing the fleece suits can be an exercise to speed up the drying process before hanging. As an aside, my wife did not like the fuzz from the fleece coming off while wearing it.

 

[sjmueller61990]

awesome you guys have been alot of help, ill definatly still look into them, since im not certified in deep diving i dont want to be diving to deep although the quarry we dive at is around 130' feep in some areas. after that ill probably get a 7mm. just trying to weigh the pros and cons of one. overall it seems like it would be worth it. it has alot of pros and in my opinion out weigh the cons. so again everyone thanks. if anyone else has some websites where i can find them, that would be very helpful.

 

[ColoDale]

The fleece skins don't seem to be a popular as they once were and I find the choices are more limited now.

The link to Aeorskin above is about the only one I have found that shows they still make them or make more of them.

The Henderson 17oz Superior Polyolefin Jumpsuit (P810UF) doesn't appear on Henderson's site anymore (Noted above that Henderson stopped making them at least for USA distribution). This one says it's "Plush velour double brushed inside..." I would assume it's fleece or similar to it. They say it's fast drying but my Aeroskin is not fast drying.
However this jumpsuit can be found on scuba.com and I think LeisurePro sites.

I haven't found any others. If you have a usual LDS you might inquire with them as they may be more in tune with fleece jumpsuits.

 

[sardiverdan]

Not sure if this is what you are looking for but I have one and they are good quality at a great price. https://www.cdsportswear.com/faqs.htm