Undergarments

divinman · Nov 13, 2004

Thoughts on Softwear? Socal diver, just starting to walk the path. CF200 Suit. Need undergarments. Softwear seems to have the better price. Is DUI really worth all that cash??

I now this should probably be posted over at exposure but tech divers spent lots of time in the cold dark deep.

If u prefer, a link to a well worn thread is fine.

Thanks

Terry

rickyd · Nov 13, 2004

divinman:
Thoughts on Softwear? Socal diver, just starting to walk the path. CF200 Suit. Need undergarments. Softwear seems to have the better price. Is DUI really worth all that cash??

I now this should probably be posted over at exposure but tech divers spent lots of time in the cold dark deep.

If u prefer, a link to a well worn thread is fine.

Thanks

Terry

As I have said often on the board, I'm extremely happy with Janice's work on Softwear. I also have a CF200, and dive in her 200 weight. For colder days ( less than 55F ) in the SoCal waters, I add a 100 weight vest. I'm always toasty.

There is a recent thread running on Diving Concepts stretch undies. Check it out also.

divinman · Nov 13, 2004

rickyd:
As I have said often on the board, I'm extremely happy with Janice's work on Softwear. I also have a CF200, and dive in her 200 weight. For colder days ( less than 55F ) in the SoCal waters, I add a 100 weight vest. I'm always toasty.

There is a recent thread running on Diving Concepts stretch undies. Check it out also.

thanks Rick

Bob3 · Nov 13, 2004

The $$ difference is, apart from the suit's material difference, from buying directly from the "factory" vs buying at full retail markup.
Hope I don't get yelled at for calling her a "factory".

darkpup · Nov 14, 2004

My wife and I have 300 weight SoftWear undergarments from Janice, and love them. We were in 50 degree water in Tahoe last Saturday (11/6/04), and after 22 minutes, we were pretty cold. Above 55 degrees they're perfect for us.

We're looking at diving in the low 40s to high 30s this winter, and will be looking for either additional layers or a different solution.

Our typical undergarments are:

silk weight polypro shirt
polypro long johns
polypro socks
300 weight Softwear undergarment
200 weight Softwear socks

For most of our diving at or above 55 degrees, this works well for us (i.e. 30 to 90 minute bottom times per dive). My wife has a tls350, and I have one of Bob(3)'s Viking Extreme suits. I dive with dry gloves also, and my wife still needs to move hers over to the new suit.

~ Jason

Greg Barlow · Nov 14, 2004

divinman:
Thoughts on Softwear? Socal diver, just starting to walk the path. CF200 Suit. Need undergarments. Softwear seems to have the better price. Is DUI really worth all that cash??

I now this should probably be posted over at exposure but tech divers spent lots of time in the cold dark deep.

If u prefer, a link to a well worn thread is fine.

Thanks

Terry

I've got more than a hundred cold water dives on my Viking 200g undies. While diving in 34 degree water for more than 45 minutes, I was still comfortable. If the water is much warmer than the mid 60's, I am roasting. Bob3 talked me out of purchasing the Viking 400g undies, and I am very glad that I heeded his advice.

Greg

GP · Nov 16, 2004

I have the Softwear 300G that I use from 70F (about as warm as the water gets in MN) down to about 60F. For water colder than that I use the DUI 400G Thinsulate. I like the mobility of the Softwear better even if I layer additional fleece underneath it. Also it's easier to vent air from the suit with the Softwear than the thinsulate. The thinsulate is much warmer than the softwear though.

Soggy · Nov 17, 2004

Greg Barlow:
I've got more than a hundred cold water dives on my Viking 200g undies. While diving in 34 degree water for more than 45 minutes, I was still comfortable. If the water is much warmer than the mid 60's, I am roasting. Bob3 talked me out of purchasing the Viking 400g undies, and I am very glad that I heeded his advice.

Greg

He *tried* talking me out of buying the 400g, but I was stubborn and very happy I was. I'm a skinny guy and I've dived the 400g from the low 40s to high 60s and been comfortable throughout. Like everything, warmth is different from person to person.

I also have a set of 300g Softwear. The fit, quality, and customer service are excellent, however a single layer of 300g fleece just isn't warm enough for me below 55-60 degrees. Thinsulate is the bees knees.

mer · Nov 17, 2004

Thinsulate is definitely worth the extra cash. (viking or DUI, whichever fits your body best)

Not only is it a very good insulator, but the fibers are also crush resistant, which means you get less dynamic instability by reducing gas movement within the suit.

MXGratefulDiver · Nov 17, 2004

I switched from a DC thinsulate to a SoftWear undergarment earlier this year. I'm diving a Northern Diver cordura shell suit, with the 300G SoftWear and an under layer of thin Malden Mills fleece. Water temp is currently 52 degrees F. And I'm warm and comfy for dives that average between 50 and 65 minutes.

One bit of advice ... if you order the SoftWear undergarment and want hip pockets, make sure to tell Janice that up front ... she can't add them after the suit is built.

I'm fortunate ... I live within driving distance of her home. I called her, gave her some measurements over the phone, then asked if I could drive up later that day for a fitting. By the time I got there (about four hours later), she had an undergarment ready for me. Fit me like a glove ... I am really happy with the service and the product.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Undergarments

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