Review: Whites Mk3 Undergarment
This is a review of the new Whites Mk3 undergarment. I have about a dozen dives on this now, so I think I have a good feel for whats good and bad about it.
For those not into reading the whole review, heres the Readers Digest version: this suit is beyond warm. Hot, now theres a word, and thats in mid-40 degree water. Woof.
Its worth mentioning this up front: I get cold. Anyone that knows me will attest that I am the gold standard for cold weenie. So, keep that in mind when translating to how this might perform for you.
My prior undergarments have been the Flecton 200 and the DUI 400g, as well as a motley collection of fleece jackets and pants. When I picked up the Whites Fusion drysuit, I also got the Whites Mk2 undergarment. Although the Mk2 was not warm enough for me when water temperatures dipped below 55 degrees F, I was truly impressed by many of the features and the way it integrated into the drysuit, so, I ordered the Mk3. This came with a big reputation of being warm, and I wondered if it was all manufacturer hype. In my mind, it had some big shoes to fill, when compared to the DUI 400g.
The undies
Heres some views of the Mk3. I am 62, 195 lbs. This is a size XL.
The suit is nice thick polypropylene fleece inside:
The outside is nylon ripstop thats pretty windproof. Sandwiched in between is a generous helping of Primaloft, the same stuff of Weezle fame.
The fit and finish is excellent, seams are straight and double stitched. Something that is (refreshingly) missing is Velcro, there isnt a bit of Velcro on the suit. This is nice because it always snags on everything for me. The materials are quality, and the suit feels like a lot of thought went into the design and assembly.
Unlike most drysuit undergarments, which seem to have a direct evolutionary lineage from a childs one-piece pajamas, the Mk3 (and all the Whites undies, for that matter) seem to have been designed and evolved from a winter clothing manufacturer like North Face or Columbia. There are pockets where you need them, and more pockets where you didnt know you needed them, like the small pockets for the car keys:
(A humorous side note: Janets car is a Touareg, which has the key sensor door locks. We just stick the keys in the key pocket. After the dive, we just walk up to the car, without even unzipping our drysuits, and the car senses the keys and unlocks. You should see the looks this generates!)
The hand warmer pockets are fleece lined, big and roomy, and high enough that you can actually use them when you are out for a surface interval, with the drysuit tied up at your waist.
Theres also thumb loops, most drysuit undies have these. There are also foot stirrups.
One feature of the Mk3 (and the Whites Mk2) is the butt flap, or relief hatch, or convenience panel.
Whatever you call it, its worth a snicker from folks that see it. The snickering abruptly stops the very first time you use it. This lets you use the head without getting out of everything, and dropping all your junk on the floor of the bathroom. Genius.
As you probably noticed, not all of the outside of the undergarment is the same grey nylon; there are black panels strategically placed at points requiring high amounts of mobility. These are 1mm neoprene, and they are there to add mobility by allowing the undies to stretch.
These stretch panels are at the knees:
and at the shoulders:
and most importantly, at the back of the waist. I hate suits and undergarments that restrict motion, especially when bending over to put on my fins. Its nice to see mobility built in from the beginning.
This is a review of the new Whites Mk3 undergarment. I have about a dozen dives on this now, so I think I have a good feel for whats good and bad about it.
For those not into reading the whole review, heres the Readers Digest version: this suit is beyond warm. Hot, now theres a word, and thats in mid-40 degree water. Woof.
Its worth mentioning this up front: I get cold. Anyone that knows me will attest that I am the gold standard for cold weenie. So, keep that in mind when translating to how this might perform for you.
My prior undergarments have been the Flecton 200 and the DUI 400g, as well as a motley collection of fleece jackets and pants. When I picked up the Whites Fusion drysuit, I also got the Whites Mk2 undergarment. Although the Mk2 was not warm enough for me when water temperatures dipped below 55 degrees F, I was truly impressed by many of the features and the way it integrated into the drysuit, so, I ordered the Mk3. This came with a big reputation of being warm, and I wondered if it was all manufacturer hype. In my mind, it had some big shoes to fill, when compared to the DUI 400g.
The undies
Heres some views of the Mk3. I am 62, 195 lbs. This is a size XL.
The suit is nice thick polypropylene fleece inside:
The outside is nylon ripstop thats pretty windproof. Sandwiched in between is a generous helping of Primaloft, the same stuff of Weezle fame.
The fit and finish is excellent, seams are straight and double stitched. Something that is (refreshingly) missing is Velcro, there isnt a bit of Velcro on the suit. This is nice because it always snags on everything for me. The materials are quality, and the suit feels like a lot of thought went into the design and assembly.
Unlike most drysuit undergarments, which seem to have a direct evolutionary lineage from a childs one-piece pajamas, the Mk3 (and all the Whites undies, for that matter) seem to have been designed and evolved from a winter clothing manufacturer like North Face or Columbia. There are pockets where you need them, and more pockets where you didnt know you needed them, like the small pockets for the car keys:
(A humorous side note: Janets car is a Touareg, which has the key sensor door locks. We just stick the keys in the key pocket. After the dive, we just walk up to the car, without even unzipping our drysuits, and the car senses the keys and unlocks. You should see the looks this generates!)
The hand warmer pockets are fleece lined, big and roomy, and high enough that you can actually use them when you are out for a surface interval, with the drysuit tied up at your waist.
Theres also thumb loops, most drysuit undies have these. There are also foot stirrups.
One feature of the Mk3 (and the Whites Mk2) is the butt flap, or relief hatch, or convenience panel.
Whatever you call it, its worth a snicker from folks that see it. The snickering abruptly stops the very first time you use it. This lets you use the head without getting out of everything, and dropping all your junk on the floor of the bathroom. Genius.
As you probably noticed, not all of the outside of the undergarment is the same grey nylon; there are black panels strategically placed at points requiring high amounts of mobility. These are 1mm neoprene, and they are there to add mobility by allowing the undies to stretch.
These stretch panels are at the knees:
and at the shoulders:
and most importantly, at the back of the waist. I hate suits and undergarments that restrict motion, especially when bending over to put on my fins. Its nice to see mobility built in from the beginning.
