Question Very cold water undergarment

[PhilDiver815]

Hi,
I I'm looking for a new undergarment to wear under my trilam. I dive in Canada where water is always icy cold under the thermocline. I currently use the aqualung fusion udergarment, but I find it not warm enough.

I'd like to do longer technical dives, but cold is always the limiting factor.

Two undergarments caught my attention. The waterproof Nord X300 and the Fourth Element AR. What do you think about those? Do you have any other suggestion?

Thank you.

 

[meatandpotato]

I love my fourth element stuff, expensive but I’ve been really happy with mine.

 

[grf88]

I have Fourth Element Arctic and for really cold water I sometimes add a X-Core Vest. Just adding that to your Fusion Underwear may be all you need.

Men's X-Core Vest

The sleeveless design of the vest minimises impact on buoyancy and overall bulk especially in the shoulders and arms where freedom of movement is

fourthelement.com

I also use Merino Wool base layer.

 

[Whitrzac]

Depends how long of a dive you're doing and how cold is cold.
45-60min, probably get away with just an arctic
60-90min, halo+ base layer
longer, halo, xerotherm, heated vest
For reference, I did a dive this week that was 2hrs long, 38*F bottom and 40*f deco. Halo, j2, heated vest, 8mm hood, thick wool socks/gloves, and i was ****ing cold at the end.
Did the same dive the next day but had a 50* thermocline at 60ft and was perfectly fine.

 

[grf88]

Making sure that hands and feet are also warm also helps. I use Alpaca socks and Ragg wool glove liners.

 

[jborg]

The waterproof Nord X300 and the Fourth Element AR. What do you think about those? Do you have any other suggestion?

No personal experience of either unfortunately but I dive the predecessor to the Nord, the 300g Warmtec HD. That, with Merino unders, ski glove liners and skiing socks, a 7/10mm hood, is just about adequate. At ~4C/39F winter temperature here I get cold at around ~45 minutes and seriously, uncomfortably cold at ~60 minutes, and every winter I tell myself that next winter I'm going to look into a heated undersuit. Or at least heated gloves. It's not too late for this season...

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Weezle Extreme+ is perfect for Canada. I wear the Weezle Extreme for all of my dives at God's Pocket in British Columbia. All of the dives there are 8°C year-round.

 

[grf88]

Weezle Extreme+ is perfect for Canada. I wear the Weezle Extreme for all of my dives at God's Pocket in British Columbia. All of the dives there are 8°C year-round.

That's over 46 F, he is asking about very cold water. 46 is what we bask in when we come up through the thermocline.

 

[gmerick]

Carhart coveralls, and thinsulate boot liners. You really don't need High Dollar brand names, just go to a farm supply store. Even snowmobile suits work well under a dry suit. the warmest suit I have is Ice Armour.

 

[Jimchris]

I've had great success layering a Stanfields (made in Canada) wool onesie underneath the thermal fusion. When that isn't enough I'll wear the wool as a base, heated vest over the base, thermal fusion over top.