Comparative warmth, or do "core warmers" work?

[lairdb]

Laird:

Since your question was towards a Core Warmer, here's my results with that equipment.

I have a 3mm jumpsuit with a 3mm Core Warmer. This is made by Henderson, and the fit is excellent (it better be, it was custom made). The material for both is gold core.

On a recent trip to Nassau, we saw water temperatures of 78-76 degrees F at the beginning of the trip. We were doing 4 dives a day. My 3mm jumpsuit was more than adequate; I was plenty warm on the last dive of the day.

By the end of the trip, though, water temps had dropped to 70-72 degrees F. I noticed the DMs pulling on 7mm jumpsuits. After a single dive in these temps I could feel the chill with just the jumpsuit. So I chickened out and pulled on the Core Warmer, and it felt just like the begining of the trip, with the last of dive of the day (after 4 dives that day) being toasty warm. I do have to add about 4 lbs to the weight belt, though.

The Core Warmer takes up very little space, slips on easily, is not restrictive. I have not noticed a problem with water circulation at all, and I'm a wimp when it comes to cold. FWIW, my 7mm semi-dry is my "next step" when water gets colder.

Hope this helps! James

James, thanks -- that's a big chunk of missing data for my decision.

--Laird

 

[Brian Gilpin]

With the drysuit at the top, I assume that's the warm end, but I'm surprised that the "xx with drysuit hood" is colder than "same-xx with detached hood" -- really?

--Laird

Sure. The drysuit hood leaves your neck partially exposed while a regular detached hood tucks under you wetsuit.

 

[lairdb]

Sure. The drysuit hood leaves your neck partially exposed while a regular detached hood tucks under you wetsuit.

Ah -- I'm pretty drysuit ignorant; I didn't add 2+2. Thanks. So, in our taxonomy, we now have

swimsuit
3mm shorty
3mm full
5/4 full ~ 3mm full with 3mm vest (i.e. too close to call)
3mm full with 3mm core warmer
3mm full with 3mm hooded vest
(big gap)
7m jumpsuit with drysuit hood
7m farmer john with drysuit hood
7m jumpsuit with detached hood.
7m jumpsuit with hooded vest.
7m farmer john with detached hood
7m jumpsuit with hooded sleveless shorty.
drysuit

--Laird

 

[ingreevox]

that my firends, is alot of rubber!
total boyancy! LOL!