Shortie under neoprene drysuit??

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mikeyjoe

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Scuba Instructor
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Vancouver, B.C.
I use a non-crushed neoprene drysuit for all 4 seasons. I am also going diving in the Carribean for a week in July. I plan on diving in a shorty, and rather than rent one, I thought I'd buy one on sale before I go. My question is this - can I use it in the winter as an undergarment with my drysuit? Has anyone tried this? It would be nice to kill 2 birds with one stone......
 
You'd be better off in a simple wicking layer. The perspiration build-up would be the first problem.

The wet suit's thermal value is in the gas bubbles. Even with air added to loft a fabric garment the neoprene will be in a crushed state at depth. Besides if you are talking about diving in Vancouver BC you would want a much more significant undergarment even if it's a full 7mm neoprene drysuit.

I have heard of wetsuits being worn as undergarments but it's usually by someone with a tired suit and they wear the wet layer as a back-up.

Pete
 
Pete,

Thanks for the thoughts. I thought about the compression factor as well. I will be getting some thin, wicking undergarments. I dove in late Oct early Nov with no undergarments - I don't get cold easily - but not since. I plan to head out soon, so I'll find out soon enough how much I'll need.......

Michael
 
Do it all the time in a trilam drysuit.

Compression is not an issue, the wetsuit adds quite a bit of insulation even at depth. However I also have a layer between the wetsuit and the trilam so can always add air to loft that up a bit. Sweat is not an issue. Yes you will sweat if you overheat but the sweat is at body temperature and stays that way under the wetsuit until it evaporates - you will be warm until you take the wetsuit off. At that point the evaporation gets you cold in a hurry but until then not an issue at all. Surprising thing is that I need less lead if I wear the wetsuit instead of an equivilant layer of undergarment - equivilant re warmth that is. Warmer less lead - works for me. An additional benefit is that when your drysuit leaks you barely notice. A downside is that the collar for the wetsuit may interfere with your drysuit collar and cause a leak.

My suggestion is to try it and see. It costs you nothing to try it out.
 

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