Heated suit options besides Santi BZ400?

[Wibble]

I've found the suit heating to be "not cold" as opposed to being warm. The battery is a Light-for-Me heating battery (no longer available).

Am not sure if the Pitkin controllers are worth it as it's all about subtlety. Switch on if I'm cold, off if I'm warm. Like that simplicity.

 

[berndo]

I just saw that they are now making a Flex 2.0 heated undersuit - that might be a good option for my needs.

What are your needs? What temp range? Thin heated undergarment doesn't really make sense for anyone.
The thinsulate suits don't last very long, so getting a heated bz400 means you have to chuck a pricey suits vs just replacing a normal suit and keeping the heated vest if you need one.

 

[RedSeaDiver2]

What are your needs? What temp range? Thin heated undergarment doesn't really make sense for anyone.
The thinsulate suits don't last very long, so getting a heated bz400 means you have to chuck a pricey suits vs just replacing a normal suit and keeping the heated vest if you need one.

The Flex 2.0 isn't made of thinsulate - its made of a Flex fabric - Ocieplacz grzewczy Flex 2.0

 

[berndo]

The Flex 2.0 isn't made of thinsulate - its made of a Flex fabric - Ocieplacz grzewczy Flex 2.0

I know but initially you were asking about a thinsulate suit.
Buying a thin heated suit is still the worst of all options, especially for deco diving.
Why don't you wanna say for what temp range it is?

 

[RedSeaDiver2]

I know but initially you were asking about a thinsulate suit.
Buying a thin heated suit is still the worst of all options, especially for deco diving.
Why don't you wanna say for what temp range it is?

I dive in a very wide range of temperatures from the Red Sea to somewhere where Antarctica is just over the horizon, and it is not just temperature but also different hang times doing deco in blue water

 

[grantctobin]

I dive in a very wide range of temperatures from the Red Sea to somewhere where Antarctica is just over the horizon, and it is not just temperature but also different hang times doing deco in blue water

I think purchasing a heated BZ400 is a silly idea. Worthless after a couple washes and wildly expensive given other options on the market.

See pdf here, admittedly I haven’t updated it in two years and my opinions of Santi quality have fallen off a cliff.
Post 3 in thread 'Bottoms of feet cold (drysuit, 39F / 3.9C water)'

Bottoms of feet cold (drysuit, 39F / 3.9C water)

I'm trying to dial in my exposure protection for winter Lake Tahoe diving. It gets down to (and is currently) 39F, pretty much from the surface on down. I've taken a number of steps to boost my thermal protection and have successfully done 90 minute dives at this temp without getting too chilly...

scubaboard.com

In terms of heated socks and gloves, running wires through the undergarments is a little obnoxious when gearing up, but Gerbing (as above), and SmartTex (out of Poland, run by a guy named Jerzy) offer options. Another one that’s recently popped up on my radar is this: Redundant electrically heated 400g/m² undergarment which offers either single or redundant heat (requires two E/O into your suit) for HALF the cost of the Santi. Still thinsulate, but can buy almost two made to measure vs one Santi (using €, even sillier in $). 400€ vs 750€ ish.

With the diversity in your diving climates, I’d stick with layerable separates, a la:
Capilene Air baselayer
FE Xerotherm
FE Halo AR or Weezle Extreme or Rofos 400
Lola or Gerbing or LM etc heated vest
NEO 8mm hood, NEO 10mm hood

Would leave you “exposed” to intermediate length dives in the 22C range in which an FE Arctic or similar would probably add value.

The heated gloves and socks take the edge off, but I don’t decide to put them on for dives less than 120min in water below 8°C and I view it as a symptom of a cold core.

A last option would be a constant output heat battery like an UWLD or (courtesy of a friend) having a 4-cell pack made such that as the battery draws down, you can move the heat from 40% to higher and maintain constant heat output using a Pitkin controller.

GL

 

[berndo]

I dive in a very wide range of temperatures from the Red Sea to somewhere where Antarctica is just over the horizon, and it is not just temperature but also different hang times doing deco in blue water

Huh? What? You said the flex might be a good option for your needs.

You pick undergarment for a type of dive and temp range. There is no piece of undergarment that's good for diving the red sea and close to the arctic. Being in blue water or not doesn't change the temp.

 

[Wibble]

What are your needs? What temp range? Thin heated undergarment doesn't really make sense for anyone.
The thinsulate suits don't last very long, so getting a heated bz400 means you have to chuck a pricey suits vs just replacing a normal suit and keeping the heated vest if you need one.

How long?

My heated vests have lasted years.

The trick to keeping your kit is to hang it up on a rail. This is harder with a one-piece suit, but hanging it on a door works well. Washing it very occasionally in a gentle low temperature wash without spinning the life out of it helps.

Am very happy with my BZ400 thus far. It's warm, easy to don and comfortable when diving.

What I don't hear on dive boats is people complaining about them.

 

[berndo]

See pdf here, admittedly I haven’t updated it in two years and my opinions of Santi quality have fallen off a cliff.

Meanwhile their prices have gone way up. I still have one bz400 but I doubt I'll ever buy anything santi again.

My heated vests have lasted years.

I was talking about the thinsulate that doesn't last.

 

[Wibble]

Meanwhile their prices have gone way up. I still have one bz400 but I doubt I'll ever buy anything santi again.

Push the dive shop for a discount.

I was talking about the thinsulate that doesn't last.

I believe the vests have thinsulate insulation too. The heated vest feels very similar to the BZ400