Thermalution Battery Powered, Heated Undershirt: A Product Review

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Deep south sorry but I think you're crazy recommending 7mil wetsuits over drysuits, heated or not. I use drysuits even in reasonably warm water because they are much more comfortable, less bulky and a lot easier to don&doff than any 5mm+ wetsuit. I only dive in over 25celsius with my 3mm wetsuit and I am even considering of replacing that with a lighter and smaller drysuit which I would dive with no undergarments or just thin underarmour etc.

I just hate thick wetsuits, yuck.

I would love to try the thermalution though :)

- Mikko Laakkonen -

I love diving and teaching others to dive.
 
I can only speak to living in a place with diving at temperature ranges mostly from 70 degrees to over 80 degrees....this being South Florida.
For this, I can use a 3 mil wetsuit and a Thermolution with it in the winter, and ALWAYS BE WARM, AND, always have much less drag than a dry suit diver on the same dive with me---meaning they will work harder to go the same speed--even slow is harder/slower, with the high drag of a dry suit....

Try putting on a dry suit and freediving, even to 20 feet.....the drag is insane, you can't glide anymore, and it ruins the efficiency of freediving. When I scuba, I like to keep as much of this freediving efficiency as is possible, so you won't find me recomending Drysuits to anyone in South Fl :)

Next time I head to the North Pole, or to Finland, I will wear my TLS 350 drysuit with arctic insulation AND the electric heater...thank you very much :) Better slow than freezing.
 
Thanks for this review..I have been pondering this product for awhile. I would appreciate more reviews after several months of diving it re. ruggedness.
 
Hi! I'm new here, but a long time Thermalution user. Started with a Yellow and upgraded to the Yellow Plus. I learned to dive and did most my diving in Southeast Asia where the waters are much warmer than here in Southern California. I would not be able to dive here if it wasn't for my heated undersuit. I dive with a 3mm suit and have love it. If you're interested in my experiences, let me know. :)
 
hi chris
tell us all you can about your experience with you heated undersuit.
you can send me a PM or better yet post them here for everyone.
thanks
 
Hi HeatCker and all,

I'll post my experience here for everyone, but if anyone has any specific questions or is interested in trying or buying one, please PM me and let me know. My apologies for the length of this post, but I think it helps for you all to know a bit about my background and experience. :)

As I mentioned in my previous post, I did my PADI training and most of my dives in the far warmer waters of Southeast Asia while I was living in Hong Kong. I would dive mostly Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia; really some beautiful and unspoiled diving. I've been diving now for about 6 years, just about 100 dives and would consider myself an experienced recreational diver, mostly diving on holidays or maybe a weekend.

I moved back to Southern California from Hong Kong in 2011, about 3 years ago, and started looking into local places to dive. In making some new dive friends, I learned that the waters are typically 45F to 65F depending on depth, time of year, etc. WOW! That's cold! Now, I admit, I am a big WIMP when it comes to cold water. I had grown SO used to diving in 75F-80F waters in tropical areas and I couldn't imagine diving in waters 20-30 degrees colder. My friends were diving with 7mm wetsuits with hoods, gloves, some with dry suits, anything they could find to make themselves warmer. I would have to find something to help me with this cold water.

I have been working in design engineering most my life. I studied product design engineering in University and have been developing consumer electronics such as cell phones, iPhone accessories, medical equipment, etc. for over 15 years. I am very passionate about technology and am very knowledgeable about how things work, especially when quality, safety and durability are concerned. I am not an impulsive buyer. I do a LOT of research, I ask a LOT of questions, and I try to weigh all the benefits and disadvantages from an objective perspective before I make a decision. My friends make fun of me for this. But they also listen to my advice. :wink:

I love diving in a 3mm wetsuit. I don't like a lot of weight underwater. I like the freedom of movement and flexibility that a thinner wetsuit gives me. I like to feel 'one' with the ocean and marine life when I'm diving. I really didn't want to mess with that feeling and I was afraid that going to a dry suit or a thicker 7mm wetsuit with more weight would spoil it for me. While researching solutions for cold water diving, I came across Thermalution's heated vests. From what I read, they were relatively new for deep water diving - mostly they had provided heated vests for surfers and 'above water' sports. They had a 'new' line of heated vests for divers which I was interested in. Perhaps this could fix my cold water diving problem?

They had a 12 month warranty and when I contacted the company, they were very helpful with my questions and concerns. I was curious about the battery life, durability of the connectors and batteries, how the heating technology worked, etc. A lot of answers you can already find on their website www.thermalution.com and the website of their East Coast distributor www.heatedwetsuits.com. I decided to go for it and ordered the Thermalution Yellow Grade heated vest.

It didn't take long to receive the package. Inside was the vest, two 7.4V/4.4A sealed rechargeable batteries, battery charger/adapter, wireless controller and manual. Instructions were simple. Plug in the batteries to the charger until the LEDs go solid green and you're good to go. Manufacturing quality was very good. Batteries were well sealed with gold water-proof connectors. The vest was well-made and had the same gold water-proof connectors. Before my next dive, I charged up the batteries and made sure all was working for the dive.

The system worked great.

I hadn't really dived in cold water before (I did some Cenote diving in Mexico, which can be pretty chilly) but I didn't feel cold in the 50F water. I wasn't sure the vest was working, so I tried turning it off while underwater. I didn't take long for me to feel the frigid icy water flowing around my back and chest, so I immediately turned it back on again. Yep. Definitely working. I kept it on 'high' for most the dives. The batteries had enough juice for about 3-4 dives (45min/dive). I'm not sure if colder water or deeper dives affects the battery life, but it's possible.

One thing I did notice after about a dozen dives with the vest is that the wireless controller would have difficulty communicating with the vest. Sometimes I would have to bend my arm around to my back so the controller and received (the red disc on the back of the vest) were closer together. Not ideal. Then, I started having some trouble with the vest turning off mid-dive. I thought it may be a battery issue, but when I checked the batteries after getting out of the water, they still had a nearly full charge. Something wasn't working right...

I contacted Thermalution to ask about the problems I was having and they suggested I send my vest back for them to look at and repair it. They were very helpful and assured me I would get my vest back as quickly as possible. At the time I was in direct contact with the Taiwan main office.

A few days later, I received an email from Thermalution explaining that they were 'upgrading' the 'Yellow Grade' vest to the new 'Yellow Grade Plus' vest. This new version had a number of upgrades including a rechargeable wrist controller (charges wirelessly with a Qi charging pad - same as for mobile phones) and an improved transmitter/receiver and controller modules. They sent back the new upgraded vest and told me to test it out and let them know if I had any further issues.

On the next dive, I tried the new upgraded vest. Again, it worked great. No problems with controlling the temperature during the dive. I didn't have to bend my arm around to the back anymore, communication was MUCH better. The vest didn't turn off during the dive, no problems at all. It was this same was for the next dozen dives. And the next dozen after that. Still working great today.

I have told ALL my dive friends about my heated vest. Those that have tried it (I let them borrow mine) have decided to buy one. Usually they buy either the same Yellow Plus that I have or the 'wired' version which is the Compact Dive series (which is a bit cheaper). Many have changed to thinner wetsuits (7mm to 3/4mm) and less weight and are very, very happy with the freedom their heated vests give them.

Rarely have I heard of any problems, and certainly NOTHING about any shocks or zaps or anything like that. Personally, I have had more problems with shorts and leaks in underwater flashlights. A friend of mine lost his GoPro when the casing failed. In all my checking online and with my dive friends that use Thermalution, I've never seen/heard of anyone getting shocked or zapped. They are very safe and thoroughly tested.

There have been a few minor problems... One friend of mine was having problems charging their batteries. The charger would show that the batteries were charged (full green LEDs) when in fact the batteries weren't. When I plugged her batteries into my charger, they charged up fully and her vest worked fine. I can only put it down to a faulty battery charger, and as it's under warranty, I'm sure Thermalution will replace it - no problem. Another friend was a bit chilly before diving and turned on their heated vest while it was dry. It left some red marks on his back where the infra-red 'wires' are located. It didn't burn him, but it did look more like a heat rash. Perhaps he has sensitive skin, but I would recommend to only use these heated vests while they're wet or underwater.

My friend and I have had such a great experience with Thermalution's heated vests, we decided to become an authorized reseller of their heated vests and bring them over here to Southern California. We have a great contact at the East Coast distributor and we have the best pricing available (way below MSRP). I'm actually not allowed to say (or advertise) how low our pricing is, but if you're interested, please send me an email or PM me for pricing info.

We do a lot of diving around the area, and chances are if you've been diving around Laguna Beach, Veteran's Park (Redondo Beach), Palos Verde, Catalina Island or the Spectre dive boat, you may have seen us. If you're interested in trying a heated vest, let me know and I can arrange a demo unit for you to try.

My Thermalution heated vest makes ALL the difference for me. Without it, I wouldn't be able to dive unless I was on holiday in much warmer waters. Which is not very often at all. Some people have no problem using a dry suit, some people prefer a thicker wetsuit. Not everyone is going to feel safe using a battery powered vest, no matter how safe it is. And that's ok. The most important thing is that we're all out there happy, safe and diving as often as we can.

Again, if you have any specific questions about Thermalution heated vests, or if you're interested in trying or buying a one, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thanks for reading and HAPPY WARM DIVING!
Chris Hennessey
chennessey@scubawestcoop.com
 
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Deep south sorry but I think you're crazy recommending 7mil wetsuits over drysuits, heated or not. I use drysuits even in reasonably warm water because they are much more comfortable, less bulky and a lot easier to don&doff than any 5mm+ wetsuit. I only dive in over 25celsius with my 3mm wetsuit and I am even considering of replacing that with a lighter and smaller drysuit which I would dive with no undergarments or just thin underarmour etc.

I just hate thick wetsuits, yuck.

I would love to try the thermalution though :)

- Mikko Laakkonen -

I love diving and teaching others to dive.

Yep, I have heard that before.

I own many of both. Wetsuits are O'Neill, Pinnacle, Henderson, Deep Sea, Xcel and Neosport. Drysuits are Northern Diver, Santi, and DUI. Undergarments range from UnderArmour to Polartec to DUI's and Santi's Thinsulate products. I also wear some wool and even cotton on occassion. It all depends.

The bottom line with drysuits is... They're a pain in the ass. They're costly, they're fragile, they're bulky, they're "draggy," and they've got a bubble moving around in them. They're yet another sealed air space to have to manage.

If the dive is long and/or requires decompression, is over 150' or so (where wetsuits are so compressed they pretty much have zero insulation left), and I can maintain a proper prone position throughout the dive (like caving or in general recreational diving), then I'm all about the drysuit!

If, however, the dive requires comparatively shallow work (within recreational depths), may require me to be in something other than the prone position (like I'm disentangling a net or removing and replacing a ship's prop), or poses the threat of possible cutting/puncturing (like barnacles or oysters present), then I skip the ridiculous drysuit and it's migrating bubble in all but the prone position and dive wet.

There's a reason why commercial divers generally don't dive drysuits... So no, drysuits are not the answer to everything.

...But I get where you're coming from. I once believed the same. Put a few thousand dives on all of the suits and you'll have a new respect for the hot water suit... Which is effectively a wetsuit.

...Or, if you're not diving a hookah (umbilical, tied to the surface with a hot water supply) then you'll have a new respect for the next best thing... The heated undergarment. This Thermalution kicks ass. :)

---------- Post added May 30th, 2014 at 07:30 PM ----------

Regarding being "easier to don and doff"... Yep, I heard that a lot, too, years ago. It's total BS.

Firstly, many drysuits aren't even "self-donning"... That is, your buddy has to dress you. I have yet to see a wetsuit that requires you to be dressed by someone else. Secondly, those that ARE "self-donning" typically require training to get you to be able to do it, and even more if you're using dry gloves. Don't believe me? Search YouTube on "how to don drysuit with dry gloves." It's entertaining. :) Thirdly, it can be quite the trick getting your undergarments to STAY while you're donning. Not much fun. And lastly... Consider that with a drysuit you have to get dressed TWICE. Once for the undergarment and once for the suit itself. No way is it easier than a wetsuit.

...And once you're all put together, you're typically a sweaty mess in what's effectively a sealed bag. Squat, bleed the air, and now it's all sucked to you. Now get in. Don't forget to add 25 lbs to your rig to compensate for the drysuit. And God forbid you move in any funny way and have whatever air is left in the suit migrate to the the high spot... Which is usually either your feet or your shoulders.

None of this is an issue with a wetsuit. Don, get in, dive, doff. If you hole the thing, it's not really a big deal and it doesn't end your dive. Best of all, you can get another brand new one for a couple hundred bucks. The only issue with a wetsuit is... You're wet. So staying warm is a constant challenge.

...Not that a drysuit solves all of your chill issues when diving... It's just easier to deal with because you're DRY.

For that reason... I dive dry when I have to... But it's a pain in the ass.

Doesn't matter, though... Wet or dry, the Thermalution works.

---------- Post added May 30th, 2014 at 07:46 PM ----------

Wanna know why we all think that drysuits are automatically better? Well... Because they cost a buttload of money, that's why. One of my Santis retails for more than $6000, and that's without an undergarment. My first car was $1800. I could have bought three... And had enough left over to drive to Florida Cave Country a dozen times.

It's totally illogical that something so costly would have more suck than something so much cheaper... But there ya go.

Nonetheless, they do have their place... Just, if you asked me to pick one or the other, it certainly wouldn't be the drysuit.
 
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Well I have a self donning self entry Ursuit drysuit. If I arrive in jeans to dive site, it takes 15 minutes to get in the suit. This is a pave where I do it slowly and casually while talking with others and putting up other gear as well. I don't know where you live bit here in Finland staying in undergarment before and after the dive is very welcomed benefit :) . I use 6 kilos of weight with the suit which is as well reasonable in my opinion. In my world the fingerdestroying nailremoval pulling of a proper fitting wetsuit on you is a hell compared to just stepping in your drysuit.

From commercial diving point of view I totally get you, especially the warmwater suit. In here nobody rarely does any more demanding underwater work without umbilical so it's common practice. I also understand the benefits of wetsuits in situations where puncture threat is obvious. I would never ever never call a thick wetsuit easier to don and doff or more comfortable still though :) . Warmwater suits are larger and easy to get in to.

Ps. Is your Santi decorated with diamonds or something :wink: . I think that e.lite with all the options would still be less than 3000 euros.

- Mikko Laakkonen -

I love diving and teaching others to dive.
 
Well I have a self donning self entry Ursuit drysuit. If I arrive in jeans to dive site, it takes 15 minutes to get in the suit.

Same here with my drysuits.

If I arrive at the dive site in a bathing suit, it takes me maybe 40 seconds to be dressed out in a wetsuit. And since it's still wet from yesterday's dive, it slides right on without any nail pulling at all. If it's cold, I might have to add a minute or two for doffing my jeans first and finding a shower to dress in.

I don't know where you live bit here in Finland staying in undergarment before and after the dive is very welcomed benefit :) .

I'm right outside Savannah, GA... Mid to southern east coast US.

I did a job once in Toronto... And have dived many times off the coast of NJ... Basically, similar latitude. I have dived both wet and dry there. I agree that being able to stay in the undergarment is often a benefit!

Nothing helps like a hot shower after the dive. :)

I use 6 kilos of weight with the suit which is as well reasonable in my opinion.

That works out to less than 3 pounds of weight. A thick hood needs that much all by itself... And is necessary with both wetsuits and drysuits.

...So either you're full of it or diving with a very heavy rig... Like doubled low pressure steels on a steel backplate. In other words, you're diving with a lot more weight than you think.

...Which is fine if it all balances out... But that rig requires that you balance very carefully... For all your weight is on your back and all your buoyancy is in your suit... So if you get a little sideways, the rig's likely to turtle you.

In prone diving, this isn't a problem... But assume any position other than prone and you're screwed.

...Which is why diving wet with aluminum tanks and a properly trimmed rig makes so much sense. Aluminums also don't have corrosion issues in seawater, even left unpainted. Those old LP steels are commonly rusted from seawater use.

From commercial diving point of view I totally get you, especially the warmwater suit. In here nobody rarely does any more demanding underwater work without umbilical so it's common practice.

I don't know for sure, but I suspect that's so they have access to hot water suits. :)

I also understand the benefits of wetsuits in situations where puncture threat is obvious. I would never ever never call a thick wetsuit easier to don and doff or more comfortable still though :) . Warmwater suits are larger and easy to get in to.

...Or can be a common wetsuit with a hose fitting added to it... Or even jammed into the neck hole. They work great. Problem is... Now you're tied to the surface.

A Thermalution is a great way for a diver on scuba - that is, not tied to the surface - to stay warm while wet... Or dry. It works with both wetsuits and drysuits.

Is your Santi decorated with diamonds or something :wink: .

Tell me about it! :)

Yep, that's what it is... An E Lite, fully custom fit and with a lot of options. My DUI CLX450 retails for the same, for the same reason. Insanity. Just... No reason for that.

...And guess what? If it gets holed during the dive, the job's over... And there is no payday. And I kinda need the payday after spending that kind of money on a couple suits. :)
 
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