weezle to xerotherm - weight change?

[edward]

I'm changing from my weezle extreme to xerotherm arctics under my seaskin trilam suit. I'm expecting to have to add a base layer under the xerotherms at this time of year, just as i do with the weezle, so the only change is xerotherms instead of the weezle.

I'm expecting to be able to loose a bit of weight from the belt, so two questions really:

1) Is this true?

2) if so roughly how much? (at the moment I need 12kg to hold a 3m stop with nearly empty cylinders)

Obviously, I'm going to do a weight check, but I'd value anybodys comments and/or opinions.

cheers

[SilvaFish]

Between my Weezle extreme +, and my new undersuit (warmer, yet thinner), I have taken 2 kg off my belt, and still feel a tad heavy.

HTH's,
Lou

[purple vonny]

I swapped my weezle for xerotherm arctics in the summer and only managed to lose 1kg off the belt. At a push I could have taken 2kg off but I would have been pretty floaty at the end of the dive.

I thought the weight reduction would have been more.

[Ding Dang Doo]

I lost 1kg - tried to take two off, but was picking rocks up at the end of the dive as I felt myself becoming a bit too floaty.

Best thing I ever did though, change to the Xerotherm... you can actually feel the air migrating around the suit, whereas with the Weezle it just kept getting trapped in places - also, I have a cuff dump, and this used to get blocked a bit by the Weezle (even tried taping the sleeve of it up to hold it away from the dump).

Don't forget the wicking properties of the Xerotherm - if you wear anything else, it should really be over it not next to your skin.

Pete

[edward]

Hi Vonny et al

Thanks for your replies. This rather tallies with my thoughts that it will be a small reduction at most - not the 4-6kg that fourth element claim may be possible. I was a bit suspicious about that anyway. Doesn't matter really, as I'm not changing for that reason, more to avoid the cold spots I've been getting with the weezle.

Anyway, I'm firmly in the 'you need what you need' school of weighting - I was just after a general feeling. I think I'll just jump in with my old weight and then do a good check at the end of the dive.

As an aside, one of my pet hates is the 'I use less weight than you' pissing competitions some divers seem to have as I think it can sometimes lead to people diving underweighted just because of peer pressure to use less weight. We are all of such different shapes and size we can't all need the same....

Cheers

Paul

[MidnightCowboy]

Just my 2 penneth, but added 2kg when moving from weezle to artics. I must just be a weirdo !!!

[sailorbuoy]

Originally Posted by Ding Dang Doo

Don't forget the wicking properties of the Xerotherm - if you wear anything else, it should really be over it not next to your skin.

Pete

Can't comment on the weight loss thing as I have only ever used my Artics...

As for wicking this is true unless you use a decent set of wicking thermals... i use helly hansens which are good, and a merino wool base layer in the deep darks depths of winter. For me the best combination is silk bottoms and merino top under the artics - best price i have found for luvverly silk undies and merino gear is at NZ Nature - fantastic customer service too all the way from New Zealand....

My 2p....

[Silent Diver]

Originally Posted by Ding Dang Doo

Don't forget the wicking properties of the Xerotherm - if you wear anything else, it should really be over it not next to your skin.
Pete

Unless of course you get the Fourth Element Dry Base which is designed to be worn under either the Xerotherms or the Arctics.