I'm going dry!!!!

After a lot of thought and discussion. (especially the personal experiences of a couple of my dive buddies) I've gone and put the money down for a new Whites Drysuit. It's the Sport, with the lycra skin. I'm getting the upgrade to the replaceable neck and wrist seals, and the LDS cut me a good overall deal on it. (and no, I'm not giving numbers )

I tried on the S/M and I fit in it, but had trouble putting arms over the head and the crotch was, lets just say, snug. The owner also said that I'd probably be really snug if I ever wore a really bulky undergarment. Then we tried the L/XL and it was perfect. (They use that model for their rentals).

At least sitting there in the shop, putting it on/off was as easy, if not easier than putting on my 5mm Pinnacle wetsuit. I do see that you could overheat quickly on the surface, reminded me of a long time ago, high school wrestling and wearing the vinyl sweatsuits to cut weight for a match.

Now I'm going to have to figure out what undergarments I'm going to need, water temps are low 50's or so, I know I need a wicking layer and an insulating layer. I know that there is a good reseller on Ebay who has been recommended, and I've got him bookmarked.

Any suggestions, advice, tips, and guidelines would be most appreciate. Suit should be in at the end of the month.

Happy Me

Steve

4th Element Xerotherm. All my dive buddies swear by them for NE diving.

If you are going to be diving locally, & possibly year round, the water temps will likely be closer to the low 40's. Here is where I have gotten several undergarments at a resonable price.- it is a seller on Ebay. rondel101bjrr. Does not look like he has anything at the moment, but carries it often. I have gotten most of my undergarments (new) for less that $120. Underarmor or such is usually a good base layer. I personally use 1 pair of neoprene socks for warmer waters & 2 pairs for colder water.

Congrats on going dry! I haven't dove wet with more than a 3 mil since I got my drysuit. Heavy, thick, annoying wetsuits are such a PIA. You will sweat a lot less gearing up in a drysuit than you would in a 7mil wetsuit.

I use the Fourth Element Halo 3D along with several of my dive buddies. Never been cold and I use it in 36F water wearing a thin thermal long sleeve shirt as a base layer for 40-50min dives.

Yep, I've got rondel on my favorite sellers list. Looks like he must be on vacation right now. I'll be primarily at Pennyroyal and other local quarries, so you know the area. Would you recommend something like 400 gram thinsulate for the worst case, and 200 for the rest, along with a good thermal wicking baselayer?

DUI has a pretty good guide for determining what weight to wear... Thermal Guidelines Helps take into account personal differences, things like that.
Thanks

Steve

tstormdiver:

If you are going to be diving locally, & possibly year round, the water temps will likely be closer to the low 40's. Here is where I have gotten several undergarments at a resonable price.- it is a seller on Ebay. rondel101bjrr. Does not look like he has anything at the moment, but carries it often. I have gotten most of my undergarments (new) for less that $120. Underarmor or such is usually a good base layer. I personally use 1 pair of neoprene socks for warmer waters & 2 pairs for colder water.

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At least a 400gm for colder waters (but then, I'm a warm water wus) I use 150 in waters like we have in the shallows right now.

First of all, congratulations on your purchase. I still think those are VERY functional suits at a good price point.

How hard it is to get into a Fusion depends entirely on what you are wearing under it. I don't mind mine at all when I am diving in MX, with just polarfleece sweats as an undergarment. I mind it a good deal when I try to stuff the White's MK3 into it. Not so much with the Thermal Fusion, which is almost as warm -- but the TF is a nuisance to get into, itself.

For low 50s, the 4th Element Arctic are probably fine. I don't know about the White's MK2; from having seen it, I think I'd need to layer something under it. The TF would work very well. The Halo would be excellent, but overkill if the water got much warmer.

TSandM:

For low 50s, the 4th Element Arctic are probably fine. I don't know about the White's MK2; from having seen it, I think I'd need to layer something under it. The TF would work very well. The Halo would be excellent, but overkill if the water got much warmer.

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I started with a MK2. And started out very cold in high 40's (and with less mobility than with a TF).

While the TF is 'hard' to get into (not getting into, but making sure the insulation is where it needs to be on the extremities, and hasn't bunched up in the legs/crotch), it's great for most cold water (40-60). I wear a light weight merino wool base under the TF and good merino wool socks.

If only I could find some heated socks for those hour+ long frigid dives ....

I've dove with floods in mid/hi 40 water and be fine, and still fine in warmer waters (55-60) with the TF.

I have a size larger TF than my fusion.


BRad

I always wear wool next to my skin, no matter what kind of DS and other underwear I'm using. Wool is an amazing fiber if you're planning on getting wet or damp (which I personally always do in my DS. If nothing else, there's always the condensation of perspiration to consider). It's the only fiber that can absorb significant amounts of moisture while still feel dry (if memory serves me right, the number is something like 30% of its own weight), and also provide significant insulation properties when wet.

Apart from that, it all depends on the water temp, the material in the suit and how easily you get cold. You might want to read this post which I made last winter.