Cold in a Dry Suit....what to do?

[wreckweasel]

Decent thermal base layer (under a 200gm undersuit you could easily fit some 4th element stuff).

Cheap options;

1. A decent nights sleep (you'll be suprised)
2. Eat some slow release carbs etc for breakfast and eat pre dive.
3. A new hood. Most hoods are compressed a fair bit after just 1 year... your heads a massive radiator.
4. decent gloves (scubapro do a nice 5mm glove with a double seal arrangement, personally I use 3 finger mitts when it gets really cold (others swear by dry gloves, I mostly swear AT dry gloves).
5. Keep warm pre-dive, sounds stupid but its amazing how many people dont!!

[Buoyant Babe]

Originally Posted by Mal Bridgeman

obviously wait a bit of time so you don't scold yourself

Yes, you don't want to be giving yourself a good telling off now, do you?


Not a cheap option, but my recent dives in 7 degree Stoney with Di's membrane saw me lovely and warm with three layers of Fourth Element Base Layer, Xerothem and Arctics on top. If I'd had just the Arctics on the bottom I reckon I'd have been sorted (I only had Xerotherms and Base Layer on my legs). Being warm on top for the whole 45 min dives was a deciding factor in me going back to membrane.

[daveb0000]

Originally Posted by tom

I'd say it was similar to a 200g (I've found it about as warm as a standard Otter 200g 'synthulate')

I was just curious because i use a Xerotherm top and bottoms with the sox's under a o'three ri and manage a hour in the pit of the ndac ok, i'm not baking hot by any means but its ok the time i get cold is on the second dive when i have been hanging around in a wet (on the outside)dry suit.
so if they are only 200 g then one of the Xcelcius - Mens Megatherm Long Sleeve Top [XMT01] 330gsm tops would be the muts nuts so to speak.

[tom]

Originally Posted by daveb0000

I was just curious because i use a Xerotherm top and bottoms with the sox's under a o'three ri and manage a hour in the pit of the ndac ok, i'm not baking hot by any means but its ok the time i get cold is on the second dive when i have been hanging around in a wet (on the outside)dry suit.
so if they are only 200 g then one of the Xcelcius - Mens Megatherm Long Sleeve Top [XMT01] 330gsm tops would be the muts nuts so to speak.

not sure that figure means the same thing though? seems very unlikely that the top in the picture would be equivalent to a 300+ thinsulate. Still, it's pretty cheap so try it and tell us

[alrhem]

If you have to keep warm pre dive - please explain that if you are camping (sleeping bag etc) you cool your feet before you go to bed?

The theory says your body says - ah my feet are, pump blood
Then withyour feet tucked in teh bottom of your sleeping bag they warm teh whole thing!


As for the hood thing -- 25%of your body heat as standard is lost through your head and a further 15% from your neck....

[Paul Burgess]

Three finger mitts are great if your hands are a bit cold. I have got the Poseidon ones.

I was surprised to find that I didn't really need ring and little fingers on a dive!

[Mark]

Originally Posted by Paul dives in water

I am looking for some YD wisdom....

I was at Stoney today, the water was 7deg and I froze my ..... Off.

I dive in a ND Cortex (great yellow membrane suit - always dry) with a 200g under-suit and was wondering what people think I should do, because a cold dive means I use more air and less time in the water.


(One of my Buddies has an 03-neo dry-suit and claims he was toasty warm....)

Baring in mind that I’m still on a student budget, what do you think my best option ? an extra layer under my 200g? any good value thermals you can recommend?

(There is an old Introduction in the forum somewhere, Summary: BSAC sports diver at Loughborough University)

Hi Paul,

I have a 200g DUI Thinsulate and I found it was too cold even when wearing 4th Element Arctics under it in the winter at Stoney. I got a 400g suit and that is very warm (I wear HH thermals and a 4thE Xerotherm top under it in the winter). I don't think you will be able to wear enough under the 200g suit to be comfortable in 5-7 degree water.

A quailty hood and dry gloves will help a bit.

Cheers,

Mark.

[Angleseyskipper]

maplins heated vest is doing it for me on a membrane suit this time of year, will be wearing it again this weekend warm as toast and all for the huge sum of £22 quid no contest.
runs for 2 1/2 hours approx
For the nanny state place both battery packs in plastic zip seal bags ,push the jack plug thru the bottom of the bag and zip tie bag round cable tight.
flood proof.
elfyn

[Depth-junkie]

YO beeeitches,

My winter warm gear consisits of a DUI CF200x drysuit, 4th element xerotherm vest and top (i.e 2 base layers on body)

xerotherm socks, followed by a weezel extreme plus undersuit and booties. I also use the 5mm posedion 3 finger mits ( i hate dry gloves, and the mits are very warm and still give you decent control over things in your hands/ clips etc, i honestly feel that the mits are warmer than drygloves in my experiance of using both)

Dived to 71m in dotty last sunday ( 4c of water )with an hours dive time. No problems with cold other than my feet start to feel it around the hour mark but body etc are toasty warm, could quite easy do 90mins if i really felt the need.

For summer i leave off the 4th element vest/top and socks and just go with the weezel undersuit and booties. And revert back to my 3mm gloves.





ATB
Gareth

[Frankie Price]

I was in Stoney Wed night (7 deg) and had a couple of good dives in my new Arctic Commercial 200 Synthulate and Otter Britannic. Never felt the cold at all.
Added a couple of kilos to my weight belt though and kept a bit more air in the suit during the dives.