Dive Coat

[undrwater]

My first boat coat was a "Bear Wear" sold by Pacific Wilderness in San Pedro California. Not sure who made it for them, but it was great, but stolen after a year.

I replaced it with a TruWest, which is OK, but I preferred the Bear Wear. My complaints:
The hood is shallower, so less protective when it rains, and blows off easier.
There is no zipper flap, so cold wind blows right through the zipper.

That said, it is built well, and still looks brand new after several years.

 

[tbone1004]

@Doc Harry I still use my boat coat with a drysuit when it's cold. Neo drysuits especially are not immune to evaporative cooling

 

[Mr. Manfrenjensenden]

Out of the water, a wet wet suit goes from providing warmth to being a refrigerator through evaporation which sucks up heat (it is how they cool canteens). Anything that stops the evaporation makes a big difference. Stop the evaporation and the wet suit goes back to providing insulation. I otften tak a lightweight, windproof, rain coat in my bag. Lightweight, little room, and makes a big difference.

If you are using a wetsuit, take it off, turn it inside out and give it the chance to dry between dives.
Whilst the wetsuit is drying get warm. Dry warm clothes.

Gareth

This isn't getting enough attention as a quick/easy/cheap solution. And you don't even have to take the whole thing off. Peel off the top half of your wetsuit and put on a dry t-shirt. It'll work wonders. Still cold? Add a windbreaker on top of that or a knit cap, and you're in business. Plus, now you're not buying or packing a large, bulky item that has no non-SI use with the weather in the 70s.

 

[Steve_C]

Peel off the top half of your wetsuit and put on a dry t-shirt. It'll work wonders. Still cold? Add a windbreaker on top of that or a knit cap, and you're in business.

Works but I will note that if doing two dives on a cold day in cold water that the legs get pretty heavy on dive two if I do not also keep them warm. The suggestion above works good on more benign conditions like in the caribbean.

 

[Mr. Manfrenjensenden]

Works but I will note that if doing two dives on a cold day in cold water that the legs get pretty heavy on dive two if I do not also keep them warm. The suggestion above works good on more benign conditions like in the caribbean.

Of course. The OP was having this issue in Cozumel with air temperatures in the 70s.

 

[Slow]

I apparently am a total cold wuss despite spending quite a bit of time on mountains in nasty weather.

On a recent trip water temp was 80, air temp was 60 with rain and wind and no sun. I was dying during SIs until I adopted this approach:

1) As soon as possible after exiting the water, remove wetsuit, booties, everything except for swim trunks.
2) Throw on dry t-shirt and lightweight windbreaker.
3) Put on Cousteau-style beanie

I went from turning completely blue during SIs to actually being warm and happy. I also tried leaving wetsuit on and then putting on windbreaker and boat coat...the windbreaker/coat helped, but it wasn't enough.

Some folks on the boat had boat coats...from my observations, I think the boat coats weren't as good as the "strip and windbreaker" approach. At one point (before I figured out how to stay warm) I had 3 of them hugging me while I was blue and in full-body uncontrollable shivers...they were shivering too.

So yeah...just get out of your wet stuff...or quit being a wuss (I haven't figured out how to do that either).

 

[covediver]

I use a surf fur surfcheck hoodie as my winter jacket and dive parka up here in AK. keeps me plenty warm is cold and wind without the bulk of a parka. matter of personal choice as to length.

 

[Sushi Boy]

I'm in the market for a boat coat and am strongly considering a Surf-fur.

Here's my question though. On my next trip, we'll be on the water for several hours each day in a Zodiac. No protection from the elements and not much good storage space. I can probably throw it on top of some tanks while I'm in the water. If it rains, waves splash over the sides, etc, and the coat gets wet, will the Surf-fur still provide warmth? I don't mind it being wet, as long as I won't be wet AND cold.

 

[scubadada]

See post #9. The TruWest coat has a windproof, waterproof outer shell and fleece lining. I have put it on wet and have been warm and comfortable. I know there are many fans of Surf-Fur, and I have no doubt that it performs just as well.

 

[Sushi Boy]

I would've put TruWest in the running were it not for the 4-5 week production time. Not too keen on spending $130 on a coat only to find it waiting on my doorstep when I get back from my trip.