Thinsulite

[Adobo]

Not that was thinsulite. The 400g of polartec that they had was WAAAAY too lofty for me to even get in a drysuit. But my size thinsulite can be ordered.

Thanks for the clarification on 400, not 300.

- Bill

Some clarification here...

First, the material is called "Thinsulate". That's the name of the material that 3M developed and is used in various types of clothing.

Second, DUI offers two thicknesses of Thinsulate undergarments. One uses 400 weight Thinsulate. The other uses 200 weight Thinsulate. For the diving in Monterey and Carmel, the 400 weight Thinsulate undergarment (called the XM450) is more commonly used. Recently, Santi 400 weight Thinsulate undergarments have been appearing at local dive sites also.

Third, DUI offers a polartec (multi way stretch fleece) undergarment. It is called the Polartec PowerStretch 300.

Between the DUI XM 450 (Thinsulate) and the Polartec 300, the Thinsulate is considerably warmer.

This bit I am about to add is covered by any and all good local instructors who are either teaching a drysuit class. It was also covered in my GUE fundamentals class:

When deciding on undergarments, it is useful not only to consider how well an undergarment keeps you warm when the drysuit is relatively dry but also how well it will keep warm if you have a catastrophic flood (which can happen due to a blown wrist or neck seal). To give you a specific example... at the Breakwater, many people do a dive to the Metridium fields. Let's say you were to do that dive. Let's say that you rupture a seal while at the Metridium fields. How long do you think it would take before you could swim back to shore and exit the water? 20 minutes? How well would you tolerate 50f water in your drysuit for 20 minutes? Some divers would be fine. Others might not. In this regard, Thinsulate is said to be superior to Polartec.

Finally, the right way to buy a drysuit is to first sort out the undergarment you will need and use. Only after you have figured out the undergarment can you determine the proper size of drysuit that you will need. If you buy the drysuit first, you run a very high risk of having a suit that will not fit properly when you get the proper fitting and environmentally appropriate undergarment.
​

Note: There are other materials being used in other undergarments. For example, there are some products introduced over the past few years by Fourth Element. I don't know how well those products perform when your suit is flooded. But I will say that I used Fourth Element's Arctic undergarment for a while and it was inferior to the DUI XM450 in terms of keeping me warm when the drysuit was dry.

 

[tracydr]

I had a major flood with my polartec this winter in Catalina. I really barely noticed it, despite my legs and arms being completely soaked. I think water temps were in the mid-50s at the time. I get cold very easily.
I was wearing 300 weight by Janice and a smart wool base layer. I was able to go to the local laundry mat and wash/dry everything for my next dive.
My 300 weight two piece cost about $200, plus another $65 for a 200 wt pants, which I wanted for summer. I'm going to add a vest for colder waters. Everything Janice does is custom and it takes her about two days to get the garments made and shipped to you.
I have a 200 weight thinsulate by Bare. The crotch is too long and because of this I can't get my fins on. I also find that I have a great deal of trouble with reaching valves. I will sell this garment one of these days.

I wish that I had chosen an undergarment with my drysuit, as I have very little room in my legs for more loft. I would not be able to wear a very lofty undergarment, such as Weezle would probably not fit, at least not if I don't loose 25 lbs, which I do need to do.
I have gained about 15 lbs since having my drysuit made, which doesn't help, either.

 

[Hepcat62]

Not that was thinsulite. The 400g of polartec that they had was WAAAAY too lofty for me to even get in a drysuit. But my size thinsulite can be ordered.

Just FYI, there's no such thing an undergarment "too lofty to get in A drysuit", just "too lofty to get in THIS drysuit". When you buy a drysuit, size it based on you + the thickest undergarment you're considering.

 

[vancouverdiver]

Diving Concepts also makes thinsulate undergarments. 200G. They also make a vest you can wear on top of the undergarment. Combined they are very warm in 6C waters. TPS Page 2

 

[House Gecko]

I am close to 6'4" which makes me a little tall for off the rack fits. When I first got my drysuit I bought a DUI XM250 Thinsulate jumpsuit. The problem I ran into is that the Thinsulate had almost no stretch to it and even know it fit nice a snug in the dressing room when I got into water and started diving I fount the distance between my shoulders and crotch was a little short. I ended up returning the DUI XM250 (Thank You Diver Dan's for accepting my post dive return, you earned more of my business) and ended up getting a Fourth Element Arctic jump suit. The Fourth Element is a better fit for me and a very nice undergarment at less then half the price of the DUI XM250. I think the DUI XM250 Thinsulate is a better undergarment if it fits you just right and you are willing to pay twice as much for a 15% improvement in undergarment.

 

[lv2dive]

FWIW - if you buy them off the shelf, one of the odd things that I found with the Thinsulate undergarments is that if you buy them too BIG - your movement may be more limited than if they fit or even are a bit snug. I had a greater range of motion in a DUI Thinsulate men's small than in a medium... presumably bc the extra material was bunching up lengthwise and restricting movement? Anyway - I've since decided MTM (made to measure) is probably MY best option - but I'm diving three to four weekends a month with a lot of deco.

 

[Adobo]

I am close to 6'4" which makes me a little tall for off the rack fits. When I first got my drysuit I bought a DUI XM250 Thinsulate jumpsuit. The problem I ran into is that the Thinsulate had almost no stretch to it and even know it fit nice a snug in the dressing room when I got into water and started diving I fount the distance between my shoulders and crotch was a little short. I ended up returning the DUI XM250 (Thank You Diver Dan's for accepting my post dive return, you earned more of my business) and ended up getting a Fourth Element Arctic jump suit. The Fourth Element is a better fit for me and a very nice undergarment at less then half the price of the DUI XM250. I think the DUI XM250 Thinsulate is a better undergarment if it fits you just right and you are willing to pay twice as much for a 15% improvement in undergarment.

Its true that Thinsulate undergarments tend to be unforgiving in terms of stretch. If you get one that "seems" to fit based on how your normal clothes fit you, you could be in for a surprise when you get in the water. For one, the DUI and Santi Thinsulate undergarments are one piece jump suits. So if you raise your arms over your head, the entire undergarment will have to stretch in the torso and underarm area to accommodate. Some materials like fleece (which is what I believe the 4th element arctic is made of) is a lot more forgiving of improper fit.

When buying a business suit, I suspect no one bothers to see how the jacket fits when arms are raised over one's head. Buying a drysuit/undergarments and indeed any scuba equipment, frequently requires a different thought process than what we are used to when buying stuff for use on land. Our orientation, our movements, our areas of restricted motions, etc. are different in water than they are on land.

I would hope that all good instructors, irrespective of agency, are covering this material in their drysuit classes.

 

[SCMZ]

I have the Fourth Element Arctic and I think it's great and cheaper than DUI. I wear regular wool long underwear underneath and I'm warm enough for a 90 min dive or so (and I'm a naturally cold person). I like that it's two pieces for easier bathroom access and an extra layer around your core (the pants come up very high on me).

 

[billt4sf]

I am close to 6'4" which makes me a little tall for off the rack fits. When I first got my drysuit I bought a DUI XM250 Thinsulate jumpsuit. The problem I ran into is that the Thinsulate had almost no stretch to it and even know it fit nice a snug in the dressing room when I got into water and started diving I fount the distance between my shoulders and crotch was a little short. I ended up returning the DUI XM250 (Thank You Diver Dan's for accepting my post dive return, you earned more of my business) and ended up getting a Fourth Element Arctic jump suit. The Fourth Element is a better fit for me and a very nice undergarment at less then half the price of the DUI XM250. I think the DUI XM250 Thinsulate is a better undergarment if it fits you just right and you are willing to pay twice as much for a 15% improvement in undergarment.

I am 6'6". For most clothing I buy, I get the one thing that fits. I am hoping that I have some choices in undergarments.

Any suggestions on WHERE to shop? Either online or Bay Area. I might have to go custom as Peter suggests.

Thanks.

Bill

---------- Post added July 18th, 2013 at 10:52 AM ----------

I would hope that all good instructors, irrespective of agency, are covering this material in their drysuit classes.

That's why I am on ScubaBoard!

- Bill

---------- Post added July 18th, 2013 at 10:53 AM ----------

I have the Fourth Element Arctic and I think it's great and cheaper than DUI. I wear regular wool long underwear underneath and I'm warm enough for a 90 min dive or so (and I'm a naturally cold person). I like that it's two pieces for easier bathroom access and an extra layer around your core (the pants come up very high on me).

Would it keep you warm if the suit floods?

- Bill

 

[BluewaterSail]

Does anyone know what weight of Fleece (like the Software from Janice) would be approximately equivilant in warmth to a 200g Santi Thinsulate undergarment?