Undersuit layering?

[adam f]

My new set of Artics dont quite cut the mustard under membrane suit, so Ive decided to layer up with a set of the thinner Xerotherms.

Q - does it matter which way I layer them? My Artics are Medium and a close fit, so my plan was to bung the Xerotherms over the top.

Will this work OK?

[IanDennis]

Adam

fourth element :: technical >> xerotherm arctic

The Xerotherms normally go under the arctic's, as they are designed as a base layer to trap air and wick away moisture.

I under to wear this combination before moving over to a santi 400grm .

HTH

Ian

[weazelz]

Originally Posted by adam f

My new set of Artics dont quite cut the mustard under membrane suit, so Ive decided to layer up with a set of the thinner Xerotherms.

Q - does it matter which way I layer them? My Artics are Medium and a close fit, so my plan was to bung the Xerotherms over the top.

Will this work OK?

thinnest next to the skin. would you wear a t-shirt over a thick jumper?

at the moment (5C water) I find my arctic leggings fine on their own, but I'm wearing a xerotherm top next to my skin & a xerotherm vest over that, both under my arctic top

[Bardo]

As Ian said - wear the Xerotherms against the skin and then put the Artics over the top - should be quite a toasty combination! Personally I'm waiting for the new Fourth Element SubZero suit which is basically an Artic on steroids! Specially designed for use with membrane drysuits, I honestly think that it'll be a viable alternative to a bulky 400gm thinsulate...

[IanDennis]

The subzero does look interesting but I have to say that the Santi has been really impressive so far, I now have two - 1 400grm and one thinner one for summer dives. They also do great liners for drygloves and thermal socks.

Xerotherms plus Santi and drygloves makes for a warm dive.

Clare is a Santi dealer if anybody is interested. I think Mark Powell has been trying out the subzero but official launch date not until March.

HTH

Ian

[Howard Payne]

Iain Smith who I've just done my Cave course with had a Santi 200gm made to measure under suit which was a lot less bulky than a 400gm and would make a really toasty combination with a set of Arctics. MTM for not a lot more than a hundred quid. I think most of the trick is keeping head hands and feet warm as well. I have a 5/7mm Waterproof hood, Xerotherm hotsocks as well as artic booties and dry gloves. Works wonders. You carry a lot less bioprene than me Adam - might mean you're always colder and need a bit more in the way of baselayers. I swear by drygloves in the winter - they make a huge difference. HTH

[nickb]

If the Arctics are already a close fit it might not be a good idea to try and squeeze something as thick as standard xerotherms underneath.

Try some proper base layer thermals like Helly Hanson LIFA; these have much better 'wicking' properties than Xerotherms and might just be enough.

Failing that I can see no problems with wearing Arctics under regular Xerotherms. Apart from aesthetics I can't see anything wrong with wearing a T-shirt over a sweater. I regularly slip a thin fleece over the top of thicker layers when I'm skiing. In fact, if you have a North Face style fleece lying about why not try that over the Arctics first and see how you get on.