clothes to wear under drysuit

[ccpspace]

Hello everyone, I'm planning to go diving in Vancouver, I have only been diving in Florida and I get cold very easily.

I got a Fusion Whites drysuit (Sport Diving - Fusion Technical Drysuit - Whites Diving) and I was wondering what should I wear underneath, I dove a couple of times with it in Florida, wearing some basic clothes and I was surprised that I got a little bit cold in 70º F water, I can't even imagine what it feels in 40º F.

I could get the Whites undergarments but they are kind of expensive and I would rather buy some other winter clothes.

I was thinking to get some nice winter underwear and some fleece pants and jacket, but I'm not sure which ones or what characteristics I should look for. Or how many layers I should wear and what to wear for each.

Do you have any suggestions? links to specific products will be greatly appreciated, since I'm not very familiar with cold weather clothing.

Thanks a lot.

 

[oldflounder]

Cabelas Cabela's: Cabela's Official Website - Quality Hunting, Fishing, Camping and Outdoor Gear at competitive prices. is having a 1/2 price sale on their down vests right now. They also have down long johns and a big selection of cold weather undergarments.

 

[Skarn]

I also say Cabellas. I wear the 300 Polartech pants and fleece jacket. Underneath I wear Under Armor cold gear. I dove Sunday and the water temp was 38deg and I was fine.

Skarn

 

[EastTNDiver]

One thing you want to keep in mind is your undergarment needs to have good water wicking properties so it draws moisture away from your body. This means you need to avoid anything made of cotton, as it will just soak up any moisture in your suit and keep it right next to your skin. This may have been why you felt chilled in 70 degree water. Unfortunately, most drysuit undergarments are fairly expensive. I personally like the Weezle undergarments, but they're pricey. I did get some very positive feedback from another diver on a relatively inexpensive undergarment available on ebay for just $88. According to him, it is very "Weezle-like" in properties...I'm thinking about giving one a try. Note that they are in the UK, so shipping will be a bit higher, but still reasonable overall compared to other suits. Remember, I've not tried one yet...just passing along some info. Maybe someone else here has tried one, and can chime in.

Thermal undersuit for Drysuit Large (weezle style) - eBay (item 300533070628 end time Apr-03-11 10:54:35 PDT)

If you do plan to go with something that's not specifically a drysuit undergarment, try to get something with a nylon outer shell, and a synthetic inner fleece lining. However, you also have to be careful you don't get something that will trap air, making it difficult to vent your drysuit.

 

[oldflounder]

If you are only going North for this one trip and you aren't an instructor/DM type that's in the water a lot - I wouldn't spend the money on an expensive drysuit undergarment. Buy clothing that can serve a dual purpose - layers that you can choose from for Florida during different times of the year and clothing that can be used for cold night/days down there. I recommend thin polyester against the skin, Polartec, etc. fleece over that and on top [for really cold water] goose down clothing or heavier fleece. I have used union suits but they just cause an aggravation when you really have to go and they require that you remove the upper garments to get them off. Thick sleeves are a problem also as it makes it harder to get the suit off. I believe like they say - the important parts are the head and core.

I'm not one to talk - but try to learn to use air in the suit for warmth.

 

[merxlin]

REI Polartec fleece pants with underarmour coldgear underneath (top & bottom), Pinnacle MK2 jacket- good to 50f. Smart-wool heavyweight hiking sox.

 

[ccpspace]

Thank you so much for all the feedback, I'm going to check the links everyone posted and let you know my findings. This is very helpful, definitely don't want to spend the big bucks on the undergarment.

Thanks again to all

 

[MrAC1980]

I notice that Underarmour Coldgear has different thicknesses. Do you guys wear the standard, 1.0, 2.0, or 3.0? Is the 2.0 or 3.0 overkill? Most of my diving will be in the 40s and maybe hit the high 30s. I plan to do the Underarmour base and Polartec outter layer like most recommend. Thanks.

 

[smorneau]

I would stay away from down when wet it is useless. Use a synthetic down in place of it. It is cheaper and will provide warmth when damp. The downside is a little more bulk and weight compared to down.

 

[Slamfire]

Hello everyone, I'm planning to go diving in Vancouver, I have only been diving in Florida and I get cold very easily.

I got a Fusion Whites drysuit (Sport Diving - Fusion Technical Drysuit - Whites Diving) and I was wondering what should I wear underneath, I dove a couple of times with it in Florida, wearing some basic clothes and I was surprised that I got a little bit cold in 70º F water, I can't even imagine what it feels in 40º F.

I do not recall water temps around here ever getting down to 40F. The norm runs between 48F to 50F. I use a Whites Mk3 with my Fusion and dive it around here (Vancouver) year long -- rain, shine, or snow.

If you're not coming in for a long haul, don't buy an undergarment that you're going to use only once every 5 yrs. Consider renting. Ocean Quest is sells a lot of Fusions and also rents them. I'm sure that if you talk to them you can arrange to rent an undergarment only. And they'll be able to set you up with the warmest options for your Fusion in Vancouver waters.

Also post a thread in the Western Canada forum when you get closer to the date of your trip. It is very likely you'll find divers that'll be glad to dive with you and show you around. If the time works for me, I might join up. There are plenty of nice shore dives for all experience levels.