Undergarment Alternatives II

[rustyshakelford]

Hey!

Im am having a hard time deciding what to do in regards to some undergarments for my new drysuit!

I have done alot of research and found the Bare T-100 would be a great place to start, but then I got to thinking...

I have a spare pair of ski pants(academy pants not bibs with suspenders. polar egde, that i bought for $40 last year.)

If I wore some wicking long johns and those pants with a wicking top and fleece pull over would I be ok in 55 degree water?

Im fine getting the bare, but would rather use what i have already if it would be ok.

any thoughts would be great. I looked all over for the ebay deals and all the auctions are over and I missed out. Also i was a little confused on which size and weight to get!

thanks

brett

 

[Underwater Ogre]

Brett,
Put the gear on, if it fits, dive it, if it works...you da man.
There are some that say dive undergarments are different then ski or outdoor gear. I cant agree, I wear H/H fleece one piece and it works well. It was never made for diving.

Good luck,
U/O

 

[ToddK]

My undergarmets are a set of thermal underwear, with fleece pants jacket on top- everything is the same that I wear for mountaineering. I love having the separate jacket- if it is a warm day, I'll pull it off between dives. -Todd.

 

[TSandM]

One of the things to take under consideration is that it is not enough for your undergarment to keep you warm in your dry suit. It has to keep you warm if your dry suit floods. Fleece will do that to some degree, but a lot of other things won't. Thinsulate, and the Hollofill type stuff in Weezles and White's undergarments, still have a great deal of insulating capacity when they are wet. And if you dive in a drysuit long enough, I will guarantee you that you will eventually be wet!

I started out trying to use some of my massive wardrobe of heavy fleece garments that I use for winter riding. I had to use a lot of them to stay warm, and the weight I had to wear to sink them was awful. Specially designed diving undergarments deliver the maximum warmth for the minimum weight penalty, and stay warm when wet. They're worth their rather painful cost.

 

[TheMadDane]

I have a Bare T200 that I'm thinking about selling FWIW.

 

[rustyshakelford]

I have a Bare T200 that I'm thinking about selling FWIW.

the 200 might be a little to much. If i go the bare route, i would want the lighter version so i can add layers in the winter but still be able to wear it in the warmer months as well. if you do end up selling it though, shoot me a price for the heck of it!

on to hoods!

i have a 6.5mm blue reef neoprene hood with bib currently. how well do bibbed hoods work with drysuits? in its item description it says the bib can be removed, Im assuming it means to trim it off? any input or should i just buy another hood?

thanks

brett

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I went with the Pinnacle Merino Evolution. A little more bulky than my old OS Systems heavy fleece but so much warmer! I needed to add 4 lbs to the belt to make up for the loft. I used them for the first time getting my Ice certification. No issues at all.

 

[Docc]

I use UnderArmor pants and shirt that I use deer hunting. It wicks moisture and sweat away from the body. I use el cheapo polar fleece over that and I've stayed very comfortable.

 

[dave4868]

I have a spare pair of ski pants(academy pants not bibs with suspenders. polar egde, that i bought for $40 last year.)

If I wore some wicking long johns and those pants with a wicking top and fleece pull over would I be ok in 55 degree water?

That combination will probably be warm enough for 55-degree water. I wear a similar combination for those temps, but add a homemade fleece chest pad because I like to be very warm.

Although fleece loses much of its insulating qualities when soaking wet, a major flooding is very rare and unlikely to pose any real hazard in 55-degree water, if the dive can be aborted or completed in a timely manner.

I use my fleece in water temps down to the low 40's before I start to adjust my dive plan for the potential of major flooding and hypothermia.

Dave C

 

[TSandM]

I'll tell you that a leaking neck seal in 53 degree water, when you're a 30 minute swim from shore, is a recipe for a lot of trouble if your undergarments don't work well when they are wet. BTDT.