Is there any way to make my suit warmer?

[ccohn2000]

Hey all, I have a Henderson hyperstretch 7ml one piece suit and a 5 ml core warmer. I dive mostly in Monterey and when the temp is 54 or below, I freeze my butt off. Short of getting a dry suit, or a different wet suit, is there something I can do to warm up? A local shop suggested a fleece undergarment, but I seem to recall reading somewhere that layering doesn't help. Does it, or doesn't it?

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

Urine works.

 

[ccohn2000]

Urine works.

yeah but only momentarily. I'm looking for a longer term solution.

 

[lairdb]

Errr, it seems obvious, but you didn't say: hood? Hooded vest?

 

[Pez de Diablo]

Add a hood. Think back to your OW. How much heat lose can you experience through your head?

 

[fdog]

I don't think it would be possible to even get into the water at Monterey right now without a hood...

Since you've eliminated a dry suit, you can either:

a) get your suit altered for a custom fit. You might have "pumps" under the arms or a loose neck.
b) try lots of different suits looking for a better fit. However, for off-the-rack, it is tough to beat the fit of Hyperstretch.
c) try a hooded vest to wear under the wetsuit. A popular piece of advice, although my experience is that if the suit is loose, it actually has made me colder, since you don't feel the intrusion of cold water and move around enough to really put alot of cold water around the core.
d) wear a fleece watch cap before diving, get out of the suit immediately after the dive and into warm windproof clothes.

I can handle down to 48 degrees with a 7mm semi-dry with a 5mm core warmer. Still, everyone is different, and if you are truly chilled, do yourself a favor and at least try a drysuit.

All the best, James

 

[Rick Inman]

Pour hot water into you suit right before the dive. It warms your body and slows the cooling process a bit.

Keep your dives shallow to minimize the suit's compression and insulation properties.

 

[spectrum]

Hey all, I have a Henderson hyperstretch 7ml one piece suit and a 5 ml core warmer. I dive mostly in Monterey and when the temp is 54 or below, I freeze my butt off. Short of getting a dry suit, or a different wet suit, is there something I can do to warm up? A local shop suggested a fleece undergarment, but I seem to recall reading somewhere that layering doesn't help. Does it, or doesn't it?

Dito to what Rck said, adding some warm water as you suit up will beat the ocean to it's first punch and save some heat energy from the get go. I fill my booties 1/2 way before zipping, then around the waist abs sometimes in through the neck opening. Not too hot sionce you don't want to encourege surface blood vessel activity. The idea IMO is just to instil some of the water content in a friendlier way. I just fill a couple of 1/2L spring water bottles at home and wrap them in my towel.

Your hood situation is not clear. One integrated with the vest will mute your zipper seepage and add to your comfort. I have one of these and it's a great layering item if you want warmth.
https://www.divetank.com/gear/product.php?id=132

How are your gloves? I have found that inadequate gloves equal cold hands but also chill the arms, thus the rest of you as well.

I also read that layering with items lacking insulating air spaces like neoprene will not help. That said We have a LDS that swears by using these skins. I think they can be of some use in a loosely fitting wetsuit since the bulk may limit water movement somewhat but IMO that's not fixing the problem.

Pete

 

[ccohn2000]

Thanks, I'll try the hot water. I have a 12 ml hood, so that's definitely not the problem. 3ml gloves, and fairly thick ( I have no real idea of the ml) booties. My hands and feet never seem to be the problem. My core is where I feel it most. I might try the skin too. I'll probably end up with a dry suit, but it will have to wait a bit. I just started diving this year and have spent a mint on equipment. I need to let my bank account cool off for awhile.

 

[redacted]

I use one of those chemical warmers inside my 5mm when it is cold. Its a sealed plastic bag filled with liquid. You squeeze a little metal cap inside and it turns solid, heats up and lasts for almost an hour. Boiling it for about 10 minutes returns to fill to liquid and it is ready to go again. You don't want it in direct contact with skin so I place it in a sleeve cut off an of 3mm.