Temperature Expectations in Drysuit

[gcbryan]

The only time I've felt "toasty" was when I got an undergarment that must have been designed for the arctic. I was very warm but the extra weight required was too much so I traded the undergarment for something acceptable. It was also too warm to use for many dives.

I think being comfortable is more the goal for most of us rather than toasty warm.

 

[b1gcountry]

You are never toasty warm in <35df water. Doesn't matter what you wear, you are cold and ready to leave the water after 30-45minutes.

 

[Captain12Pk]

Hi Warmvise,
FWIW, I dive dry in a Pinnacle Evo 2 (trilaminate)with 250g undergarments. Last weekend I did about 6 dives in 52-54 degree F water off Catalina Island, and never once even considered the water temp. At 52 degrees in my wetsuit, I'm distinctly aware that the water is COLD.

 

[matt_unique]

I would like to know what Greg D is diving!

With chemical heat packs in my dry gloves I'm reasonably comfortable for 20 minutes in sub 40 degree water. At mid 40 degree water temps, also with chemical heat packs in my gloves, I'm comfortable for 45 min tops. 50's and up I'm usually comfortable for as long as I want to be there. In most every case above, I surface with cold fingertips.

All of my buddies surface with cold fingertips too and our suits run the gamut from my $750 7mm O'Neill full neo suit and Diving Concepts neo dry gloves to a $2400 DUI crushed neo suit with the blue Smurf gloves. We all seem to feel about the same thermal protection/warmth and have about the same comfortable time tolerance as an interesting point.

Body heat/comfort seems to be relative. There are some that never appear to get cold under any conditions. Maybe they have more internal heat combustion going on or something.

 

[dave4868]

"Toasty warm" is exactly what you can achieve if you protect all parts of the body well.

You can't have any "weak links" because any one area getting cold is going to gradually sap the core or create local discomfort bad enough to make you end the dive.

To avoid weak links, I use enough insulation in the suit and in the drygloves and nearly complete head and face coverage with an ice cap underhood beneath my 7mm hood.

Avoiding constriction of the extremities and having enough air in the suit are very important also.

A few days ago, in 40F water, I was completely comfortable throughout two shore dives with times of 2hr 5min and 1hr 50min with a 1hr 15min SI between them. 40F air temp. Barely sensed any cold at all. Could have been the tropics since all I felt was "toasty warm" and there was 70' vis that day! Loved it!

Since I like long dives and hate to be cold, I experimented until I found a good combination that would allow such 40F dives in "living room" comfort.

With my current setup, even dives in the low 30's for 90min only bring on a mild sensation of cold in the last 30min, but no numbness, no shivers.

I've gone as long as 1hr 50min in water in the low-30's, but vasoconstriction finally caused discomfort in the fingers, but not numbness.

Just experiment until you get the protection to the level you need!

Dave C

 

[Gary D.]

There are vast differences in dry suit diving styles between the different types of diving. Diving is very much different in Recreational styles than it is in Military or Commercial diving.

In the Commercial field for example if you can only handle a 30 or 40 minute dive in water under 50df you&#8217;re going to be looking for another job or most likely another occupation.

In the Recreational world the thinking is along a very narrow path that a Recreational instructor passed on. There are those who think any deviation from that training is a fatal mistake so they won&#8217;t try anything else.

We see it here time after time where some dry suit training says you only add enough air to a suit to keep it from being uncomfortable or painful. Sorry folks but when it comes to insulation air is your friend. If you are in a constant state of squeeze you will be in a constant state of cool, chilly or cold.
That pressure is being caused by the lack of air. The lack of air means reduced insulation.

About 90% of my diving is done with the same 200 weight undergarment. If it&#8217;s real cold I&#8217;ll add some Polar Tec Long Johns and a pair of wool socks. My gloves are OS dry gloves with a pair Polar Tec gloves under some thin wool gloves. I adjust the amount of thermal protection I need with my weights. 24-25# when it&#8217;s shallow and rather warm. 30# for the getting colder stuff which is most of the time and 35# for low activity real cold operations.

I have several hoods. Most zip up but I rarely ever zip up. If I do part way through the dive I unzip it to adjust my temp. Most of the time my Titanium is over kill even under the ice.

There is an old saying I don&#8217;t think many know, remember or practice. If your feet are cold put on a hat. So if you&#8217;re getting cold feet don&#8217;t concentrate 100% on them. Try getting better protection for your head and it may warm up your feet.

That big puffy Michelin Doughboy under garment with the footies a lot of people use IMHO sucks. Having the same thickness of insulation over everything but your head and hands does not work for me at all.

Try thinking a bit outside of the box. It just may warm you up.

My suits vary but mostly a TLS 350 and a 50/50.

Gary D.

 

[String]

"Toasty warm" is exactly what you can achieve if you protect all parts of the body well.

I'd disagree with that. Every person is different, everyones physiology is different and so on.

What one person classes as warm someone else classes as cold.

I know people that'll happily dive without gloves in 8c water for an hour with no issues whereas im in intense pain in any wet gloves after 10 mins for example.

Wearing a 200g weezle extreme, wicking base layer, 2 fleece layers, 3 pairs of hiking socks, weezle booties, dry gloves, 7mm hood im freezing after 20 mins or so. Someone else i dive with just uses a pair of arctics and is happy for much longer.

Not everyone is equal when it comes to cold.

I was calling dives in the florida keys after getting cold in a 3mm full length with hood and gloves in the middle of summer. Others were diving with no suits.

 

[b1gcountry]

Alright, I buy it, but I still can't say I've felt toasty warm on any dive below 40 degrees. I'm pretty comfortable in cold water, just not that comfortable. Something about the pain response from the cold water on my face...

Like someone said, I can always "feel the cold water surrounding me"

Maybe when I try out my new dry gloves I'll feel differently...

 

[reo]

I'm looking to train in drysuits and wanted to find out exactly how cold it will feel in the drysuit if I'm in 40-50 water (given no pesky leaks)??

thanks for any information.

Check out the DUI Drysuits web site. They have DOG Rally and Demo Days where you can dive their dry suits and undergarments. They have a list of places and dates where you can dive their drysuits. The cost to get into the event was $7 this year (2007).

No, I don't work for DUI, I'm just a satisfied customer. I tried several of their dry suits at the Tacoma event in 2006, and I was impressed how comfortable their TLS 350 was. At the event I went to, they handed out coupons for a few hundred off the regular price for their dry suits after one was finished diving their dry suits. I used the coupon to get a super deal on my TLS 350.

By the way, my dry suit keeps me nice and warm in Puget Sound, where the water temp is around 50 degrees.

Ron

 

[Gary D.]

I just got off the phone with a regular here on the board who just got out of the 40df water. His complaint, ROASTED.

Full face masks get rid of that cold face ring which helps.

Granted, everyone is different when it comes to tolerating the cold. I am one of those who gets chilled on tropical dives and I do not like getting cold. I am actually warmer being dry under the ice than I am in the tropics wet suit or not.

Gary D.