Dry suit undergarments

[fish149]

I just purchased a used dry suit but don't have any of the "factory" under garments. I've been told that you can use underarmor, thermal underwear, sweat shirts/pants etc.. which work just fine. I know that how much layered clothing like this that I use is ultimately going to be whatever makes me comfortable but I'd like to try and save some time experimenting with this and see if anyone out there can offer some advice as to what they use at xyz temperature. The suit is a DUI cf200x.

Thanks

 

[D_B]

I, and many others have tried Ron's drysuit undergarments ... rondel101bjrr items - Get great deals on Sporting Goods items on eBay.com!

I am happy with my purchases and Ron is more than helpful ... For the price , you can afford to try one, Here is the thread on them ... http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/exposure-suits/174828-cheap-ebay-drysuit-undergarments-21.html

I have the 4 way flex and a 3 layer quilted

I layer my 4 way with military polypropylene thermal tops/bottoms underneath for a wicking layer as needed

underwear is a nylon/polyproplene blend , or Underarmor

 

[hudson]

And here's the only low-cost brand-name option that I know of.. not a bad deal with the 10% SB discount:
Hollis AUG 200 Undergarment reviews and discounts, Hollis

 

[Doc Harry]

You can use any undergarment that you desire.

HOWEVER... the factory undergarments are chosen because they maintain some insulation when wet. If your dry suit accidentally floods, your undergarments will get soaked. If you're wearing cotton sweats and your dry suit floods, forget about staying warm as you make your way back to the surface. If the water is 70 degrees, that may not be much of an issue. But if the water is 40 degrees and you've got 20 minutes of decompression ahead of you, it may be a big issue.

I use heavy weight fleece long johns if the water is between 60-70 degrees. Below that, I wear the DUI factory 400gm Thinsulate undergarment. When the water is 50 degrees and below I add insulated dry gloves and switch from a 3mm hood to a 7mm hood.

 

[boat sju]

Do you have any Polartec fleece sweatshirts and pants ?

Cabela's: Cabela's Polartec® Classic 200 Special Ops Pants - Regular

Cabela's: Cabela's Polartec® Classic 200 Crew – Regular

One tip: Whatever you use, hold it over your face and try breathing through it to see how it traps air.

I don't like the one piece suits because I don't like them for hunting. Can't get out of them easily in the woods if you need too. But they may be nice in a drysuit because they shouldn't bunch up at your waste like a sweatshirt over sweatpants.

 

[a878bob]

I dive a cf200. My favorite combination is polartec power dry base layer and a 300 weight fleece insulating layer. I like separate upper and lowers. I think more maneuverable and easier to change. I will usually dive just the fleece down to about 50 degrees. Then add the base layer colder than that. When in the 30's I will add a fleece vest at times. All the Items meet requirements for easy drying and keeping insulation when wet. Easy to layer and much cheaper than factory items. I've tried the factory products but think my way is more flexible, durable, less expensive.

 

[craracer]

I use Weezle Wear's Extreme +. It's pretty toasty warm at 4C.
My only dislikes are that it is more "bulky", and thus I use more argon.

 

[a22shady]

You dont want coton as that will actually make you colder. You want something like underArmor or Polartec that wisks moisture away from the skin. I Use the ForthElement undergarments They work great. And I have used underArmor, and other Outdoor types which do work well. But for me I do notice a differnce mainly in the Bulk of it. the Diving ones atleast fourth element and I am sure the others use low bulk material to take up less space also when layering for colder waters. And are desighned to not trap air.

Drysuit Undersuits - Diving Wetsuits - Dive Clothing : Fourth Element

 

[memorex77]

When you do cold water, you'll need as much insulation as you possibly can squeeze in. At least true for myself. After an hour around freezing temp I get cold, no matter what. I bought a Warmtec HD last year, spent a lot of money on it, and it's the best that I've dived so far:

Waterproof International AB

 

[fish149]

Thanks alot for everyone's suggestions and good ideas. This was a big help!