Using a dive skin under 7mm full suit

[Kryssa]

Maybe this is a silly question, but I'll be using a lycra suit under a 7mm for the first time when doing a liveaboard in the Channel Islands next month.

Are there any tip/tricks to getting the most out of it - I'm talking about ease in getting your suit on and off. And do you do things differently if the suit is wet or dry?

Thanks!

 

[TravisD]

The skin will make the whole process easier! Find a good place to hang it up between dives so it can dry - should do so quickly.

 

[Azbuceadora]

So true. I started using a skin under my 5 mil suit last year, and it's made a huge difference in getting the thing on; it pretty much slides on now. Unlike TravisD, though, I keep the skin on for the whole dive day.

Another tip: sew a sturdy colored thread (dental floss works great) somewhere on each leg so you can get the skin lined up correctly to put on. The legs of my skin always seem to twist around. I sewed the floss on the ankles so I knew which leg was left and which was right.

 

[outofofficebrb]

This sounds like an awesome idea for getting back into a suit when it's still wet or damp. Hmmm......

 

[cmrangel]

Dive skin under the wetsuit is the only way to go. so much easier to put on and take off.

 

[claymore]

I also use a lycra skin under my suits, fresh or salt water dives. They do help getting the suit on and off and ad a little protection if you are diving a shorty. I do not wear it in the pool as I am afraid the Chlorine would do it in fairly quickly.

 

[tridacna]

Does wearing a skin under the wetsuit have any effect on the thermal efficiency of the neoprene? Specifically, does the skin allow water to move around like a wick?

 

[Starcruiser]

I started using a skin right after I started diving 10 years ago - the few times I've forgotten it I've been miserable getting in and out of my 7 mil.

 

[CT-Rich]

I use a dive skin early and late during the season with my 5mm semi dry. Works great, but I also bring a gallon of warm water to pour inside. The skin reduces water circulation inside the wetsuit, slowing heat loss. The down side of the skin I have is that when you take the wet suit off a breeze will feel like freezer. Water evaporating from the fabric will cause a lot of rapid heat loss, so don't plan on hanging around in it after the dive.

 

[miketsp]

I use a dive skin early and late during the season with my 5mm semi dry. Works great, but I also bring a gallon of warm water to pour inside. The skin reduces water circulation inside the wetsuit, slowing heat loss. The down side of the skin I have is that when you take the wet suit off a breeze will feel like freezer. Water evaporating from the fabric will cause a lot of rapid heat loss, so don't plan on hanging around in it after the dive.

My experience is that using a skin with a semi dry completely defeats the object of the semi dry because it breaks the seals at the ankles and wrists and cold water gets in. The 2 semi dry suits I've used so far have both had wrist and ankle seals as good as any dry suit and the only water inside the suits at the end of a dive is my own sweat. When I do need extra insulation I just wear a 2mm sleeveless vest under my 7mm semi dry.