JeffG
Contributor
I Yam what I Yam and thats all that I Yam.jepuskar:
What to wear under a Trilaminate drysuit?
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scubadobadoo
Contributor
We all make mistakes and I fell victim to that myth as well as you can see from the thread.:11doh:
Jepuskar, any water in your wet suit IS robbing your body of heat. ANY water. That said, where we sometimes get confused, is that there is a small grain of truth in this myth. The grain is that once the water gets in, and it will, keeping that water in the suit is better than new and colder water flushing constantly through the suit. But make no mistake, the water doesn't warm the body, the body warms the water. SO, if you have a well fitting wetsuit, the best you can do is keep that already body warmed water in the suit. The already body warmed water does't keep the body warm, but it DOES cool the body slower than new, colder water.
While the above argument doesn't validate the myth, it does point out how one can be easily confused by it.
Edit: That said, the neoprene is what is traping the heat, not the water or even your body. The neoprene is really doing the work and is what keeps you warmer, not the water.
Jepuskar, any water in your wet suit IS robbing your body of heat. ANY water. That said, where we sometimes get confused, is that there is a small grain of truth in this myth. The grain is that once the water gets in, and it will, keeping that water in the suit is better than new and colder water flushing constantly through the suit. But make no mistake, the water doesn't warm the body, the body warms the water. SO, if you have a well fitting wetsuit, the best you can do is keep that already body warmed water in the suit. The already body warmed water does't keep the body warm, but it DOES cool the body slower than new, colder water.
While the above argument doesn't validate the myth, it does point out how one can be easily confused by it.
Edit: That said, the neoprene is what is traping the heat, not the water or even your body. The neoprene is really doing the work and is what keeps you warmer, not the water.
OK, to get this thread back on track, I have a crushed neoprene drysuit that I dive in freshwater, year round. In the summertime, I have to plan my entry so I don't get too hot, but once I'm in the water, everything is fine. It's not like I'll get heat stroke underwater. I think the neoprene is tougher, more puncture resistant, inherently warmer, and better fitting, but this is just my opinion. The buoyancy change is not an issue with me since I don't wear any weight to dive steel doubles in freshwater- I don't need to add any weight to sink. I'm considering getting a new drysuit, but I haven't decided between the trilam and crushed neoprene yet.
They are both good choices, so if you have your heart set on a trilam, go for it.
They are both good choices, so if you have your heart set on a trilam, go for it.
runamonk
Guest
I dive in the PNW (50ish) and I wear fourth elements artic. Awesome stuff! Not too bulky and very toasty. I love the two piece as well, it doesn't bunch up or come apart underwater, just in case that's a concern for some folks. My wife just ordered herself a pair as well. If she doesn't get cold in them, nobody will. 
Fourth Element
Fourth Element
Scuba....thanks for the comments. I understand that water conducts heat away from the body much faster than air and it is responsible for cooling. I also know that the body is what heats the water and the thickness of the suit corresponds to how slowly/quickly this heat is lost....however, given the discussion of whether or not a wetsuit should be worn under a drysuit....a wetsuit does not wick away water from the body...a decent undergarment will.
When a diver exits the water in a wetsuit and its chilly out they should get out of the wetsuit and dry themselves off to get warm, staying in the wetsuit will actually make you colder. Apply that to drysuit diving and when you sweat inside your suit it will chill your body...wetsuits will not move the moisture away from the skin.
When a diver exits the water in a wetsuit and its chilly out they should get out of the wetsuit and dry themselves off to get warm, staying in the wetsuit will actually make you colder. Apply that to drysuit diving and when you sweat inside your suit it will chill your body...wetsuits will not move the moisture away from the skin.
Darnold9999
Contributor
For those who are saying that this is a bad idea, I suggest that you actually try it.
The amount that I sweat inside the suit is not an issue re getting chilled coming out. The sweat when it leaves your body is at body temperature and does not chill you when trapped between the suit and your body throughout the dive. Sweat only chills you when it evaporates. (Physics 101) It is a bit of an issue when stripping the suit off in the middle of winter on shore when it starts to evaporate, but compared to being warmer throughout the dive and carrying less weight, I will be chilled for a minute or two changing. A 2/3 suit does not limit my mobility at all. In fact it gives me slightly more than I would have wearing the second layer of my undergarments.
Can't figure out why this is such a bad idea - when I have tried it on about 30 dives and it works so well???
The only issues that I have had while doing this was the first dive when I figured I would need to add weight so I added 4 #. I was significantly overweighted and sank like a stone, the other is that I have to be very careful of the neck seal because the wetsuit rides quite high on my neck and can interfere and let water seep in.
The amount that I sweat inside the suit is not an issue re getting chilled coming out. The sweat when it leaves your body is at body temperature and does not chill you when trapped between the suit and your body throughout the dive. Sweat only chills you when it evaporates. (Physics 101) It is a bit of an issue when stripping the suit off in the middle of winter on shore when it starts to evaporate, but compared to being warmer throughout the dive and carrying less weight, I will be chilled for a minute or two changing. A 2/3 suit does not limit my mobility at all. In fact it gives me slightly more than I would have wearing the second layer of my undergarments.
Can't figure out why this is such a bad idea - when I have tried it on about 30 dives and it works so well???
The only issues that I have had while doing this was the first dive when I figured I would need to add weight so I added 4 #. I was significantly overweighted and sank like a stone, the other is that I have to be very careful of the neck seal because the wetsuit rides quite high on my neck and can interfere and let water seep in.
Darny, if it works soo well then why do we have drysuit undergarments and not just wetsuits?
Darnold9999
Contributor
Don't know, but the 2/3 is not enough thermal protection alone and can't be adjusted under water like a regular undergarment. So I do both. Thin wetsuit for basic thermal protection and one layer of undergarment that I can add air to as I descend. Just the wetsuit would not be enough thermal protection, and one that did would be too bulky and restrict movement. Both together seem to work best for me.
I do understand that this is heresy, but after thinking it through I decided to actually try it. I have three tropical wetsuits. I found that I prefer it to wearing the john and jacket that came with my suit (White's Catalyst). I now just wear the john - with or without sleeves as required and find I am warmer and carry less weight.
The other diver that I know that tried it used his old pool suit and found exactly the same thing. Warmer, less weight - no mobility penalty. This diver has many hundreds of dives here in the PNW.
I do understand that this is heresy, but after thinking it through I decided to actually try it. I have three tropical wetsuits. I found that I prefer it to wearing the john and jacket that came with my suit (White's Catalyst). I now just wear the john - with or without sleeves as required and find I am warmer and carry less weight.
The other diver that I know that tried it used his old pool suit and found exactly the same thing. Warmer, less weight - no mobility penalty. This diver has many hundreds of dives here in the PNW.
I dive in a trilam and use a 400 weight fleece most of the time and I do not get cold even in 37 degree water. In warmer water poly undies seem to work well. The only problem I seem to have is my feet get cool no matter what I try on them. Right now it is fleece socks and a regular pair and it is not too bad. Any suggestions on this would be welcomed even though it isnt my post.
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