Shell drysuit without undergarments?

[dlent]

I've been told never to wear a shell drysuit without undergarments. What happens when these are worn without undergarments? I was thinking of wearing mine with a long sleeve sweatshirt and shorts on warmer days.

 

[renpirate]

It depends on the water temperature. A trilam suit doesn't have any thermal protection, where as, a crushed neoprene suit retains some. I have dove with just a t-shirt and shorts in mine while doing pool trainings and was just fine. However, if the water is cold, you will freeze your butt off!

 

[Sideband]

It has nothing to do with the cold. It is the PINCH! Every fold of the material will attempt to grab a bit of flesh and will then hold on until the dive is over. You will be in pain during the dive and after the dive you will be marked all over with red welts.

Joe

 

[Ber Rabbit]

I've had my drysuit literally take a small chunk out of my knee when I didn't have enough underwear on. Those things BITE! I've worn my work clothes (casual slacks/shirt) under mine and still gotten a bit of a bite though no blood drawn that time. Can you do it? If the water is warm enough yes you can; just be aware of the increased possibility for suit hickies. That's actually one of those things that probably won't seriously hurt you if you want to give it a try and see the reason for the advice yourself. Maybe it won't bother you, who knows.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Scottri]

I did some diving in warmer water with my drysuit and I wore just very thin polypro underwear, the kind you wear under ski clothes and it worked well. Regular old thermal underwear would work well also.

 

[fdog]

<snip> I was thinking of wearing mine with a long sleeve sweatshirt and shorts on warmer days.

This sounds like undergarments to me...at least the sweatshirt part.

I've done dives with swim trunks and long-sleeved t shirts before without issues.

All the best, James

 

[Unproductive]

I wore my Pinnacle in the pool for the first time yesterday with just a tee shirt and shorts on. Lets just say something was squeezed that I didnt want squeezed. I am going to wear my undergarments for now on.

 

[SteveAD]

I wore my Pinnacle in the pool for the first time yesterday with just a tee shirt and shorts on. Lets just say something was squeezed that I didnt want squeezed. I am going to wear my undergarments for now on.

when you look like a raisin your grapes got squeezed?

 

[abitton]

Roflmao!

Mind you, good post... I'm very close to getting a trilam, and have kind of been asking myself that same question... I'd try to leave buying the "real" undergarments for next year, try to get by on regular polar fleece for now, and just sweatpants and tee-shirts this summer when the water is a bit warmer...

 

[gander]

I have dove my tri-lam suit down to 47F with polypropylene underwear (Polartec used for hunting) and swim trunks. It was cool but not cold (and I hate cold). As long as I have at least a thin layer of material, I don't get any suit hickies. Actually the only place I've ever had one on this suit is on my arm at the exhaust valve. However, in a compressed neoprene suit, I had a suit hickie all the way across from shoulder to shoulder, on my check and on my arm. This was wearing a short sleeve shirt and just swim trunks.

It seems to me at least that suit fit is as much a factor for suit hickies as anything else. My tri-lam is an off-the shelf, but it fits very close to a custom. The crushed neoprene was a "rental", so and it didn't fit near as well.

Greg