What to wear immediately after a dive?

[Janie88]

@Kimela thanks for posting this question, as I was about to ask very similar question.

I am always looking for something to throw on after diving, for me especially on a liveaboard. I don't like to stay in my wet clothes between dives, and I want something easy to throw on and still look/feel decent. Yes vanity I know.

I found wearing swim shorts to be awkward if trying to push them into a wetsuit, and then afterwards they are soaking wet and I don't want to stay in them until the next dive. I don't like a one-piece b/c that's a pain too.

So...I like to wear a bikini. Now at first this seemed crazy. I don't like to walk around in one by itself. LOL. But I have developed this method: I will put on a cover-up dress over the bikini in my cabin/room. I need to find more, but I love the ones that are NOT see through and are made out of Lyra/swimsuit material so they dry quickly and not holding onto water.

When I get on the dive boat or at the dive deck preparing to dive, I will pull up my shorty, or whatever wetsuit I'm diving in, and then pull off the dress before totally zipping into the suit. Voila! Nobody really sees me in the bikini.

After the dive, I will unzip my wetsuit to about my waist, throw on my coverup dress, and pull off the wetsuit and hang up to dry. Without showing anything I can take off my bottoms, toss on dry ones, and either put on another bikini top in the bathroom/cabin or just leave on the wet one if I'm diving again shortly. I am not big chested so often I will just strategically take off the bikini top after I have the dress on.

It's hard to find a cover-up lycra/swimsuit dress that is long enough, most of them are super short. I would love to find a maxi length, not to the ankle but maybe more "ballet" length. I do feel a little self-conscious showing a lot of leg.

I had one cover-up dress I thought would work, it was longer, but was cotton. It got a little wet and was really uncomfortable and looked ridiculous all hanging.

I'm not sure why there aren't more pretty and functional lycra cover-up dresses? I had a couple from Macy's years ago that I loved but they finally fell apart. I do find that a dress can be the easiest, most comfortable and coolest thing to wear after a dive.

 

[Janie88]

Check out Hawaiian Rip Skirt www.ripskirthawaii.com or on Amazon. Cute print skirts designed specifically for putting over wet swim suit bottoms, but great for just regular wear too. Love them for travel as they are super lightweight and stay wrinkle free. They are called rip skirts because they wrap around and velcro at waist. Quick and simple to put on over suit plus makes it easy to change to dry bottom/undies if you want to do that. On top, wear black or dark print rash guard tops...they don't show the wet spots and dry quickly. Roxy and Volcom make cute short and long sleeve styles.

I had forgotten about these "rip skirts"! They are really pretty. I may try them. I wish they made a full dress like this, but I can maybe wear my rash guard.

 

[Janie88]

I swear by my Undress!
The Undress Version 4 - the #1 Dress on Kickstarter is back!
It's a dress changing station! I can get out of my wet bikini in a minute flat in the middle of dive shop without exposing myself to a sundress.

The "undress" looks fantastic. I'm going to the website now and order one, and hope that it's as great as it looks.

 

[Kimela]

I ordered that Lands End dress yesterday. I'll report back here about how it works for me. I'm short, so I'm assuming it'll be longer on me than the model (which, in my opinion is a plus). I'm hoping the swimsuit fabric breathes well enough to have lunch after the dive comfortably.

 

[Janie88]

I ordered that Lands End dress yesterday. I'll report back here about how it works for me. I'm short, so I'm assuming it'll be longer on me than the model (which, in my opinion is a plus). I'm hoping the swimsuit fabric breathes well enough to have lunch after the dive comfortably.

Please post after you wear it and what you think. Yes, I hate that swimsuit coverup dresses are so short. I'd like them to come down closer to the knee. Especially as I sometimes like to not wear a bottom inbetween dives if I can get away with it. TMI? Lol.

Yes those models are usually taller than me too. I'm not short, average at 5'5"-5'6"

 

[Janie88]

And WHY do almost all swimsuit coverups/dresses made out of 100% cotton?? I wish I could find more that are the lycra/swimsuit material.

 

[Kimela]

Please post after you wear it and what you think. Yes, I hate that swimsuit coverup dresses are so short. I'd like them to come down closer to the knee. Especially as I sometimes like to not wear a bottom inbetween dives if I can get away with it. TMI? Lol.

Yes those models are usually taller than me too. I'm not short, average at 5'5"-5'6"

I have had a bunch of Mohs surgeries for skin cancer so I want to cover up as much of myself as I can, but I don't want to swelter. I found a nice, very light rash guard in a baby blue, and I pair it with a skirt made by a gal I met in Hawaii (Heidi Schuff) - her brand is Sea Britches. The skirt I have is a skull candy pattern and is adorable. The fabric is a very light spandex. I asked her to make me a couple more, of different fabrics, for the next trip - and I found a different rash guard in light yellow and one in a light lavender to wear with them. The new rash guards also have thumb holes and were cheap (about $22 on amazon).

Here's a pic of the skirt I have. It washes great and wears cute. $40 for the skirt, and it comes with that cute little bag to carry it in - or put your sunglasses or something else in. She also makes masks.

 

[Janie88]

I have had a bunch of Mohs surgeries for skin cancer so I want to cover up as much of myself as I can, but I don't want to swelter. I found a nice, very light rash guard in a baby blue, and I pair it with a skirt made by a gal I met in Hawaii (Heidi Schuff) - her brand is Sea Britches. The skirt I have is a skull candy pattern and is adorable. The fabric is a very light spandex. I asked her to make me a couple more, of different fabrics, for the next trip - and I found a different rash guard in light yellow and one in a light lavender to wear with them. The new rash guards also have thumb holes and were cheap (about $22 on amazon).

Here's a pic of the skirt I have. It washes great and wears cute. $40 for the skirt, and it comes with that cute little bag to carry it in - or put your sunglasses or something else in. She also makes masks.

View attachment 653783

Really cute skirt! Looks a little short though? I also like those riptide skirts too, I may order one.

My preference is for a one piece/coverup dress. It just seems easier for me, and you can sometimes dress it up a little if going from the dive boat to have lunch or dinner. Of course with liveaboards you don't have to worry about that!

 

[mcohen1021]

Rarely do we go from the dive boat to our room for a shower and change of clothes. Usually we go from the boat to a place to grab lunch. I don't know HOW my swimsuit manages to hold so much water, but even if I dry all the right bits with a towel I STILL end up with a wet bottom and looking like I need to go breast feed my baby (and my youngest is now 24!).

(Mod edit, this is the Women's Perspectives thread. You may contribute as a male but certain remarks will not be permitted)

That being said,surely they make quick dry ladies swimwear? I buy the quick drying board shorts and am 95% dry by the time I finish rinsing my gear.

 

[Kimela]

Really cute skirt! Looks a little short though? I also like those riptide skirts too, I may order one.

My preference is for a one piece/coverup dress. It just seems easier for me, and you can sometimes dress it up a little if going from the dive boat to have lunch or dinner. Of course with liveaboards you don't have to worry about that!

That length, for me, hits about mid-thigh, covering up everything I want covered up but short enough to be comfy. My test is "does it completely cover the seat of my chair when I'm sitting down so my legs don't stick?" - and it does! But you can work with her and tell her the length of skirt you want. I wonder if she'll eventually do some sort of dress as well. She does leggings that have feet, and I use those for diving.