Wetsuit as Drysuit Undergarment

[FishDiver]

Doh, cr@p!

Thanks for the free physics lesson everyone.

I am so accustomed to thinking of wetsuit compression in terms depth-related water pressure that I didn't get my head around the fact that neo is susceptible to air pressure as well.

How 'bout a custom sewn sponge as an undergarment?

 

[Darnold9999]

I wear a 1/2 shortie in my dry suit all the time under the fleece, sometimes a 2/3 full suit.

Upside: Much warmer than fleece alone, and I figure about 4 # less lead for any given level of warmth. If I get water through the wrist seals or it trickles through the neck seal I don't even notice.

Downside - there is considerable compression at depth (whoever told you that there isn't is simply wrong, the air cells trapped in the neoprene are at surface pressure and collapse as you go deeper), and if you get overheated you will sweat under the wetsuit and the sweat has nowhere to go.

Re compression - there is ALOT of warmth in neoprene even compressed. Re sweat - it only starts to cool you off once it starts to evaporate - this doesn't happen until you take the wetsuit off, then you get cold in a big hurry. Multiple dives I change wetsuits - or not depends if I got overheated at any point in the dive.

 

[wjsdive]

Pressure are Pressure...Doesn't matter where it came from.
If the wetsuit is at all tight it may slightly restrict the flow of blood which could negate any added warmth it might add.