What to wear immediately after a dive?

[Diving Dubai]

We (both my wife and I) use the Terry Towel hooded beach robes. They have no front fastening so you dry yourself and then chuck one over your head.

we pretty much stay in ours all day on liveabords, they’re also fantastic for warming you up after the first morning dive, or after the night dive.

 

[ElizaDoolittle]

Two piece swimsuits are a must, one-piece are the work of the devil (who was a male and wanted to see women writhing and wriggling either getting out of the swimsuit or suffering from acute nappy rash)

Oh, no! I can't stand two-piece swimsuits! But I've never found it too difficult to get out of my one-piece one. It's true that I've never tried to do so behind a towel or inside a poncho.

Then there is the wet T-shirt grin. You sit there and when you stand up there are two wet boob-blobs that look like eyes, and wet sitting-down crease that looks like a grinning mouth when you stand up. Of course you would expect people to smile back at you!

I was thinking that a very flashy tie die T-shirt, probably of the "spiral" sort, might fix that problem. I'm already considering buying one, to be on the safe side if I end up having to walk around in a wet T-shirt.

And one more thing - jeans are a very bad idea. Get some loose pants (long or shorts) made from quick-dry fabric so that you can pull them on without them sticking to your damp legs. Raid the walking/camping gear.

Thanks a lot for this very useful piece of advice! That's something I would probably have done otherwise.

Do you think a rash guard under the wetsuit (upper part plus shorts) with no swimming suit might be a solution? They are supposed to dry very quickly, so I was wondering whether removing the wetsuit, draining as much water from the rash guard with a towel, and putting a T-shirt and loose trousers on top once it's reasonably dry might work. Or is there no difference between that and simply wearing a swimsuit directly under the wetsuit? Would it very uncomfortable to be dressed like that for hours after the dive?

Off-topic P. S.: OWD theory lessons started yesterday! Wow! I can't wait to get in the water!

 

[pelan-pelan]

I don't know from personal experience but I don't recall anyone using a rash guard instead of a swimsuit. They can be pretty tight and probably very hot in warm weather. Conventional seems to be swimwear. And they can't all be wrong. I know you hate tankinis although it is difficult to tell the difference from one piece, but have you considered the need to - err -relieve yourself. Nothing like whipping down the knickers rather than having to strip off from the top. And if it's under a wetsuit, or under a towel, who can tell whether it a one piece or a tankini.

 

[ElizaDoolittle]

Conventional seems to be swimwear. And they can't all be wrong.

Of course! I'm not claiming to be right, only wondering what I could do.

And if it's under a wetsuit, or under a towel, who can tell whether it a one piece or a tankini.

I can! It may sound funny, but I'm not so concerned with what other people see (though, of course, I don't want them to see too much) as with what I feel. Besides, it looks like it's more likely to get a two-piece suit inadvertently removed when trying to peel of your wetsuit than a one-piece suit. Anyway, as you mentioned, I'll pay attention to what people who know say. I'll still use my old one-piece for the OWD course I'm doing, and consider something better for afterwards.

 

[chillyinCanada]

tankini's are the cat's meow

I get stressed when I sense that they might be going out of style. I must have a dozen

Did I talk to you about lycra socks for in your booties?

 

[CathyE]

I’m with chilly on this one, style be damned, I have at least 12 tanktinis.
I will no longer dive without my Lycra socks.
I have a large oversized windbreaker I can change under if needed and a microfibre towel. I also don’t dive without my Lycra skin, no sunscreen required that way.

 

[living4experiences]

I will do anything to get the wet swimwear off of me. There is no level of comfort I've ever achieved from hoping things will dry while I walk around, especially in the butt and crotch.

Side Note: Amazon has a variety of the hooded terry beach robes. Coincidentally, I'm shopping for one for my upcoming trip.

 

[ElizaDoolittle]

I also don’t dive without my Lycra skin, no sunscreen required that way.

I'm a bit confused about this. What is the difference between a lycra skin and a rash guard? Do you wear a swimming suit under the lycra skin? Maybe I was thinking of a lycra skin and I thought it was a rash guard when I asked whether one could be worn directly under the wetsuit.

 

[formernuke]

male perpespective here. When I dive wet I wear a speedo so less fabric to absorb water. I get out of the water, remove my gear and wetsuit, pat dry and towel off, then wrap a towel around me. With the towel on I dissamble my gear pausing to pat and rub the area of the swimsuit. I find by the time I'm done dissambling and packing the gear the towel has absorbed most of the water and I can throw on a pair of shorts or jeans without getting getting wet butt.

 

[CathyE]

I'm a bit confused about this. What is the difference between a lycra skin and a rash guard? Do you wear a swimming suit under the lycra skin? Maybe I was thinking of a lycra skin and I thought it was a rash guard when I asked whether one could be worn directly under the wetsuit.

I think of a rash guard as just a top (my opinion only). My skin is ankle to wrist to neck and if the water is warm enough (28c) I will forgo the wetsuit. I don’t think a skin has any thermal value.
I do wear a tanktini under it, but it is amazing how much easier it is to don and doff the wetsuit when wearing a skin, it also eliminates any ‘wardrobe malfunctions’.
I am fair and will burn in minutes so I leave it on between dives, it dries very quickly.