Wetsuit Question

[gitarzan56]

This might be a stupid question but here goes.
Winter is here and the water in California is getting colder,
most of all that 3rd dive of the day.
If I were to put a 2 or 3 mil. shorty on the outside of my 8mil.
Xcel, will I be warmer or just more boyant.
If i wear my 2mil. fullsuit under my 8mil. (use it as a skin)
will I be warmer or just more boyant.
I need to be just a little warmer.
Hope someone can help.
Thanks in advance.
Please dont tell me to dive dry thanks

 

[dennisgrimm]

waters off of california cold!?!?! I dive in a 7mm up here in the frozen north. :cold:

Ok, teasing aside... I dive with a 7mm fullsuit and wear a 3mm shorty under it in the winter. I found that wearing a shorty overtop of my fullsuit did nothing. It is the reduced water circulation near your core under the fullsuit that helps. For example, if I wear my shorty overtop of my fullsuit the water in the fullsuit still circulates and transfers at the wrists, ankles, and neck. If I wear my shorty underneath then the shorty will exchange at the knees and elbows with other warm water already inside the fullsuit. Hence, less loss. Make sense?

Good luck.

PS - You might want to try diving dry :hehe:

 

[Dive4Life]

I don't believe it makes a difference what order you put it on. I never dive anything thicker than a 3 mil personnaly but then again I live in South Florida. Those I know who do dive with more than one wetsuit put the thicker one on first and then throw the skin over that. This is just what I have seen but I believe that the math just adds up. 3 mil over 8 mil = 11 mil and 8 mil over 3 mil = 11 mil. This is just my opinion and hopefully someone with a bit more insight on the matter will respond. I just can't imagine there being a difference in the order with which you don the wetsuits. Yes, either way you will be more buoyant with two wetsuits over one.

 

[IBKuz]

I do not think it will make a difference either way you wear them, the important feature is how well they fit and the more neoprene the better. If you have good seals at the wrists, ankles and neck that limits the water travelling in and out this will keep you warmer. If there are areas in the suit that pucker and trap larger amounts of water this is not helping either. My suit comes with a 7mm full suit with a 7mm shorty with hood that you wear on the outside but it might be manufactured this way for the convience of being able to wear either the full suit alone or together. Most double suits I have seen have the shorty being worn on the outside. What really helps diving wet is as much neoprene as possible without restricting your movement.

If you want to stay warmer during your diving then having thick gloves, boots and hood will make a difference as you lose a lot of heat through your extremidies (make sure they also fit well even having someone customize them to your body if possible). I also have 2mm socks that I can put on my feet inside my boots for a little extra thickness.

Having a cooler full of hot water with you to pre-heat your gloves, boots and hood also works really well (make sure you let them soak for a couple of minutes if you can to heat up the neoprene itself). You can then also pour some inside your suit to add a little warmth. Lastly, bring some hot soup for between dives and after to make sure the inside of your body also gets a little extra heat (this last recommendation might not be good for some people on a charter if they have a weak stomach)

Ian

 

[rab]

For my AOW class, the instructor let me borrow a 3mm hood, but I had no gloves. Everyone else did! It was 52F at 68ft and we were there for a while waiting for someone to get over some equalization problems. THAT'S COLD WITH NO GLOVES!

I bought gloves for my next quarry dive and was amazed at the difference. The temperature wasn't as low because I didn't go as deep, but it did get down to 60F. (I rented a hood and there's one on my Christmas list!)

-Rob

 

[DandyDon]

That's the way I do it, to a point. I put a 3 mil short over my 3 mil long to get 6 mil over my toros - including my shoulders. Like that better than the F-John combo, I think.

On top of a 8 mil sounds radical, but then I've never dived out there in the fall or winter. Should help.

Now, he said: " Please dont tell me to dive dry thanks. I'm sure Dennis missed that; I did the first time. I would if I live there, and had the dough, but if you're on a bduget, dry suit and undergarments can certainly add up.

Rob brought up a good point. I have to have a neopr beanie to dive cold water, and when I hit 55 F on my last diving out there, I was sorry I wore my tropical gloves by mistake. I'm diving in a 62 F spring this weekend, and I'm taking the neop beanie and gloves. :cold:

good luck, don

 

[dennisgrimm]

I saw the "don't tell me to dive dry thing."

I am sorry.

I was just trying to be funny (that is what the laughing smilie is all about).

Seriously, I have tried both and notice a difference. IMHO I find it warmer to wear a shorty on the inside.

Either way you will get the same thickness of neoprene.

Think about it this way... the fullsuit will stop 90% of the water from moving around. The shorty will hold 90% of the water at your torso. Therefore you get 99% prevention of water movement at your torso (where it counts).

Ok, maybe that wasn't so clear.

How about this... for cold water from outside to get to your inner body it has to make it past your wrist "seal" and your elbow "seal" instead of just the wrist. More restrictions for the water.

Either way you will be warmer. I just find wearing it on the inside a bit moreso.

Good luck.

 

[gitarzan56]

Thanks for all the Info.
Like i said, it's that 3rd dive of the day that gets a bit cold.
I was hopein there was an easy way to make that last dive of the day warmer.
My Xcel wetsuit is a few seasons old and is the 8-7-6 tri-density
polar scs that has been custom fit, so it fits very well.
I do wear gloves and boots.
I do stay warm, just that last dive could be a little warmer.
Was hopin I could put on a shorty just for that last dive.
I have been in 46 degree water in my wetsuit and was ok
(froze my face off)
Thanks again to everybody

 

[ScubaJewel]

I would purchase a 5 to 7 mill and go with that.

Julie

 

[Bob3]

Slapping a hooded vest on, preferably underneath, will make all the difference in the world.
Having water do the little flush down the back of the neck thing can chill the heck out of you.
Years back before they were readily available I made my own, used a drysuit hood & glued it onto a 1/8" vest. I'd get out of the water & my hair was still dry, along with most of my back.
Not bad for a wetsuit.
Add a thermos of hot chocolate or chicken soup & you're all set.