undergarments

[traveladdikt]

Ok so now im pretty much decided on the suit i will purchase ( Santi E.lite )

Now its time to think what am i gonna where underneath it ( keep in mind i dive in Canada and water temperature can go close to 0C depending of the season )

So for the longest time i wanted a Weezle extreme+ heard a lot of good things about em and seen a lot of dive that swear by em! things like they keep you warm even if you get wet. that being said after some research ive found that a lot of people found em balky and they seem to be really buoyant ( also heard that they can block the exhaust valve coz they are so fluffy.

now the one that i am considering are:

Still the weezle extreme+ but i am more and more turned of my it since im trying to shave off as much weight as i can!

The fourth element Halo 3D: i have yet to do some extensive reaserch on it so hard to take a decision but i like the concept! the only down side is the price :depressed:

DUI MX 450: lot of my friends have it... no complaint what so ever, seems to be warm enough for my type of diving and def not as bulky then the Weezle

Santi Men's Extreme BZ 400 : seemed to be a really warm one and once again the Santi attention to details touch !
price is a little more then the Weezle or DUI but not a big deal anyway

And finally and not the least, Santi Extreme 400 heated : now were talking!!!:cool2: the reason why im considering this one is that i am also thinking of getting a heated vest, well after you buy the vest, battery, valve connector and the whole shabang you just spend a few extra hundreds that the Extreme heated cost and you have to carry an extra canister on your rig which is a big in my book when you try to get as much streamed line as you can!

so pls give me your 2 cents on that and experience and i'll gladly consider everyone thought ...

1-2-3 go. Fire away

---------- Post added September 24th, 2013 at 12:54 PM ----------

Never mind the 400 etreme heated, after more research i've found that you still need to plug it in a battery canister!!! So that one got crossed of the list!

 

[Instructor_Tom]

I started my cave diving with a Hollis AUG 200 but found it too buoyant. while getting a gas fill at cave country I came across the 4th element Artic. this is what I dive now.

I show up to the dive in shorts and a tee and then just zip into my 4th element and go dive. I highly suggest you check them out.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[GCullen94]

DiveMaster_Tom, the arctic alone will not provide enough warmth for 0C water. It is more for 10-18C. I know a lot of people that use 4th Element undergarments and love them. One of my good buddies uses the HALO for cold winter diving and loves it. One of my other good buddies dives the DUI 450 and wishes he had gone with the HALO. A third buddy of mine uses the arctics but layers them with a lava core underneath and a 4th element ozone over. The plus with the layering is he doesn't have two whole sets of winter and summer undergarments but rather a diving skin for vacation (Lava core), a solid year round undergarment (Arctic) and a very good deck jacket (Ozone). I can not comment on the weezle however the Santi is another well liked undergarment. it is made from different material than the 4th elements. Go to your LDS and try them all on to see which cut is better for you.
GC

 

[dive_turkey]

I have a halo 3D and absolutely love it. I recently dove in 14oC water with my halo and a set of "Hot Chilis" underneath it. Hot Chilis are just a wicking long underwear that I typically wear when skiing or sailing. They work great under the halo becuase they're really smooth and easy to slip through the sleeves of other garments. I am considering another layer to go outside of the halo, though I haven't decided on one yet. I'm diving in Germany, so you know I'll be watching this thread to see what you decide on. I'm definately a fan of layering over a single winter jump suit. I did try on a weezle the other day, and while I'd love to have one just for hanging around the house, I do have concerns about the bulky/fluffy/valve blocking potential.

 

[JMBL]

I started my cave diving with a Hollis AUG 200 but found it too buoyant. while getting a gas fill at cave country I came across the 4th element Artic.

4th Element Artic is my favorite as well, and you can multiply layers and add the 4th Element Xerotherm underneath.

 

[Hickdive]

4th Element Arctics are inadequate on their own for Scottish winter sea temperatures (between 4 and 8 deg C) so they will be insufficient in your colder waters. The Halo 3D is also inadequate in those ranges. All the people I know who bought the ozone system ended up just using the jacket for surface wear and buying a proper undersuit.

The problem with multiple layering is that it gradually reduces mobility whilst adding buoyancy.

The problem with Weezles and any undersuit that relies on loft is that it adds bulk and requires more air in the suit to be effective again adding buoyancy.

The problem with the pick of the bunch in your options list (The Santi BZ400) is that it may be too warm in your summer air temperatures.

As it is coming into winter you'd probably be as well getting the Santi just now and saving to buy a lighter set of thermal protection in the spring.

 

[grf88]

I use the 4th Element Arctics with MEC Expedition weight underwear and find it adequate for moderate length dives in 35 F water. Would probably not be warm enough for any length of hang. My dive buddy recently purchased the new Whites Thermal Fusion undergarment and cannot say enough good things about it.

 

[underH2Oman]

I just purchased the e-lite and santi bz400 (both custom sized) and I can say I think you can not go wrong with the bz400. I have never been warmer.

 

[traveladdikt]

well thx for all the comment! i've decided to go with the Santi BZ 400 heated with a base layer of 100% marino wool. i'll probably wont use the heating system too often but ive decided to go all out. last dive in 0-3C water was too cold for my liking. have a good splash!

 

[jbb]

I'd caution you about the merino wool. I was using it as a layer over my coolmax t-shirt and underwear. Wool wants to hold onto water more than the synthetic underwear. I thought the little bit of dampness was affecting it's insulation quality. They're great for the surface though. I now use 4th Element Artic with synthetic layers underneath (with Apollo neoprene drysuite). I also tried the weezle extreme in a USIA laminate and it just wasn't working effectively - when in horizontal trim I would have a bubble on my back but my whole underside would be pressed close to the suit. The weezle is great for the surface if you don't mind the Michelin man look. I'm always looking for something better. I have liked Thinsulate for many years in outwear and boots but it isn't the easiest to wash and that it holds onto odors but then many synthetics do.

you could also try and Argon for suit inflation.