Wearing cotton clothes under drysuit undergarmit

[eluzgin]

Is it OK to wear regular cloths under your dry suit undergarmit?
I was told that wearing any cotton under the dry suit undergarmit defeats the purpose of wearing undergarmit. As cotton keeps the moisture around your body.
Any opinions?

 

[DandyDon]

Ever use a cotton towel to dry with? For Calf waters, you need more insulation. a dry wet suit would be better than cotton clothes, I think.

But some experience Calf divers should be along soon...

 

[Cave Diver]

I normally wear Under Armour under my drysuit underwear. I think it helps keep me warmer, also wicks sweat and moisture away from skin and I can wear it to/from the dive site without having to change into something else.

 

[Hoosier]

Unless you sweat and get wet, you will be fine. But, in reality, you can get wet during the dive and sweat before hitting the water, so the cotton underwear did good job to make you chilly. Under Armour is nice choice.

 

[instructorgadget]

No Cotton.

 

[AlaskaDiver]

Under armor can be pricey, especially if it is anti-microbial -fights the BO. Even a polyester t-shirt is better than a cotton one - however they get stinky quickly. I like a silk/wool blend shirt next to my skin.

 

[pir8]

Under armour is brand name, there are other manufacturers, I know Nike makes a set also but under armour has several different types.

 

[CuriousRambler]

I don't dive a drysuit, but I'm going to imagine it's similar to snowboarding. Cotton retains moisture, so if you wear a t-shirt or cotton boxers, you have potential to freeze if they get wet at all. Polypropelene is a good option for 'boarding, cant see why it wouldn't work for diving.

I usually wear a t-shirt snowboarding, over longjohns and under a sweatshirt under my jacket...There was one time where wind was blowing on a flat and I had to skate out, which could be somewhat comparable to having to swim against a current to get back to the boat, and I got a bit sweaty. The polypro sucked it right off me, but the cotton absorbed it and I was FREEZING in about no time flat. I suggest against cotton anywhere perspiration could be counterproductive to your mutli-hundred (thousand?) dollar exposure protection..

 

[Web Monkey]

Is it OK to wear regular cloths under your dry suit undergarmit?
I was told that wearing any cotton under the dry suit undergarmit defeats the purpose of wearing undergarmit. As cotton keeps the moisture around your body.
Any opinions?

If you wear cotton, you won't die, however the less cotton you wear, the happier you'll be.

Shorts (boxers/briefs/etc.) and a thin t-shirt should be OK, but I'd pass on anything heavier like a sweatshirt or sweatpants.

Terry

 

[divingjd]

They are right. Cotton won't be the most comfy. Get some kind of wicking technical fabric. Patagonia's Capilene is excellent, if a bit pricey. It comes it several weights and lots of styles. REI sells its own brand ("MTS") in several weights and styles for less. UnderArmour or something similar should also work. There are lots of brands of this stuff these days. Just avoid any zip-neck, turtleneck, or mock-turtleneck styles. They wreak havoc with neck seals.