Thermulate me!

I was Gambling the other day and he told me essentially that he's tired of seeing me with my drysuit issues and I should start diving wet. How's that for a start to your day? Don't worry, it ended with someone telling me they are not returning a large loan. Great day.

I digress.

He said that I should dive wet and consider: http://www.thermalution.com/pro_water.html. Does anyone have any experience with these things?
I'm not sure I'm ready to convert back to wet but I'm interested in gathering any information. What say thee?

(Actually it was rebreather related and not really my drysuit issues.)

I think it might be a great idea for the person out there that can't wear a drysuit without getting soaked, Rodger T Metal Detector and is still cold in a 7 mil What is the cost? It might also be a good choice for those that are good during the dive in a 5 mil but get cold on deco. The 7 mil is a bit restrictive.

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Originally Posted by whodunit68

I was Gambling the other day and he told me essentially that he's tired of seeing me with my drysuit issues and I should start diving wet. How's that for a start to your day? Don't worry, it ended with someone telling me they are not returning a large loan. Great day.

I digress.

He said that I should dive wet and consider: http://www.thermalution.com/pro_water.html. Does anyone have any experience with these things?
I'm not sure I'm ready to convert back to wet but I'm interested in gathering any information. What say thee?

(Actually it was rebreather related and not really my drysuit issues.)

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A wetsuit has always struck me as a drysuit that was defective from the factory.

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Originally Posted by whodunit68

I was Gambling the other day and he told me essentially that he's tired of seeing me with my drysuit issues and I should start diving wet. How's that for a start to your day? Don't worry, it ended with someone telling me they are not returning a large loan. Great day.

I digress.

He said that I should dive wet and consider: http://www.thermalution.com/pro_water.html. Does anyone have any experience with these things?
I'm not sure I'm ready to convert back to wet but I'm interested in gathering any information. What say thee?

(Actually it was rebreather related and not really my drysuit issues.)

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Wow, if I had such a bad day I'd probably take up rebreather diving to kill myself too.

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Originally Posted by whodunit68

with my drysuit issues

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What issues? I've been diving dry for almost fifteen years and have never had anything beyond a minor annoyance.

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Originally Posted by Slüdge

What issues? I've been diving dry for almost fifteen years and have never had anything beyond a minor annoyance.

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There are several. Fit is the biggest issue as even with custom, they just can't get it right. Because fit is not right, there may be extra strain on other parts of the suit. I've also had no success at all with p-valves. I do not want to start a discussion about p-valves. I rarely use them but my question is about the Thermulate. I spend too much time Gambling rather than diving.
Gamble (gÃ#mbél)
v. gam·bled, gam·bling, gam·bles
1.
a. To bet on an uncertain outcome, as of a contest.
b. To play a game of chance for stakes.
2. To take a risk in the hope of gaining an advantage or a benefit.
3. To engage in reckless or hazardous behavior: You are gambling with your health by continuing to smoke.
(www.thefreedictionary.com)

James and Richard, thank you for your rich, thought-inspiring, productive feedback. Without it, I think I would just ....

Curt - I'm not sure but Gamble said something like $600-$700. So, all in, it's about $1000 or about 50% or less the cost of a good drysuit.

by the way, Curt, while I'm not looking for metal, I am doing mostly 3-4.5 hour dives. When I was diving wet, which I did successfully for a couple years, I usually was only slightly chilled at the end though the colder Marianna and river water did make a difference.

Again, back to Thermulate - does anyone have any experience with it?

What about the redundant buoyancy that a dry suit provides? Warmth is only part of it.

I remember a recent thread on the deco stop concerning the Thermulate. Search there if you don't get many replies here. Florida cave water is a bit warm for a electric thermals.

skip

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Originally Posted by whodunit68

Again, back to Thermulate - does anyone have any experience with it?

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You mean you are considering using this vest with a wetsuit? Isn't is powered by a LiPo battery? Even though it may be more or less sealed from leakage, I can not imagine they tested it at 7-10 bar where you would likely use it.
Personally I would not want a battery inside my suit, wet or dry :)
I'm thinking that maybe you might consider a Seaskin suit. The quality is very good for the price and they do a very good job at custom fitting, since that's all they do. I'm sure that if you have someone measure you properly, someonw who knows how to do it, it will be a good fit and will last.

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Originally Posted by skip

What about the redundant buoyancy that a dry suit provides? Warmth is only part of it.

I remember a recent thread on the deco stop concerning the Thermulate. Search there if you don't get many replies here. Florida cave water is a bit warm for a electric thermals.

skip

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My wings are all dual bladder.
Anyone use these things?

You know I'd hate to get off topic since you've gotten so much information specific to your topic, but i had a thought.

Those people that swim the english channel always have some sort of thick jelly stuff on them. It could be vaseline, maybe lard. I just dont know. Maybe look into that. It'd be way cheaper.

Ok. Now back to the relevant responses.


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You can't go wrong with a new custom sized flx for winter and a cheap 7mm for summer

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Originally Posted by rddvet

You know I'd hate to get off topic since you've gotten so much information specific to your topic, but i had a thought.

Those people that swim the english channel always have some sort of thick jelly stuff on them. It could be vaseline, maybe lard. I just dont know. Maybe look into that. It'd be way cheaper.

Ok. Now back to the relevant responses.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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:)

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Originally Posted by mdax

You can't go wrong with a new custom sized flx for winter and a cheap 7mm for summer

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Yes I can. Anyone who has used the Thermate?

Dive wet by choice. I try my Dick Long signature series cf200 once or twice a year. Usually in January then back to my custom AquaFlite one piece 5 mil. I also use a duel bladder Nomad. Ken


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Anyone who has used the Thermulation?

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Originally Posted by Slüdge

What issues? I've been diving dry for almost fifteen years and have never had anything beyond a minor annoyance.

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You need to dive my dad's drysuit Bob 2 (Bare shell suit).

looks cool any idea on price. I missed it on the link

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Originally Posted by MichaelAngelo

looks cool any idea on price. I missed it on the link

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$899 for the full body version for drysuit use....$799 for the top of the line vest that can be used under a wetsuit....http://www.heatedwetsuits.com/thermalution-red-grade/

Holy crap!! I hope those make your trim perfect, provide you with gills, and light up the cave while they're at it! $900 for something to go under a wetsuit or drysuit? No wonder you're not getting any reviews!

The bottom line is how many watts of heat these garments transfer to the diver and I can't seem to find that important fact on their website. Based on the small battery size and the claimed burntime, I can't imagine it's very much. A typical heated vest will transfer around 50 watts to the diver.

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Originally Posted by victorzamora

Holy crap!! I hope those make your trim perfect, provide you with gills, and light up the cave while they're at it! $900 for something to go under a wetsuit or drysuit? No wonder you're not getting any reviews!

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We're all very different in how we look at things but I have a suspicion he may look at it the same way I do. Nobodys happy spending $900 if they dont have to but if it solves all of your problems and doesnt create new ones it would be worth it. It seems as though he's frustrated with drysuit issues after multiple tries with different suits, and so if he can be comfortable and safe diving wet then thats what hes looking for.

I dont mean to be speaking for him, but you need to remember some people like me will happily spend more money on something that does exactly what they want, even if others think its pricey.

Kinda like the old halcyon jokes. Lots think they're grossly overpriced and you pay the "H" tax but I think their wings are worth every penny and more.




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Originally Posted by jcr

The bottom line is how many watts of heat these garments transfer to the diver and I can't seem to find that important fact on their website. Based on the small battery size and the claimed burntime, I can't imagine it's very much. A typical heated vest will transfer around 50 watts to the diver.

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Here is a link to a test of several heated wetsuit vests:http://www.heatedwetsuitreviews.com/

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Originally Posted by rddvet

Some people like me will happily spend more money on something that does exactly what they want, even if others think its pricey.

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No, I get that. I was raised with the mentality: "Buy nice, or buy twice" and that buying nice from the get go will save money in the long run because you'll only be buying it once. I'm cheap where I can be so I can splurge when I need to. However, this seems like an unnecessarily expensive item. Regardless of whether it works well for HIM or not, you won't find a ton of buyers for this. Of those, you won't find a lot of people wanting to write well-done reviews. Of those, fewer still will be on this board. If this works well for you, and you're willing to pay (or you're just THAT sick of drysuits) then this seems like a fairly high-quality product, and I'd love to hear from personal experiences with it as well. I just don't think there will be very many at that price point.

Review sounds great for the Thermalution. I for one would buy one in a minute if they worked well. After much trial and failure, trips to see The Great Gamble only to see him cringe and say "No way" when it comes to staying dry. My wrist leaks with every seal known to man. Pull and glide means "the water is a little cool coming in my arm" and hooking up a stage is a cold bath for the forearm. Reaching up results in the nice cold water running in the chest. Standing up when getting out means everything down below gets soaks.
I started making shorter dives in a wet suit long ago to avoid a drysuit. To make several drysuit dives I own 3 sets of underwear because of the leakage issues. Spending a grand is not that much money considering I paid 650 for a flashlight to cave dive. Not to mention the money we spend to buy an electric motor to drag us around.
I wish a drysuit was only a "minor annoyance" as Sludge said.

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Originally Posted by rddvet

We're all very different in how we look at things but I have a suspicion he may look at it the same way I do. Nobodys happy spending $900 if they dont have to but if it solves all of your problems and doesnt create new ones it would be worth it. It seems as though he's frustrated with drysuit issues after multiple tries with different suits, and so if he can be comfortable and safe diving wet then thats what hes looking for.

I dont mean to be speaking for him, but you need to remember some people like me will happily spend more money on something that does exactly what they want, even if others think its pricey.

Kinda like the old halcyon jokes. Lots think they're grossly overpriced and you pay the "H" tax but I think their wings are worth every penny and more.
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well stated.

Let us know how it works. I'd be up for one. D.H.

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Originally Posted by Wizard

I own 3 sets of underwear because of the leakage issues.

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LOL.

I am still trying to dive up here the water temp is now less than 40f. I will think of buying the one to fit under the dry suit as soon as I come up with the bucks. It looks like a good fix as the others have wires that to be run through your suit. Just hope the discharge rate does not overheat the battery. Would not want a fire inside.


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Boys, Boys, Boys: If you need a "Wetsuit Heater" THE LAST damn thing that you want is some POS LiPo battery that you can't access, i.e. stored under your main wetsuit. I mean, think about that nightmare for a minute (when Mr. Battery decides to go tits-up or you want to turn it off during a dive). :mad:

I spent quite a bit of time researching what was out there for our Dive Shop and finally came up with one that works!!; For at least me, as well as the other who have used it. The unit will work both wet or dry. It is the Solar Wetsuit Heating Unit that is exclusively made by UTD: http://www.utdequipment.com/new/page...ies/solar.html

We became a UTD Dealer just to be able to sell this unit to our Open Water customers, however you can buy it directly through UTD on-line for the same price we would sell it for, which is $279.95. I take a little comfort in the fact that this wetsuit heater is being marketed and sold by a technical diving outfit and not some "surfer-dude" store on amazon.com. You power it using an external battery source; For the cave crew, I recommend getting the Light Monkey 10AH EO corded Heater Battery. LM is about to release a canister top that gives you the option of a number of outputs by simply flipping the switch. I am using/evaluating that lid right now and it is GREAT: http://www.lightmonkey.us/#!10-ah-conversion/c19we Without going into the math, I'll just say that the burn time for this baby at full blast is equivalent to running a 35 watt HID for about 2 1/2 hours. For those folk who insist on using them Death Boxes for the 10 hour cave dives, LM has larger batteries as well. UTD does make an external battery for this unit, but it's a little less in amps and (IMHO) it's harder to butt-mount it in a typical rear mounted battery side mount configuration; at least for me.

This thing works great for the conditions that we find ourselves in for the overhead. You can mash it, twist with it, load cylinders on it....whatever. any 9 mil wetsuit fits just fine over it. For some, who may want to use the heating unit for their front area, you can wear it backwards. It adjusts through the elastic cummerbund that comes with it. You can run the supplied standard EO cord out the sleeve, out the neck, or in any location that you want by putting a small hole in the wetsuit. And if you really want to be a wetsuit bad-ass, you can also buy one of several connection bulkheads that are currently used for drysuits.

So there you have it. More worthless advice from Crazy Jack.:smt100

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Originally Posted by Greenwood_60

LOL.

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Walked into that one, duh. Cave water Jason, cave water.

I think I'm trying one Saturday. I'll let you know. :)

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Originally Posted by whodunit68

I was Gambling the other day and he told me essentially that he's tired of seeing me with my drysuit issues and I should start diving wet. How's that for a start to your day? Don't worry, it ended with someone telling me they are not returning a large loan. Great day.

I digress.

He said that I should dive wet and consider: http://www.thermalution.com/pro_water.html. Does anyone have any experience with these things?
I'm not sure I'm ready to convert back to wet but I'm interested in gathering any information. What say thee?

(Actually it was rebreather related and not really my drysuit issues.)

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I also have some interest in something like this, but it isn't because I want to switch from my drysuit (even though I think about it from time to time out of pure convenience).
Something like this might work really well for some of the sump diving I'm getting into. We dive wet because there isn't enough room to carry a drysuit to where we go, not that it would survive the trip, but that 40 degree water is rough!

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Originally Posted by stickydeco

I spent quite a bit of time researching what was out there for our Dive Shop and finally came up with one that works!!; For at least me, as well as the other who have used it. The unit will work both wet or dry. It is the Solar Wetsuit Heating Unit that is exclusively made by UTD: http://www.utdequipment.com/new/page...ies/solar.html

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Thanks for telling us about this UTD heater, I never would have thought to look at their stuff. This looks like a reasonable product.

Does anybody have any comments on where to get the EO connector that plugs into their vest? I have a canlight I could convert over, just need the plug. If anybody had a marshall part number or other source that would be helpful. I know LM and maybe some others will convert my canister over, but I'd rather stick with the battery that I have for now.

I think a heated vest could add a very comfortable safety margin to sump diving and add a nice level of comfort to Florida diving too for those longer dives.

-Jon

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Originally Posted by jlillest

Thanks for telling us about this UTD heater, I never would have thought to look at their stuff. This looks like a reasonable product.

Does anybody have any comments on where to get the EO connector that plugs into their vest? I have a canlight I could convert over, just need the plug. If anybody had a marshall part number or other source that would be helpful. I know LM and maybe some others will convert my canister over, but I'd rather stick with the battery that I have for now.

I think a heated vest could add a very comfortable safety margin to sump diving and add a nice level of comfort to Florida diving too for those longer dives.

-Jon

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That UTD one does look pretty nice, might be exactly what we need Jon! It looks like it might be a little more bulky to pack, but it seems a little more rugged and evenly heated than the others. Thanks for sharing!

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Originally Posted by jlillest

If anybody had a marshall part number or other source that would be helpful.

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Marshall Underwater makes real E/O connectors like these. (Series 51)
http://marshallunderwater.com/wp-con...ble/26-5MC.PNG

The picture below is not an E/O connector no matter how many gear manufacturers try to tell you it is. It is made by AK Industries, who calls it their "diver series" connector. Electro-Oceanics (where E/O comes from) designed the original banded pin connector above and was bought/went out of business more than a decade before AK started making the "diver series" connector. Unfortunately someone without a clue started calling the "diver series" connector an "E/O" and more clueless people followed suit. If you call up an underwater connector manufacturer (SeaCon, MacArtney, Marshall, Impulse, etc.) and ordered an E/O connector (since many of them make banded pin connectors identical to the original E/O design), you would get the superior banded pin connector above, not the inferior hermaphrodite thing below.

http://www.ak-ind.com/diver/new_dive...neup_sized.jpg

Connector rant over...

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Originally Posted by Wizard

Review sounds great for the Thermalution. I for one would buy one in a minute if they worked well. After much trial and failure, trips to see The Great Gamble only to see him cringe and say "No way" when it comes to staying dry. My wrist leaks with every seal known to man. Pull and glide means "the water is a little cool coming in my arm" and hooking up a stage is a cold bath for the forearm. Reaching up results in the nice cold water running in the chest. Standing up when getting out means everything down below gets soaks.
I started making shorter dives in a wet suit long ago to avoid a drysuit. To make several drysuit dives I own 3 sets of underwear because of the leakage issues. Spending a grand is not that much money considering I paid 650 for a flashlight to cave dive. Not to mention the money we spend to buy an electric motor to drag us around.
I wish a drysuit was only a "minor annoyance" as Sludge said.

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Exactly!