(Help) Cold in new shell drysuit - do I need more weight?

nairn_diver · Mar 20, 2007

Folks,

I have recently moved from a warm and toasty neoprene drysuit to a shell drysuit. Now I am getting cold on my dives and I am in the process of figuring out how to get warm again. I dive in Vancouver (British Columbia) waters, which normally range from 7.2°C (45°F) to 8.3°C (47°F), and my dives average 45 minutes to an average max depth of 90 feet.

I specifically want to know if I need to use more weight to allow for more air in my suit when I am between 30 feet and the surface? Currently, I am weighted such that my BCD and drysuit are both completely empty between these depths. I also have a fair amount of suit squeeze. Would more air in my suit keep me warmer? I seem to be warm at the deeper parts of the dive then cold near the end when I get shallower. Note that I have enough weight (36 pounds) to safely stop just below the surface (~3-5 feet) with ~300psi in my tank. Would I be getting cold because there is no air in my suit at shallow depths (rather than too few undergarments)?

Additional Information on Drysuit(s):
- New Suit: Whites Catalyst Self-Entry (with drygloves); undergarments: Whites MK2 and MK1, 1 layer of wool/synthetic socks, and 3mm neoprene soft boot
- Old Neoprene Suit: 7mm Oceaner back entry (with drygloves); undergarments: fleece pants and top, synthetic long underwear, and 1 layer of wool/synthetic socks

I am also open to other suggestions on how to stay warm in a shell suit? However, at this time I am not considering Argon for drysuit inflation or replacing my current undergarments (e.g. no Weasel).

Thanks for the help.

Cheers,
Nairn

Green_Manelishi · Mar 20, 2007

nairn_diver:
Folks,

I have recently moved from a warm and toasty neoprene drysuit to a shell drysuit. Now I am getting cold on my dives and I am in the process of figuring out how to get warm again. I dive in Vancouver (British Columbia) waters, which normally range from 7.2°C (45°F) to 8.3°C (47°F), and my dives average 45 minutes to an average max depth of 90 feet.

I specifically want to know if I need to use more weight to allow for more air in my suit when I am between 30 feet and the surface? Currently, I am weighted such that my BCD and drysuit are both completely empty between these depths. I also have a fair amount of suit squeeze. Would more air in my suit keep me warmer? I seem to be warm at the deeper parts of the dive then cold near the end when I get shallower. Note that I have enough weight (36 pounds) to safely stop just below the surface (~3-5 feet) with ~300psi in my tank. Would I be getting cold because there is no air in my suit at shallow depths (rather than too few undergarments)?

Additional Information on Drysuit(s):
- New Suit: Whites Catalyst Self-Entry (with drygloves); undergarments: Whites MK2 and MK1, 1 layer of wool/synthetic socks, and 3mm neoprene soft boot
- Old Neoprene Suit: 7mm Oceaner back entry (with drygloves); undergarments: fleece pants and top, synthetic long underwear, and 1 layer of wool/synthetic socks

I am also open to other suggestions on how to stay warm in a shell suit? However, at this time I am not considering Argon for drysuit inflation or replacing my current undergarments (e.g. no Weasel).

Thanks for the help.

Cheers,
Nairn

It's "complicated".

More air will loft the underwear which will help keep you warmer. However, just as a t-shirt does not much good on a 0F day so too must your underwear be proper for the environment.

When you dove with the neo suit it would "fluff" at shallower depths and help keep you warm; your shell suit does not.

You might need to add another layer.

sambolino44 · Mar 20, 2007

You used to wear fleece under your wetsuit?

shoredivr · Mar 20, 2007

What GM said.

I dive a White's trilaminate suit and have a Weezle undergarment (which has lots and lots of "loft" or air space) for really cold water here in the Great Lakes - late fall, winter and early spring diving - and a lighter weight set of polypropelene fleece undergarments for not so cold water I may encounter in the summer. I do need a few pounds more with the Weezle that the polypropelene undergarments. Try another layer, or a Weezle, or if you don't like the loft of the Weezle, try Xerotherm 4th element undergarments, some kind of proprietary polypropelene that has very little loft, so you don't need more lead.

Of course, your perception of what's really cold water may be different from mine....

Ok, on re-reading your post, scratch the Weezle from the equation. Just try another layer or the Xerotherm.

Jeremy Bouwman · Mar 20, 2007

if you add a pound or two you will be able to add some more air, which will make you warmer. And if you are experiencing suit squeeze, that is never fun anyway, so it will make you a little more comfortable that way as well

diveman7683 · Mar 20, 2007

sambolino44:
You used to wear fleece under your wetsuit?

I hope you're joking. If not, the 7mm neoprene suit is a drysuit.

Brand0n · Mar 20, 2007

id recommend getting a thick 100% wool sweater, i got a used one for 4$ nothing has kept my warmer on long dives.

paulwlee · Mar 20, 2007

Wear another layer. Even a thin one makes a difference.
Which also may mean that you will need to add a little weight.

PaulSmithTek · Mar 21, 2007

If all else fails above use argon!

Bismark · Mar 21, 2007

I am not sure if you mean you don't want a weezle or you think the problem is you don't have one(?) Pardon my lack of understanding. I have the same drysuit and dive in the same waters, I bought a weezle and haven't looked back about 50 dives ago. The thing is amazing and keeps me warm even if I have a leak. Don't worry about the extra loft, it compresses very well. I really love the thing and while you may need a couple of extra pounds of weight, in my experience, you probably won't. Also, you seem to have a lot of weight for a laminate drysuit. I don't know your size, etc, but that seems like a lot of weight. PM me if you want with the details of your gear etc., and I will tell you what works for me.

(Help) Cold in new shell drysuit - do I need more weight?

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