USIA
Contributor
1
The Warmest Drysuit Socks
- Thread starter Rick Inman
- Start date
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USIA
Contributor
Actually, this is the sock we sell thousands of every year to the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy. It's not a knock off of anything. We have been making them for 20 yearsjonnythan:
Rick, if you want warm feet in really cold water during really long dives, get a pair of Weezle booties. Wear any darn sock you want to underneath them.
Best,
Doc
Best,
Doc
mtsidford
Guest
Anyone out there try boot warmers like the skiers where? Haven't tried them yet myself but was planning on it this winter. I would of course allow enough insulation between my skin and suit so as not to burn either. I'm guessing the DIR guys will say no way but what about the rest of you? Thanks Sid
You folks are just plain cold blooded. I normally just wear a pair of regular wool/poly socks and my feet stay warm. Of course my boots are large enough that they do not restrict circulation which helps a lot as well (and my suit is warm enough that my core does not get cool.
I have not tried boot warmers on my feet, but did try them once on the back of my hand with a trilam suit and dry gloves. They need a fair amount of O2 to develop heat. In a glove with just a small tube under the seal to equalize pressure, they did not get enough O2 to keep the reaction going very well. There is apparently a lot less air exchange in a dry glove than inside a ski boot.
I suspect they would work better in a dry glove with the seal removed to allow a lot more air exchange or in a boot, provided you moved some air in or out of the boot periodically.
Of course on the other hand, I am also unsure what effect an elevated PO2 would have on them. Diving (and inflating your suit) with Nitrox 32 at 130 feet could be interesting if it caused the reaction to get real extreme.
I have not tried boot warmers on my feet, but did try them once on the back of my hand with a trilam suit and dry gloves. They need a fair amount of O2 to develop heat. In a glove with just a small tube under the seal to equalize pressure, they did not get enough O2 to keep the reaction going very well. There is apparently a lot less air exchange in a dry glove than inside a ski boot.
I suspect they would work better in a dry glove with the seal removed to allow a lot more air exchange or in a boot, provided you moved some air in or out of the boot periodically.
Of course on the other hand, I am also unsure what effect an elevated PO2 would have on them. Diving (and inflating your suit) with Nitrox 32 at 130 feet could be interesting if it caused the reaction to get real extreme.
I use a pair of thick polypro socks, stick a boot warmer on them, and cover with polarfleece socks, and my feet stay REALLY warm. (And this is coming from a very cold-blooded person who is still trying to figure out how to keep the rest of her warm.) There's plenty of air in a dry suit boot (at least mine) to keep the reaction going, and the warmers will last through two dives and a surface interval without any problems. In fact, I use warmers on my chest and back, too, and they are often still quite warm when I get home and change out of my dive gear.
NauticalbutNice
Contributor
I just wear a pair of thick hiking socks. I always find they keep me toasty
Nauticalbutnice :fruit:
Nauticalbutnice :fruit:
Under the 400g these are sweet!
http://www.patagonia.com/za/PDC?OPT...7&sku=49735&ws=false&promo_cat=&promo_cat_id=
Don't know if the link will work it's so long. Patagonia Capilene® MW Hiking Crew Socks.
USIA- They are OK I used them for awhile. The USCG and Navy application is generally different than diving. The USCG guys are wearing drysuits all day and are seldom in the water more than a few minutes (hopefully!)
The biggest mistake I see is people wearing cotton under a drysuit. Especially socks! My ritual is to change my socks before putting on my suit. Nice clean dry socks under the suit always makes for a warm start!
Dave
http://www.patagonia.com/za/PDC?OPT...7&sku=49735&ws=false&promo_cat=&promo_cat_id=
Don't know if the link will work it's so long. Patagonia Capilene® MW Hiking Crew Socks.
USIA- They are OK I used them for awhile. The USCG and Navy application is generally different than diving. The USCG guys are wearing drysuits all day and are seldom in the water more than a few minutes (hopefully!)
The biggest mistake I see is people wearing cotton under a drysuit. Especially socks! My ritual is to change my socks before putting on my suit. Nice clean dry socks under the suit always makes for a warm start!
Dave
CUunderH2O
Contributor
L.L. Bean used to sell nice & thick 300g Polartec socks. I wear them all the time, even in 32 degree water. Of course, I have hard boots on my drysuit. And yes, changing into them just prior to putting on the suit ensures dry socks. If I ever get a drysuit with soft boots, I'm going with DC or DUI thinsulate booties.
mtsidford:
If you do this , don't pump breathing nitrox into your drysuit (not that you would anyway).
Heat sources and high oxygen concentration do not mix well. Some 'heat packs' work by oxydizing iron, and I've heard in the presense of hgh-O2 mixes they get really really hot as the chemical reaction happens a bit quicker than normal. :11:
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