What to wear under my wetsuit...

[Sas]

Hello just a question about the best way of keeping warm over this winter.

I currently wear a 7mm semidry suit and a 2.5mm undervest with a hood and am comfortable at 12C/53F, but it will drop a few more degrees (10C/50F for boat dives, 8C/46F) over the next few months of winter. A drysuit is well out of my budget until next winter so wanted to get a skin or something to wear under my wetsuit as I see many people on the boats with these and they seem pretty happy with them. (Also I started wearing lycra socks under my boots and now have toasty feet so hoping the same principle works with a dive skin).

Which of these would be better to keep me warm, not mean I have to add extra weight, fit under my wetsuit as well as be good value for money?

(prices from Leisurepro and I will have to pay about $40 shipping to AU)

Pinnacle Lycra Skin $53
Blue Reef Royal Lycra Skin $40
Pinnacle Shadow 0.5mm Suit $115
Bare Thermalskin 1mm Suit $105
Neo Sport 1mm Skin $60

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Ted S]

Obviously a thicker skin will add more protection but may impact your ability to get your suit on, be too warm or just not be comfortable. Ideally you'd really want to try on the suits to see how they fit as they tend to be rather snug and try them on with your wetsuit as well. Given that you're shopping online and aren't expecting a huge drop (although 50 vs 46 is not insignificant) why not dive something in the middle a try (0.5mm or a thicker / medium quality skin... the cost is a lot lower for the cheap skin, but the trade off is substantial, so there's a big price to addition tradeoff and if you're worried about cold, going too basic is going to end up bad). Obviously if your suit fits loser or if you're already feeling the cold, have a new suit which is going to wear down, it may be wiser to start up higher and the opposite as well... if your suit is snug or worn and still feeling warm, starting even thinner makes sense.

Be sure that you buy something exchangeable and if it doesn't fit well or doesn't add enough warmth, you can always move up to the more expensive and bulkier 1.0mm or higher grade skin made from something a bit more protective for a few dollars in shipping costs.

 

[Noboundaries]

The lycra skins really don't add much warmth. The thicker skins, usually made of one of the poly fibers or the thin neoprene, definitely add insulation.

I'm on the verge of being cold at 50*F in my 7mm jumpsuit, polypropylene skin, 5mm hood/gloves/booties (no vest). If the water is going to be colder I'll add my 3mm shortie over.

 

[maged_mmh]

the 0.5mm suit would be OK to my guess.
however I use my SP scotia 6.5mm semidry with just a rashguard & boxer underneath for wt of 6C

 

[Sas]

Ok from the replies I think I will consider getting the 0.5. But going to look for a cheaper one than the Leisurepro one.

maged_mmh, yea I am not cold yet but am concerned that I will be over winter, especially with the long boat rides back in freezing winds! Usually colder on the surface than the water My buddy has a camera now so we move very slowly and will probably doing mostly shore dives in excess of an hour... so worried about doing that at 8C! For repetitive dives too I have noticed my SAC increasing a bit, so I am guessing it is the cold starting to affect me.

 

[spectrum]

If it were me, and I do go a little below 50F wet, here is what I do.
* Keep the 7mm full suit
* Get a 7mm hooded step in vest, like Bare has. This will double up on your groin and core, give you a good hood and close off the neck opening.
* Get Gauntlet cloves to protect your hands and get extra coverage on the blood flowing though your wrists
*Add neoprene socks to wear with your 6-7mm booties.

The 1mm wetsuit will add a membrane and slight warmth but a Lycra skin is wet cloth and thermally useless.

If the Lycra socks really changed anything it is because the packed out a loose fit and slowed water flushing.

Pete

 

[maged_mmh]

for shore dives - easy!
drop by Starbucks for a hot brew in a thermo flask for your trip back home
for boating: have a Columbia sweater on board

 

[Sas]

If it were me, and I do go a little below 50F wet, here is what I do.
* Keep the 7mm full suit
* Get a 7mm hooded step in vest, like Bare has. This will double up on your groin and core, give you a good hood and close off the neck opening.
* Get Gauntlet cloves to protect your hands and get extra coverage on the blood flowing though your wrists
*Add neoprene socks to wear with your 6-7mm booties.

The 1mm wetsuit will add a membrane and slight warmth but a Lycra skin is wet cloth and thermally useless.

If the Lycra socks really changed anything it is because the packed out a loose fit and slowed water flushing.

Pete

Ok perhaps a thicker vest then. I have a 2.5 hooded vest at the moment, and I have 5mm semi dry boots and gloves already. What are Gauntlet gloves? Will they be any better than my 5mm semi dry gloves? I have little feet for my height and have the smallest boots possible already (which are still a bit big) so I'd say you are right about the slowed water flushing. Seems like lycra is useless then, so have ruled that out for a purchase! I looked at a bunch of places but can't seem to find a 0.5mm full body suit like the one I found on Leisurepro so might try the 1mm or as you suggested a thicker vest. Still thinking about it.

Thanks for the replies so far

 

[jasonchen]

I think that you could wear a 7mm semidry suit and a 2.5mm undervest.

 

[Sas]

I think that you could wear a 7mm semidry suit and a 2.5mm undervest.

That is what I am currently wearing. I wanted to add to that.