Sharkskin chillproof under membrane drysuit in 19C water - what can I expect?

[happy-diver]

I know from your profile picture alone what kind of diver you are – haven't met many
with your pin point buoyancy, that never stops ensuring the comfort and safety
of other divers, and when asked points out how freezing it sometimes is

Thanks for the rap man, you're a gent

 

[Divectionist]

View attachment 538957

Thanks for the rap man, you're a gent

cannot deny style!

 

[happy-diver]

can you see that I'm smiling, and laughing on the inside so I don't flood my mask

 

[marcin.a]

It's not exactly relevant but my wife was wearing her sharkskin under 5mm drysuit in watertemps between 3.5 and 15 C. And she liked it. Divetimes around 60 minutes, depths up to 20m. That was the same sharkskin she dove as the only protection in GBR, AU before we overshot and moved far too far north. I tried a similar combo (3.5mm neo dry + sharksink jumsuit) on a few occasions. Definitely OK'ish but my made-for-it fleece undersuit was better.

PS>a few typos correct, probably there are more.

 

[CJS]

This is extremely relevant for me, thank you.

I've just picked up some cheap heattech ultra thermal underwear from Uniqlo, which my always-cold girlfriend swears by, for a couple of cold destination non-diving trips and will give these a try. Wicks sweat, made of much of the same stuff as purpose scuba undergarments, should be suitable.

Top: Sharkskin + heattech ultra long sleeve shirt over the top
Bottom: Heattech extra warm + Heattech ultra warm long johns layered on top of each other

That gives me a starting point, with the ability to peel one layer off top or bottom, depending on how things go. I could imagine that just one of the heattech layers would suffice when it gets a few degrees warmer.

How do you go with the Uniqlo stuff? I am looking at a drysuit and was in there today and stumbled across that stuff and thought 'that looks like it would do the job and it a lot cheaper than anything else?'

 

[KateAus]

When I bought my first drysuit I had the chillproof top and bottoms. I dive lakes with thermoclines. So at depth the water temperatures would be anything from 20C down to 5C. The sharkskin worked great for anything between 20C and 15C. I could tolerate colder for something around 45 to 60 minutes.

I essentially tried out the drysuit with the sharkskin because I didn't know how much thermal protection I would need. Once I had an idea of how well the sharkskin worked, I went out and bought some 4th Element underwear. I have worn my 4th Element in 10C to 5C water and was chilly. So I'm looking to get someone a little warmer. The end result will be three sets of underwear for different water temperatures.

P.S. I did have a leak in my drysuit last year. I found a good set of drysuit underwear, like 4th Element, was comfortable even when I was wet inside the drysuit; I didn't actually noticed right away I had a leak. But if I was wearing my sharkskin, I could tell I was wet.

Would you mind sharing which fourth Element set?
I just switched to a Scubapro Neoprene Drysuit - best decision ever for this chilly chick.
For anyone following this thread, I wore a Enth degree top and bottom and thin lulemon top in 16 and was cold after around 40. I then tried 260gm Merino in 15 for 25 mins and was freezing by the second dive. You will see me in a 3mm by the night dive even in 27 so yeah, I get cold!

 

[scubadiver888]

Would you mind sharing which fourth Element set?
I just switched to a Scubapro Neoprene Drysuit - best decision ever for this chilly chick.
For anyone following this thread, I wore a Enth degree top and bottom and thin lulemon top in 16 and was cold after around 40. I then tried 260gm Merino in 15 for 25 mins and was freezing by the second dive. You will see me in a 3mm by the night dive even in 27 so yeah, I get cold!

I use the 4th Element Xerotherm underwear. I have a pair of pants, a long sleeve shirts, a pair of socks.

It sounds like you get colder than I do.

 

[kelemvor]

I use a lavacore (similar to sharkskin) under my membrane drysuit in 22.2c water (spring water/caves). Temperature wise it's just fine. It will probably be fine in 19c as well.

Sharkskin doesn't provide any wicking. That means you'll come out wet due to sweating or a small leak at the seal. Is this just a one-time thing to dive the 19c water? If so, then use the sharkskin and call it a day.

If you're going to be diving in water that cold frequently then spend some money on a wicking base layer and then some undergarments. After all, you already spent a bunch on the drysuit. You might even be able to put the wicking layer under the sharkskin. I've never tried that.

 

[Weightless Wonder]

Anyone have experience with Sharkskin Titanium 2 under a Whites Fusion Drysuit?

 

[davecampbell]

you should have added the wicking base layers from Seaskin. they're hard to beat price wise... I wear them on all drysuit dives regardless of which thermals I wear. The wicking is the most important for comfort.