Which undersuit?

[johnryan]

Long story about the suit. Was supposed to be made to measure but somebody told me this one was perfect for my size. Cuffs like a wizards sleeve etc...... Jogging 5k bi-nightly so the suit ain't shrinking:-)
Anyway I'll just have to try thinner stuff like 4th element or rugby thermals but was hoping there was a magic wand somewhere.
I'll be divorced if I even mention a new suit. The Twinset and wing was nearly the last straw. Women just don't understand.......

[Stephen McMullan]

Yep, there's an old joke. Rebreather diver says he's been given an ultimatum by the wife. Either the gear goes or she leaves. He misses her but the diving is great

[corkharbour]

I am thinking about getting new undergarments and a major concern for me is performance while wet.

I had to suffer really badly last week when I had a complete failure of the drysuit neck seal and my Notherndiver wolly bear didnt do squat for me.

I NEVER want to be hypotermic again but if i have to deco in a flooded suit what undergarment will actually keep me warm while wet.

I am leaning towards a layering system of 4th element xeroterm and 4th element artic complete with socks from both ranges.

Has anyone here experianced flooding in irish winter waters for extended periods of time?

[Phillipspaul]

I've never had a serious flooding but had my fair share of leaks. Never noticed really till after the dive how much water my undersuit had absorbed and didn't seem to feel any colder than usual. I have the arctic's and you could wring then out :-  really need to sort out that leaky inflator value!

[corkharbour]

Thanks for your story, it seems to add to the whole list of good reports about the artics, I'm tempted to get a set and carry out a test at shallow depth. I've never been so wreaked in all my life. Anyone else got a flooded story where the undergarment helped our did exactly what it said on the tin?

[Stewart Andrews]

A young lad I dived with put a 5mm hole just above the knee while scootering in 130m and completed his full 23? min bottom time. He was cold after another 4+ hours but not hypothermic in a completely flooded 2.5? mm suit.
Good result for the arctic and zerotherm layers.

[baza]

That nappy did help to slow the progress of water for a while atleast on that dive.... Can't recommend O'three dry suits and Arctics more for deco diving after two 4hr plus floods in over 100m. 

[baza]

I should say, I also have the O'three long johns under my normal fourth element under suits for any long dives.

[gadget]

i tried the artics last weekend in sdw on a 90 min night dive and they got plenty wet on the sleeves
and i had to wring them out after
have to say that i was sweating even after 30 mins of deco
so i bought the xeroterm instead   

[Chris Byrne]

Tried out the Artics last weekend aswell def wasnt sweating but god there warm.

God 30mins gadget you must have got a good bottom time and well past 30m to rack up that 
 

[Scubadec / Dec Hanniffy]

i tried the artics last weekend in sdw on a 90 min night dive and they got plenty wet on the sleeves
and i had to wring them out after
have to say that i was sweating even after 30 mins of deco
so i bought the xeroterm instead   

Did you leave the Thumb loops on?

[Chris Byrne]

Haha no was looking at them thinking WTF

[Sidemount Ninja]

Got the Fourth Element Halo from Rory in Flagship (great service btw!) and by comparison with arctics alone it is much warmer. Hard to put a figure on how much better but probably would double the time underwater prior to feeling too cold. I'll pair it with the arctics next time I'm in Portroe and see how that works out.

Down side of the halo on its on (compared to arctics) is the extra 4kg needed to sink it.  Was very comfortable around the chest and thighs though, the spacetek stuff does its job well.

[Stephen McMullan]

Where / how long did you dive it Aaron? Twice as warm as Artics is a big claim. Need to back that one up.... 

[Cathal_M]

Stephen - did you say you had Fourth element Halo 3D?   What's that like in comparrison to the artics?   It looks a fair bit bulkier.