drysuit undies challenge....

I've spent a lot of $$$ for undergarments for my drysuit in the past so I thought I would throw out a challenge.

Shell type drysuit
45 min. bottom time in 50F water. Avg. depth 45'

We cannot use any comercially available undergarments made for diving. No Weezles, DUI, Bare, etc Thinsulate, etc. We can use items found at outdoor stores, hunting/fishing, etc. to layer to keep warm.
Also mobility is a top priority. No use using so many layers you cannot move!

What would you use?

I would use...
Underarmor Cold Gear tops/bottoms (Base)
Expidition weight RedHead PolyPro's from Bass Pro Shop (Mid)
Fleece pullover with fleece pants (top layer)

...I've never used this setup but it seems like it would keep me warm.

Just for fun I would like to know what you all would recommend or actually use.

Just for fun...
Jeremy

Do this dive all the time in the quarries. Yearly bottom temp averages 41 deg below about 30 fsw.
I dive with a polartec jacket and pants (about 200g I think) that cost very little and have yet to get cold with these.

How about just insulated coveralls like used for hunting or farm work?

My first choice for undergarments are these Wonderful things made by Carol Davis for hunters and other outdoors activities.

https://www.cdsportswear.com/wf_style2.htm

We call 'em "The Carols", and it's the best $100 bucks I've ever spent to make my drysuit work comfortably and effectively.

Even when damp or wet, the Carols keep me warm and comfy.

Love 'em!!

~~~~
'Dette

Claudette, is that all you wear??

SCUBAJENNIFER:

Claudette, is that all you wear??

Click to expand...

In the summer, it's all I need under my HEAVY BARE-compressed neoprene XCD2 TechD.S. When the water is colder, like NOW, I wear the Bare T-100 undergarment over The Carols. I'm toasty warm down to 50F. Haven't been in water colder than that.

SoCal! Even our winter's are soft :14: .

Claudette

I'm not a dry suit diver, but have been pondering something for quite a while. Hope you don't mind me throwing this into the mix, 'cuz it's what I would try, and it's definitely not commercial dry suit undies:

Since I come from a bit of a mountaineering background, I appreciate fleece (especially with a wicking under layer and gore-tex outer layer). However, I know that fleece is very compressible, and you loose 'r-value' when it's compressed. Try sitting on the snow with fleece pants, and see how long your bum stays warm. Most snow country adventurers carry a high-density foam pad to sit on.

And, yes, I know that you add air to the dry suit to offset compression, but it seems to me that the insulation on the front of your torso is still getting compressed. I mean, gravity is still a factor, and the air bubble goes to the highest point, (think what would happen to a marble in a balloon full of helium, it'll still press against the bottom of the balloon). Your weight is still compressing the insulation you are lying on.

My first thought is why not use wool? It's not as compressible as fleece, and retains some of its r-value when wet. I know some old-time dry suit divers have referred to their undies as 'woolies,' so maybe this is an old idea that has fallen out of fashion. I'd probably try a military surplus wool uniform (pants and shirt). Maybe remove the patch pockets on the shirt so that you aren't lying on them. Or take a thin wool blanket, a sewing machine, and a cover-all pattern...

The problem with wool is that it is heavier and stiffer than fleece, but the only place you really need it is in the compressible areas. So, to make the undies lighter and more pack-able, sew up a 'union suit' with wool covering the front of the torso and fleece everywhere else.

Oh, and wool tends to be itchy, so line it with a lightweight wicking material, like polypro...

And I want it to stop the wind if I'm wearing it during a brisk surface interval, so now we have a wool/fleece suit with thin polypro quilted on the inside and nylon on the outside. Naw, I like layering, so keep 'em separate.

Or...

I remember one of the sleeping bag manufacturers used to offer a cold-weather sleeping bag that did not have any insulation on the bottom. They realized that the insulation you lay on is useless, so they left it out. Instead it had a pocket that you slid your 'thermarest' pad into. I think one problem with their design was that the bottom of the sleeping bag would not mold to your body, and therefore it created pockets of air down each side.

Anyway, what if you found a thin, high-density, foam, cut it to shape of your torso (shoulders to knees, no arms), and bonded it to the inside of your dry suit? Well, it wouldn't be very pack-able, so cut it in strips (cross-wise) to make hinge points. You should at least be able to roll it up... Better yet, incorporate it into the front of your undies and sculpt it to look like pec and ab muscles...

Seriously, I'd be interested in hearing where my logic is faulty.

Wool is a good solution. Pinnacle offers Merino wool lined undergarments that aren't itchy.....

Jeremy, why can't you use a commercially available product?????

JKSteger:

I've spent a lot of $$$ for undergarments for my drysuit in the past so I thought I would throw out a challenge.

Shell type drysuit
45 min. bottom time in 50F water. Avg. depth 45'

We cannot use any comercially available undergarments made for diving. No Weezles, DUI, Bare, etc Thinsulate, etc. We can use items found at outdoor stores, hunting/fishing, etc. to layer to keep warm.
Also mobility is a top priority. No use using so many layers you cannot move!

What would you use?

I would use...
Underarmor Cold Gear tops/bottoms (Base)
Expidition weight RedHead PolyPro's from Bass Pro Shop (Mid)
Fleece pullover with fleece pants (top layer)

...I've never used this setup but it seems like it would keep me warm.

Just for fun I would like to know what you all would recommend or actually use.

Just for fun...
Jeremy

Click to expand...

I'd be willing to try this:

Layer 1: thermal underwear from Craft or something like it.
Layer 2: Lycra jogging tights and an old wool sweater .
Layer 3: Jogging/training pants and an old shirt with two pockets on the front

If that's not keeping you warm enough use two small sodium acetate hand warmers and put them in the pockets on the outer layer.

That'll do for the temps and times you're talking about and the total cost is minimal. (truth is, this isn't far off from what I actually use... )


R..