Undergarment FL

[ARY]

More like a blog question. It is Florida. I use tech silk undees (pants and shirt) and so far i didn't experience cold discomfort on my average dives runtime 1.5-2 hrs. The suit is trilam. I'm headed for some longer dives now and would like to hear the public opinion on undees. Is thinsulate 200 good enough orshould i rather look at 400? Is there any special care issues w/thinsulate versa weezle, which is more practical?

[FW]

It mainly depends on whether you are swimming, or on a scooter. Long dives on a scooter require 400g Thinsulate. That is way to hot, if you have to swim.

It is easier to wash Weezle, but Thinsulate can be washed, gently. Use Clorox NOT detergent.

[skip]

weezle requires air to fluff them up to insulate, more squeeze means less insulation.

thinsulate does not require air fluffing.

I use weezle extreme (not the plus) in florida caves. 68-72F. and am comfortable, even with 20-30min of deco.

I add a polyester layer under weezle or switch to 400g thinsulate for the Tennessee and Missouri caves (55F).

Then in the deep cold quarries (35-40F), I use the thinsulate with the polyester layer under.

No scooter, just swimming.

The 400g thinsulate restricts motion quite a bit and I sometimes have to add a bit more air to be able to puff up my arms to reach the valves.

-skip

[Webmaster]

It really depends on what you feel comfortable with. I only use very thin lightweight polypro under my trilam suit in FL. But up here I use 200g fleece.

You might want to do a few test dives to see what you like. Maybe see if you can borrow the garment you're thinking about to see how you feel with it in the water before you buy.

If I were going heavier I would be looking for something with thinsulate. I've seen a number of folks switch to 400g fleece and have all kinds of buoyancy problems because of the loft. You might be able to find a deal on something not specifically 'made' for diving too. I got my fleece on sale at REI.

[ARY]

Thanks guys. I ordered thinsulate 200g based on consideration that i'll still be burning calories for few years before i get a scooter.

[DeWayne]

You have to love Marbry's reply after seeing him crawl into 50 degree water waering nothing but a beat up 3 mil wetsuit :lol: What he said is dead on though, different folks will see different results from different garments. For me 400gr thinsulate is far too hot unles it is freezing outside, and even then I will start sweating in it once I move around some. I have been using the DR Polarfill (their answer to Weezle) and have come to love the stuff. Perfect for FL cave temps and I am not having to inflate my suit beyond taking the squeeze off a bit.