What to wear under wetsuit?

[dumpsterDiver]

If there is room in your boots, wool socks will make a significant difference in keeping your feet warmer It does make the boot slide on your feet a little, so scrambling over rocks, might be a little more challenging.

Also, if you can comfortably wear a wool sweater under a wetsuit, it will keep you much warmer. Of course, if your wetsuit is loose enough to comfortably accomodate a wool sweater, it does not fit you well, and the sweater will be helpful.

 

[trappist]

Semi Dry is an other option but more costly than a traditional wetsuit but not as much as a Drysuit. Aqualung and BARE make some nice 8mm Versions.

I would say that everything is relative... For me the semi-dry was actually cheaper than a full 7+7mm 2 piece wetsuit so my decision was easy ! I dive with it most of the time, when I'm sure the temp is more than 10-12ºC (>50ºF), otherwise I switch to the drysuit I bought specially for New England cold waters

I tend to use as little undergarments as possible. Whatever you had might not help too much in dry suits or semi-dry suits...

My bro is diving wet - 2 pieces 7+7mm and is also wearing underneath a 3mm shorty ! I do not know how he can actually sneak into his wetsuit And also, he must take more weight than I do !

 

[trappist]

another way to keep a little warmer in a wetsuit in frigid waters is to pour hot water into the boots until they are full and then add hot water into the suit just before diving...this helps a LOT. I also have used a 6"x10" Thermopad strapped around my back at the kidney waist area under the suit. These stay very warm for the full length of the dive. I'm 56 years old and for me I've decided to buy a drysuit and am currently in the proicess of finding a good used neoprene suit

This is indeed well known... One of the diver I knew told me they were ding "crazy" stuf to stay warmer in long (professional) dives: building a home-made heat exchanger for the reg... They were having this insulated chamber filled with hot water in which the a tube was flowing through to actually warm up the aire they were breathing (not sure this is understandable as it is ). Many people forget that the second way to actually loose calories during a dive is through breathing !

 

[chetflyer]

If you are trying to keep your hands warm I have found that a pair of OCEANER MITTS (3 fingers) with Merino lining are the best that I've used...they are definitely warmer than ANY glove that I've used...even the 7mm gloves. My hands Never get cold even in 34 degree water!! I also use Pibnncale merino lined boots and they work VERY well!!