Underwear Ripoff...?

[akscubainst]

Is $4-500 all that expensive for what you are getting? Think about it a good pair of 200 weight fleece pants is $100 a good fleece jacket is at least that. Those are single layer. Most drysuit underwear are double layer so the pricing is comparable.

I agree and teach what has been mentioned above. Buy a hefty bag with seals if you have to but don't skimp on the underwear. Put your have in a bag then in icewater. The bag doesn't do much for you. Now put it in a good glove and back in the bag.....

I never ceases to amaze me that someone will pay upwards of $2000 for a suit but won't spend the money to get decent underwear.

We have to face the facts, diving is an equipment intensive sport if you want to do it and do it comfortably and safely, it costs money.

my $.02

Dave

 

[SueMermaid]

Shoot. I totally thought this thread would be about something else. :yl2jump:

 

[matt_unique]

I considered this issue recently as well. When I bought my drysuit I bought a nice DUI single piece thermal garment. This past winter I decided I wanted a bit more torso warmth and looked at the DUI sleeveless fleece jacket for $100. I found and bought the same thickness of fleece (same sleeveless jacket design) at EMS on sale for $30. Same neck cut, same pocket configuration, etc.

In this particular case the DUI fleece would have been a rip off.

I'm sure there are particular undergarment needs where the dive brand cost would be justified. I suggest you look at the brand thermal (verify the material, thickness, cut, features, etc.) and compare it to what you can find at EMS or such. The cut around the neck and shoulders is particularly important for drysuit concerns of course.

--Matt

 

[doctormike]

Is $4-500 all that expensive for what you are getting?
I never ceases to amaze me that someone will pay upwards of $2000 for a suit but won't spend the money to get decent underwear.

We have to face the facts, diving is an equipment intensive sport if you want to do it and do it comfortably and safely, it costs money.

my $.02

Dave

Well, yes, of course I don't plan on skimping if it makes a difference... but there should be some reasonable consideration of what is worth spending money for and what isn't. I didn't buy the $1700 air integrated suunto watch style computer because my Cobra works great, and it isn't worth $1000 to me to have a wireless connection. So you couldn't say that I'm "skimping" there, just making an informed buying decision... for some people it might be worth the extra $, for some not. That was the point of this thread- to find out where the price breakpoint lies for a diver like me...

And actually, $500 for underwear is about a third the cost of my dry suit, so it is not an inconsequential part of the entire purchase price..!

So the question is not "Is a $500 underlayer great?" but "Is a $500 underlayer twice as good as a $250 piece, and five times as good as a $100 piece". Difficult questions, I know, but that is why I turned to you guys! And I thank you all..!

 

[Mo2vation]

Shoot. I totally thought this thread would be about something else. :yl2jump:

you would - silly one.

---
Ken

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Shoot. I totally thought this thread would be about something else. :yl2jump:

Yeah, I was thinking "Underpants Gnomes". But seriously folks...I bought the Diving Concepts Thinsulate for a little over $200 and a polartec jacket and pants from Costco for about $40. Both work well for the diving I do, usually down to the low 50s-high 40s.

 

[akscubainst]

Well, yes, of course I don't plan on skimping if it makes a difference... but there should be some reasonable consideration of what is worth spending money for and what isn't. I didn't buy the $1700 air integrated suunto watch style computer because my Cobra works great, and it isn't worth $1000 to me to have a wireless connection. So you couldn't say that I'm "skimping" there, just making an informed buying decision... for some people it might be worth the extra $, for some not. That was the point of this thread- to find out where the price breakpoint lies for a diver like me...

And actually, $500 for underwear is about a third the cost of my dry suit, so it is not an inconsequential part of the entire purchase price..!

So the question is not "Is a $500 underlayer great?" but "Is a $500 underlayer twice as good as a $250 piece, and five times as good as a $100 piece". Difficult questions, I know, but that is why I turned to you guys! And I thank you all..!

Whistles and bells are different than something that keeps you warmer longer an air integrated computer is a toy it not necessary but it's cool and it make diving more fun!

I'm not saying that everyone must buy $600 underwear but it's been proven that divers who get cold don't dive as much because a mental barrier is created. If you get cold then diving is no fun, the next time you think about diving the memory of being cold and how hard it was is there. Over time it wears on you to the point that you dive less. Now you have thousands of dollars sitting in the garage not being used.

Even though I'm in Alaska, I have the luxury of only being able to drop everything at any moment and be in the water within an hour. Within an hour and a half I can be on my choice of one of 2 of the best shipwrecks in the US if not the world. Almost all of my diving is cold water diving so I have to have the best.

Dave

 

[Jandee]

I dive Lake Michigan all summer long. I wear my husbands old polypropolene long underwear and genuine Polar Tech sweat pants and top, all from LL bean, along with good wool hikinging socks. Perspiration wicks to the surface and drys fast between dives. I always change my socks between dives. Toward the end of the season or on inland lakes I will wear thinner Polar Tec type sweat pants and top that I bought at K-Mart. This last weekend the water was 62 degrees on the surface and 42 degrees on the bottom and I was toasty. It's not necessary to spend a bundle. As long as you avoid cotton sweat pant, sweat shirt and socks you will be comfortable. Jan from Wisconsin

 

[jcm996]

$400 is more than I paid for my DUI drysuit. I layer it. "longunderwear" then sweat pants. A T-shirt then either a sweatshirt or a long sleave shirt and a sweat shirt depending on the dive. And a pair of heavy socks. I have been fine for 40-50 minutes in 45-50 degree water.

I did want to make it to DOG days and try on undergarments, but can't work it into my calander this year.

 

[doctormike]

jonnythan brings up a good point, these undergarments lose all their warmth if they get compressed..not much good for diving

Well, there is always some suit squeze, but the entire point of dry suit diving is that you are keeping the undergarments from being compressed with your air supply! It's wet suits that get compressed at depth...