Matt S.
Contributor
It's been almost exactly a year since I started diving. I started dry, changed suits once, messed around with insulation, and have finally found a great combo for my cold water diving needs.
When I was starting, I dug up every piece of info this forum had to offer. I thought I would post my experiences for the benefit of future searchers.
My water is 45F-55F depending on the time of year. I am also a person who is apparently slightly more cold tolerant than average, so if you get cold easily, take that into account.
First suit
Material: 4mm compressed neoprene
Inherent insulation: Good but not great
Insulation required for multi-dive comfort: In the beginning, a Capilene wicking layer on torso, plus light weight fleece overall. Later, changed to only a Tilos 1-piece 100 g Polartec jumper.
Feet: Plain old cotton gym socks, nothing special. My feet were fine because the rest of me was fine.
Hood: Bare drysuit hood. (3mm neoprene? Not very thick but warm.)
Weight: Backplate, big steel tank, and 14 lbs extra in a harness.
Notes: I really liked that the suit was warm enough to use a very light undergarment even in cold water. Sometimes I'd add a Capilene layer to the torso but it didn't seem to make a lot of difference.
But, I didn't like the fit of my used suit, or the weight. So I got a new suit...
Second Suit
Material: Trilam/cordura (Pinnacle Evo 2)
Inherent insulation: zero
Insulation required for multi-give comfort:
I began with ghetto layers: My Tilos 100 g Polartec jumper, then the Capilene top, a thin wool sweater over that, and a casual wear REI fleece over that! Later I learned that the topmost fleece layer was not needed. But managing 3 layers sucks, so I bought a better solution.
Currently, I am using only a fleece jumper. It's the "200 g three layer quilted" job you see on ebay. (The specs list it as 240 g.) There is a whole thread dedicated to that seller, I won't rehash that, but I am satisfied and I am not wishing I bought something thicker.
Today I was in 48F water for 50 minutes, with mostly light activity, and I was comfortable. I could have stayed down much longer. I was "cool" when the dive was over but started to warm up quickly when I got out--I bet I would have had to break the seal and vent before an hour was up. I didn't do a second dive but I wouldn't have hesitated. I am optimistic that this garment will do well down to 45F, but I can always put the Capilene top on underneath it if I have to.
Feet: I bought a pair of 75% merino boot socks at a sporting goods store, and my feet are toasty. I'm really happy with them and I can wear them on cold days outside too, unlike drysuit specific booties.
Hood: Pinnacle merino drysuit hood. Noticeably warmer than the Bare hood I used to use, but not by a miraculous amount. Doesn't fit quite as well though, probably because it doesn't employ a zipper. Those Bare hoods are nice.
Weight: The garment is puffier, though the suit itself is less buoyant... I ended up wearing 20 lbs (+6 compared to the compressed neoprene suit). I may be able to take 2 lbs off that.
Notes: I am done screwing around with insulation for the time being.
Dry Gloves
Make: SI-Tech ("smurf" gloves)
Inherent insulation: zero
Best insulation I found: the ugly yellow knit liners that come with the gloves! They can also be bought separately (fisherman's supply store) if you have another system. Toasty even after long dives.
Notes: I tried some other liners of various sorts, from thin polypropylene to lightweight polartec outdoors gloves--which barely fit into the smurf glove. The stock yellow ones had the best combination of dexterity and warmth. Interestingly, the Polartec gloves kept my hard fairly warm even with a glove leak. If I could find an even thinner version, I'd try it, but the one I have is just too bulky since it's made for fooling around in the snow or something like that.
The yellow liners extend too far down the wrist, so I have to stuff the excess up inside the glove before I can mount the glove on the ring. It's not so bad, but I do plan on trimming the glove's cuff, once I find someone with a sewing machine. (I am sure that the knit will fray if it isn't stitched at the cut.)
I hope this helps someone down the road.
When I was starting, I dug up every piece of info this forum had to offer. I thought I would post my experiences for the benefit of future searchers.
My water is 45F-55F depending on the time of year. I am also a person who is apparently slightly more cold tolerant than average, so if you get cold easily, take that into account.
First suit
Material: 4mm compressed neoprene
Inherent insulation: Good but not great
Insulation required for multi-dive comfort: In the beginning, a Capilene wicking layer on torso, plus light weight fleece overall. Later, changed to only a Tilos 1-piece 100 g Polartec jumper.
Feet: Plain old cotton gym socks, nothing special. My feet were fine because the rest of me was fine.
Hood: Bare drysuit hood. (3mm neoprene? Not very thick but warm.)
Weight: Backplate, big steel tank, and 14 lbs extra in a harness.
Notes: I really liked that the suit was warm enough to use a very light undergarment even in cold water. Sometimes I'd add a Capilene layer to the torso but it didn't seem to make a lot of difference.
But, I didn't like the fit of my used suit, or the weight. So I got a new suit...
Second Suit
Material: Trilam/cordura (Pinnacle Evo 2)
Inherent insulation: zero
Insulation required for multi-give comfort:
I began with ghetto layers: My Tilos 100 g Polartec jumper, then the Capilene top, a thin wool sweater over that, and a casual wear REI fleece over that! Later I learned that the topmost fleece layer was not needed. But managing 3 layers sucks, so I bought a better solution.
Currently, I am using only a fleece jumper. It's the "200 g three layer quilted" job you see on ebay. (The specs list it as 240 g.) There is a whole thread dedicated to that seller, I won't rehash that, but I am satisfied and I am not wishing I bought something thicker.
Today I was in 48F water for 50 minutes, with mostly light activity, and I was comfortable. I could have stayed down much longer. I was "cool" when the dive was over but started to warm up quickly when I got out--I bet I would have had to break the seal and vent before an hour was up. I didn't do a second dive but I wouldn't have hesitated. I am optimistic that this garment will do well down to 45F, but I can always put the Capilene top on underneath it if I have to.
Feet: I bought a pair of 75% merino boot socks at a sporting goods store, and my feet are toasty. I'm really happy with them and I can wear them on cold days outside too, unlike drysuit specific booties.
Hood: Pinnacle merino drysuit hood. Noticeably warmer than the Bare hood I used to use, but not by a miraculous amount. Doesn't fit quite as well though, probably because it doesn't employ a zipper. Those Bare hoods are nice.
Weight: The garment is puffier, though the suit itself is less buoyant... I ended up wearing 20 lbs (+6 compared to the compressed neoprene suit). I may be able to take 2 lbs off that.
Notes: I am done screwing around with insulation for the time being.
Dry Gloves
Make: SI-Tech ("smurf" gloves)
Inherent insulation: zero
Best insulation I found: the ugly yellow knit liners that come with the gloves! They can also be bought separately (fisherman's supply store) if you have another system. Toasty even after long dives.
Notes: I tried some other liners of various sorts, from thin polypropylene to lightweight polartec outdoors gloves--which barely fit into the smurf glove. The stock yellow ones had the best combination of dexterity and warmth. Interestingly, the Polartec gloves kept my hard fairly warm even with a glove leak. If I could find an even thinner version, I'd try it, but the one I have is just too bulky since it's made for fooling around in the snow or something like that.
The yellow liners extend too far down the wrist, so I have to stuff the excess up inside the glove before I can mount the glove on the ring. It's not so bad, but I do plan on trimming the glove's cuff, once I find someone with a sewing machine. (I am sure that the knit will fray if it isn't stitched at the cut.)
I hope this helps someone down the road.
