What do you wear under your drysuit and undergarments

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

What do people wear as the first layer under drysuit and thermal undergarments? I would think the first layer should be quick dry or moisture wicking in case you sweat or the suit leaks or floods? One wouldn’t wear jeans and a tshirt or sweats, would they?

Fleece sweats are used by some folks - but NO cotton.
 
For cold water I use Merino wool base layer with Fourth Element Artic undergarment. I have Alpaca socks and use Ragg Wool liners in my drygloves. This combination works for me down to the low 30's for recreational dives.
 
As everyone has said, wicking layer is super important for cold water diving. I routinely dive in water <45 degrees year round. Do not wear boxers/sweats/underwear/etc. Instead of underwear, buy an undergarment that wicks and only wear that. Then on top, wear your thermals.

I wear 4th element xerotherm as a wicking layer against my body, then 4th element arctic expedition for things <45 degrees. They were very price but they work wonderfully, are very comfortable, and after 3 years aren't showing wear at all after over 100 cold dives/yr. Worth the price for me.
 
I wear varying Bare undergarment levels depending on the water temp. However your question was what people are wearing under the undergarments.... I wear Tesla cold weather top and bottom. Almost identical to Under Armor cold weather base layer, only 1/3 of the cost. Basically like spandex with a thin layer of fleece that wicks away moisture.
 
Last edited:
What do people wear as the first layer under drysuit and thermal undergarments?
<snip>

Geez, that's kind of a personal question, innit?

OK, OK, more seriously, stretch nylon/poly shorts, Coolmax socks, and *thin* wicking top and bottom by my skin. What goes over that depends on the weather. Or maybe it's the water temperature. Well, something like that. In FL, that means a skin so my dry suit doesn't chafe. In 42 degree water it means a Blue Heat under a Weezle Extreme. It could also mean a thick one-piece fleece or a thinner Thinsulate garment, or thinner 2-piece fleeces depending on the expected temperature on the bottom and during deco. On my feet, Smartwool socks (always the same kind to make the boots/fins fit right).
 
Nothing is too personal in scuba :D.

So I guess what I’m getting at is, after a dive and everyone’s peeling off their drysuits and undergarments, what is the layer of clothing you’re walking around in after the dive, maybe grabbing a bite to eat or drinking a beer after the dive? Just hanging out with your buddies for a bit, chatting about the dive? Driving home?

I’m following this thread and getting some good ideas!
 
Nothing is too personal in scuba :D.

So I guess what I’m getting at is, after a dive and everyone’s peeling off their drysuits and undergarments, what is the layer of clothing you’re walking around in after the dive, maybe grabbing a bite to eat or drinking a beer after the dive? Just hanging out with your buddies for a bit, chatting about the dive? Driving home?

I’m following this thread and getting some good ideas!
What one person's thermal needs can be totally different from anothers I can dive for over an gr8 in just sharkskin drysuit thermals I also dive with a neoprene dry suit people who dive trilam usually need more thermals as theirs no insulating properties in a tri lam ymmv it's a good way to start but specifying whay suit you wear may also help
 
I love the openness of scuba where we openly discuss shaving our junk in order to hook up our plumbing to pvalves and worse.

Personally I always wear wicking boxer briefs so I either wear them or a pair of jammers under a fleece undersuit or I am interested in trying my sharkskin suit. The point is way something that won't bunch and will wick.
 
I use a couple different types of Hot Chilly’s as a base layer under an old Whites one piece, Whites Thermal Fusion or Fourth Element Halo3D depending on the water temperature.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

Back
Top Bottom