Undergarment/layer for under 7mm wetsuit.

[DerekW]

Hey there,
I've gotten my fiancé into diving. And this will be her first year diving in southern Lake Huron. She bought a 7mm Bare Elate, but being from Brazil, she doesn't embrace the cold, lol
I'm looking to buy her an additional layer to go under her wetsuit, thinking about a Bare exowear long sleeve top.
Anyone try this, and was there a noticeable warmth improvement?
She'll be fine in July and August, but I'd like her to be able to enjoy at least June and September too.
Thanks for any recommendations!

 

[Searcaigh]

Warm undergarments are generally for drysuit diving.

Is this 7mm suit a semidry or just a normal wetsuit?

 

[Esprise Me]

I have a Sharkskin jacket, which is basically the same thing as the Bare Exowear you're looking at. It does help to layer it under my 7mm suit. I doubt it would make Lake Huron bearable for me, but your girlfriend might be tougher than I am. If it's still not enough, drysuit time.

 

[lermontov]

I use merino undergarment as its warm for its thickness and you can wear it in bed as PJ's on a cold night

 

[Tassi Devil Diver]

The only thing that will help with wetsuits is more mm of neoprene (other advertised solutions may help psychologically). The 7mm Bare Elate looks like a steamer style suit, maybe try a 5mm neoprene vest under it. I have 7mm cressi Ice semidry and often use a 5mm vest with it. A 5mm vest will be more effective and a lot cheaper than the sharkskins or other similar products.

If you partner is still feeling the cold and want to stay with a wetsuit I would try something like a 7mm probe 2 piece (Probe Wetsuits Australia : iDRY PRO ''QUICK-DRY'' 2 PIECE SUITS) note no jacket hood zips etc to let water flush through, or there are 9mm versions

I see more and more divers using the steamer style suits and complaining of the cold, they just don't do the job in cooler waters. Go the two piece from the start.

 

[Marie13]

Hey there,
I've gotten my fiancé into diving. And this will be her first year diving in southern Lake Huron. She bought a 7mm Bare Elate, but being from Brazil, she doesn't embrace the cold, lol
I'm looking to buy her an additional layer to go under her wetsuit, thinking about a Bare exowear long sleeve top.
Anyone try this, and was there a noticeable warmth improvement?
She'll be fine in July and August, but I'd like her to be able to enjoy at least June and September too.
Thanks for any recommendations!

I dived the Great Lakes for two seasons in a wetsuit down to the low 40s and I’m going to make a couple of other recommendations.

Make sure she’s wearing a good hood. I actually wore a Lavacore hooded vest under my 7mm Bare Evoke. I then wore a Waterproof brand 5mm neoprene hood *over* the vest hood.

Get the 1mm insulated WetSox for her feet. They come high up your calves. Helps keep you warm and getting your wetsuit on.

It sounds like she might be approaching drysuit territory if she doesn’t like the cold.

 

[TheRealScubaSteve]

Sharkskin or similar layers do work to add warmth, but a hooded vest or vest and detached hood are much warmer. I prefer to add neoprene for colder climates. 7mm suit, 5mm vest, and 7 or 10mm hood is what I used to wear with 35-50 F temps in NE. Less flexible but it adds a lot more warmth. I typically dive dry most of the year nowadays.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

I've gotten my fiancé into diving.

Congratulations!! Now you get to buy 2 of everything!! (speaking from personal experience)

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

How does she bend her elbows and knees? I would imagine double layer and 7mm would make me walk like Verruca Salt after the blueberry incident.

Have you considered a drysuit? They are oh so toasty.

 

[Paul M]

I dived the Great Lakes for two seasons in a wetsuit down to the low 40s and I’m going to make a couple of other recommendations.

Make sure she’s wearing a good hood. I actually wore a Lavacore hooded vest under my 7mm Bare Evoke. I then wore a Waterproof brand 5mm neoprene hood *over* the vest hood.

Get the 1mm insulated WetSox for her feet. They come high up your calves. Helps keep you warm and getting your wetsuit on.

It sounds like she might be approaching drysuit territory if she doesn’t like the cold.

I think @Marie13 nailed it - she's going to quite possibly want a drysuit. I know lots of divers from 'warm' countries. Most of them wear a drysuit for anything colder than ~24C.
I can only imagine what its like to go from living in a hot climate with temperate waters to what we are used to.
I dived in Australia few years ago. There was a lady on the same boat that was visiting from Indonesia. She needed to wear a 7mm, to feel comfortable, in the May 22C water off the shore of Sydney.
I just got back from a cave diving trip in Mx last week. Just about everyone there was in a drysuit as well. Water was 25C.