sodium-acetate heat pads

[Diver0001]

Hey, Rob, thanks for the writeup! I've contemplated using them, but always thought the stiffness would be too bad with the large ones, and there wouldn't be enough heat from the small ones to make a different. I'll have to give them a try now.

That's exactly what I thought too. That's part of the reason I bought small ones to play around with. In fact, I didn't expect it to work but after the fact, I'm quite satisfied with these. They worked better than I had imagined and the small ones definitely don't get in the way inside the suit. At least not the ones I have. They're round and flat. A longer burn time would be nice but it's still a vast improvement over being cold for the whole dive.

R..

 

[spectrum]

Would these pads do anything over 7mm of neoprene? I'm thinking of putting them between my suit and vest (whether they'd stay put is another question, esp. with the vest on the outside..hmm). If not, I'll get a rash guard.

Found these on ebay...anyone know the runtime for them?

Absolutely. I have been using them wet in 2 configurations.

With the belt (Solutions) over my 3mm vest but under my 7mm bare Arctic or 5/4mm Velocity

Against my skin (neoprene side to the body) and under my Arctic full suit and 7mm hooded step-in sleeveless shorty.

They really are a big help. My wife enjoyed some dives this fall that would have been less enjoyable without it. I had the pleasure of some mid summer dives with delightfully little neoprene for these waters. The ones I mention give a solid hour of "burn time" then trail off for fifteen minutes or so.

A LDS came back from a trade show touting them. I think they snickered when we mentioned using them 6 months earlier. I guess ours weren't rated as life support:11:

Pete

 

[JessH]

With the belt (Solutions) over my 3mm vest but under my 7mm bare Arctic or 5/4mm Velocity

The belt is no longer available from there. Does anyone have a source for something similar?

~Jess

 

[spectrum]

The belt is no longer available from there. Does anyone have a source for something similar?

~Jess

I haven't screened these today but here is the rest of the original research that Luis did:

Here are other heat packs.
http://www.9thtee.com/reheater.htm

http://www.aaoobfoods.com/emreheatcool.htm

http://thermo-pad.com/

http://genchem.chem.wisc.edu/demonstrations/Gen_Chem_Pages/06thermopage/reusable_heat_pack.htm

http://www.quantum-heatpacks.com/?gclid=CKHZw5yl9IQCFQ4bHgodQXiBFQ

http://www.hotsnapz.com/

Pete

 

[hudson]

Thanks Pete! I'll give it a try over the 7mm first. The belt sure looks the easiest to use though. Of the links above, all except the hotsnapz and the solutions one look identical. The hotsnapz one looks like it'd be a pain to activate underwater, even though they have a good 4 pack deal for about $37 shipped... Here's the working link to the quantum heatpacks site btw (not that there is much there) www.quantumheatpack.com.

 

[300bar]

They do work,according to my wife that is, she is diving wet year round
And she puts them in her boots and cloves,no extra protection,and she loves them
she dives a minimum of 60 min.even in these themps :11:
I did use the big ones in a towel once or twice and they worked fine,but I like my drysuit much better.So we dive for an hour+ she's wet and I'm dry and warm

 

[cmalinowski]

even if you don't wear them during a dive, they are nice on surface intervals. I started puting one in my hood so that when I put it back on it's not a freezing. But, then again, it hasn't been too cold here yet...

Chris

 

[dumpsterDiver]

The pad I used was large, it weighed probably 4-6 lbs. I never saw it associated with diving, just decided to try it out and it worked.

 

[OH-JJ]

Thanks Pete! I'll give it a try over the 7mm first. The belt sure looks the easiest to use though. Of the links above, all except the hotsnapz and the solutions one look identical. The hotsnapz one looks like it'd be a pain to activate underwater, even though they have a good 4 pack deal for about $37 shipped... Here's the working link to the quantum heatpacks site btw (not that there is much there) www.quantumheatpack.com.

I must be missing something then as it looks to me that the hotsnapz activates the same as all the rest, that is via the metal snap disc.

How are people wearing these? I was thinking of Between my farmer john and my top.

 

[Gradual Ascent]

Word of warning - do not place next to skin. .

I was told to put them next to my body :no , and got a nasty 2nd degree burn :shakehead Not good!

If you decide to use them .. DO NOT PUT THEM NEXT TO YOUR BODY! I have sinced moved on to a semi-dry suit, and will not use them again.