merino wool layering under semi drysuit = toasty?

[terallan]

I've just read about the Pinnacle Semi Drysuit with it's supposed 35% more warmth with the merino layer inside. I was using a 7mm semi drysuit for freediving and general shopping from the marine larder. I was starting to feel a bit cold in the winter months and even with a 5mm hooded top under the suit, I felt a bit chilly. Lets not get too deep into choices of suit, as I really loved my beaver semi dry and as I say, the only thing was the chill factor in winter freediving in west Scotland.

I am subsequently aware that the beaver semi drysuit flushes badly through the bottom of thefront zip and poor neck seal. My question is this: what if you were to wear a merino wool base layer under the suit, would that make a difference I wonder. Has anyone ever tried the merino wool idea? There is a post on here somewhere about someone wearing a wool jumper under a wetsuit to keep warm.

I'm thinking if pinnacle are proclaiming the merino wool layer makes a big difference, just buy a merino layer. When I was trying to mess about staying warm, I used neoprene vests, but never wool. Hence me now thinking, semi drysuit with merino base layer.

Any thoughts on the merino wool layering in a semi drysuit for a wee bit extra heat retention?

cheers

[Diogenesdemar]

I have pinnacle merino, and yes, it is warmer than a non-merino wetsuit. I haven't worn a merino layer under a wetsuit, but I do have and often wear (a three-mil equivalent of) Fourth Element's Theromcline under my five-mil wetsuit, and have found myself to be toasty warm in that combination into the mid-50's (F).

So, I suppose you could find a scuba-suitable merino under layer, but I would recommend you look at the Thermocline (and also the similar Lavacore) products. The benefit with such a layerable system is that you can have a neutrally-buoyant, travel-light Thermocline suit that by itself is about a three-mil warmth equivalency. But, if you choose to dive colder you can use that as an under layer with the added benefit of being able to dive without out the buoyancy issues that would arise is you dove the neoprene-equivalent-warmth thickness in a wetsuit alone.