What's The Best Thin & Warm Undersuit? #askmark
Erik H
@erikh1019
#ASKMARK I’m in need of a drysuit undersuit/undergarments set. I dive at 1°C in a rental neoprene drysuit, but might get a trilam. I want thin a undersuit for the flexibility and minimal weight requirement, but still want maximum warmth (especially for cold hands and feet). Thinking of heated suits, gloves and socks by Santi, SmartTex, Thermalution or Heizteufel, but am interested in the FE Halo AR. Thoughts and suggestions?
#scuba #scubadiving #scubadiver
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Weezle Extreme+ is very popular undersuit here in Finland, as bottom temperatures are in +4C range all year round.
It’s the gas the undersuit traps that keeps the diver warm. Therefore there’s no such thing as thin and warm undersuit.
#AskMark I have 50 dives, I’m about to do my rescue course and I’ve done everything so far in rental gear. I want to dive all year round in the UK, and during summer in warmer places like the Mediterranean. I need to buy a few bits of diving equipment. Purely theoretically, if you needed the following items and money was no object, which brands/models would you buy?
Regs (incl octo, accessories etc)
Drysuit (incl hood, boots, gloves etc)
Undersuit
Wetsuit (3mm shortie and 5mm full. Or just skip this and use drysuit only?)
BCD (I’m aiming to go backplate and wing)
Computer + integrated air transmitter (I’m only intending to do air/nitrox. No 200m cave dives for me!)
Cylinder(s)
I’ve got all the other accessories as they were the cheaper bits. Essentially, I want to be a fully independent diver in terms of gear, so i can maximise my dives in the UK, and reduce costs over time.
Thanks!
(Love your content by the way. You’re my go to dive guru!)
*Regs* – Scubapro or Atomic. Scubapro have an octo offer on right now so you can save some money. I like the Scubapro Mk25 G260, I just like it as a regulator.
*Drysuit* – I like the new Seal SL01, Waterproof and Santi Drysuits. Scubapro also have a drysuit offer on right now and they make some nice drysuits and undersuits.
You can wear a a drysuit year-round here in the UK, It’s been a while since I’ve worn my 5mm but, my 2.5mm shorty does get some use from time to time on holiday. I use a FE Xenos. AquaLung have some nice Neoprene, as do Scubapro.
*BP/W* – XDEEP Zen or the Mares XR Single Backmount set. The Mares XR is a bit more traditional and compatible with other brands. XDEEP is more of a modern design but you can still add extras and upgrade, you just need to check compatibility a bit more.
*Computer* – Suunto EON Core, Scubapro Luna 2.0 or the Shearwater Perdix if money is no object. The replaceable AA battery means you don’t need to trade in the computer when the rechargeable battery doesn’t charge.
*Cylinders* – Here in the UK a Steel 12L Tall 232bar is the standard. Aluminium cylinders are great but you need more lead so you might as well dive a steel cylinder.
@Scuba Diver Magazine Thanks very much! I’ve looked at a Perdix lovingly. It’s easy to say as a beginner diver but I don’t think I’m going to use exciting gas mixes, and go full tech… but my “good intentions” could be accidentally forgotten because I have the diving bug really bad!
What about DUI gear?
DUI’s great, it’s harder to get hold of here so it doesn’t pop into my mind when I think about drysuits. They have a huge presence in the US but not so much on the other side of the pond.
Hi Mark, I think I’ve now perused most of your content, across all channels, going back a decade or so, and I’m bewildered as to why you’ve never mentioned Seaskin. No love lost with your compatriotic brethren? Asking as I’ll be getting my suit from them next month. #askmark #noneedforavideojustcurious #whyareyounotontwitterforthesekindofquestions
I love supporting local but with a global audience, I don’t know where divers are located and whether they can get hold of equipment without a dealer network.
In denmark with 0c diving in the winter I use Fourth Element base layer like Mark but with the Santi BZ200 heated undersuit, its not quite so bulky as the BZ400 which requires a possible larger size drysuit and extra weights.
Its important to have battery that can last your total dive time. So a fully heated BZ200 suit uses naturally way more power than the Santi vest therefore invest in a larger battery if you are going that way. Hope that helps.
Hej John, which club are you part of? I’m with KDK myself.
@Sebastian Lauwers Hi Sebastian, I am a member of the Aquanauts in Helsingor as I live close by. I dive mainly at Trykkerdam, its so convenient only 15 mins drive. How about you?
@john Miskin Trykkerdammen is the dive site I’ve explored the most in DK. I’m based in CPH; KDK is in Nørrebro. I mostly do shore dives all along the Sound and now getting more into boat diving with the club. Maybe see you around!
@Sebastian Lauwers Great video with the octopus. I have an ok one filmed in Mallorca on my channel. I am from the UK and drive a Toyota Rav4 silver and am often at Trykkerdam so if you are there say hi be good to meet you.
#askmark Hi I am in the process of buying my first set of dive kit. I have all the essentials, Mask, Fins, Wetuit, Computer… Just starting to think about Regulators and Transmitters but not looking to get a BCD yet. If i go on dive holidays how are most travel dive centers/ liveaboards about using the rental BCD LP hose on personal First stage, or attaching transmitter to rental set of Regs.. Thanks Evan
It’s not a tricky procedure to add and swap hoses. That being said, if you have your own regs just buy a standard 65cm QD BCD hose and you’ll never need to worry, they’re only about £30.
If you’re renting regs again, it’s pretty easy to pop a transmitter on a 1st stage. However, some 1st stages only have a single HP port so you’d have to sacrifice your SPG which some dive centres may not like.
It’s best to contact them first just to ask the question as each dive centre will be different.
#askmark where can I get one of the “emotional support bolt snap” T-shirts that can be seen in older videos?
We’re working on it. I designed that for Simply Scuba but, they’re not making it anymore. I just need some time to come up with a new design
#askmark could you do a video showing the set up of a BPW with shoulder clips? YouTube is swamped with BPW videos of one piece DIR harnesses but none with breaks. I have terrible shoulder movement so could slip out of a one piece in a dry suit. Even a video showing clips with breaks and one piece with clips with excess?
Yeah, I’ll see what I can do, you also have sliding loops like the Agir Harpa Loop to tighten shoulder straps. I think I have some clips of the Mares XR Single Cylinder Set.
Scubapro also have some new adjustable buckles on their new harnesses: https://youtu.be/2pHrqEdVTF8?t=63
#ASKMARK
Good day! I’m fairly new to SCUBA and recently got my OW certification a few months back. I find myself very confused with both online and in-person advice I’ve received concerning air consumption in relation to extending bottom time as it appears to be at odds with buoyancy control principles. Or, pehaps I’m missing part of the equation.
Basically, I’ve been told to breathe both shallower and slowly to extend bottom time and to also maintain neutral buoyancy. PADI and other sources though say to breathe slowly and deeply so as to maximize gas exchange. Can you breathe slowly and deeply in such a way that you don’t have wild swings in buoyancy and also extend bottom time?
Thank you!
Yes, it’s all of the above really. My breathing style varies during different phases of the dive. Deep breaths for most of the dive but, shallow breathing if I need any fine tuning. Breathing efficiency comes with experience and calmness in the water.
One benefit of buoyancy changes with your breathing pattern is that there’s a slight delay between the time you inhale and the time you start to ascend. So your depth shouldn’t change very much by the time that you’re exhaling again. If you find wild changes to your buoyancy and you’re adjusting your BCD frequently during the dive it could be that you’re wearing too much lead and too much air in your BCD.