You’ve just bought your shiny, brand new drysuit, but the question now is what to wear underneath it, and what are the best drysuit undergarments available? Whether you’re a recreational diver diving in cold water or a technical diver used to deep diving, choosing the right undersuit is crucial to enjoying your diving.
Staying warm but avoiding overheating in the water is a joint effort between the drysuit and the undersuit. Looking around there are plenty of options available, all promising to keep you warm, but ultimately which ones are the best?
One of our big goals here at The Adventure Junkies is to make your life easier when it comes to gear shopping. In this guide, we’ll walk you through which drysuit undergarments are the best, and when and where you can best use them.
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO FIND THE BEST DRYSUIT UNDERGARMENTS
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DRYSUIT UNDERGARMENTS 101
4 THINGS TO CONSIDER TO FIND THE BEST DRYSUIT UNDERGARMENTS
1. WARMTH
The key factor when choosing the best drysuit undergarment is how warm they can keep you for the type of diving you are doing. Since minor leaks are a fact of life when diving with a drysuit, it is crucially important to know whether your undergarment will still keep you warm when it is wet.
2. LAYERING
On land, layering your clothing is key to staying warm, and it’s no different underwater. Multiple layers are far more effective for maintaining thermal protection. The best drysuit undergarments can be layered as part of a bigger system—providing warmth and flexibility no matter what the water temperature or diving conditions. One drawback to look out for is that with layering, the undergarment can end up being very bulky and hinder movement and performance, and even negatively affect your buoyancy control.
3. DESIGN & MATERIAL
There are several accessories that make life so much easier when using a drysuit. The best drysuit undergarments have foot and thumb loops that prevent the suit from rolling up your limbs when you’ve zipped up your drysuit. They should also make it relatively easy to route hoses from P-valves. The material the suit is made from is also important since it should wick away moisture and keep the diver’s skin dry throughout the dive.
4. COST
It’s a fact of life—cost does play a part in determining whether you buy a suit or not and whether you can justify the cost. A dive professional making several hundred dives a year might opt for a very expensive suit, whilst someone who only does 10-15 dives per year might find the price prohibitive.
Photo provided by Aqua Lung
DRYSUIT UNDERGARMENT REVIEWS
1. BEST MULTI-USE DRYSUIT UNDERGARMENT
FOUTH ELEMENT XEROTHERM
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | LeisurePro
BEST FOR: Ideal for use in warmer waters, when thick undersuits are not necessary, also great for layering especially with the Fourth Element Halo 3-D
WOMEN’S VERSION: The undersuits are unisex and will stretch to the individual’s body
KEY FEATURES: 3 parts, trousers with leg loops, and top with thumb loops to help when putting on the drysuit. Also, comes with socks that fit snuggly over the trouser loops
MATERIAL: Made from Polartec Powerstretch material which was originally developed for Nasa
PROS: Good layering, wicks away moisture, very warm even on its own, very light and easy to put on, and keeps you warm even when wet
CONS: Somewhat expensive, requires more complicated care, not ideal routing when using a P-valve
BARE SB SYSTEM TOP
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | LeisurePro
BEST FOR: Ideal for use as a base layer, can also be used on its own in warmer temperate waters, or with a neoprene drysuit
WOMEN’S VERSION: Bare SB System Top
KEY FEATURES: Pocket on the right arm, which makes taking your keys or any other items with you a breeze
MATERIAL: 3 layers of fleece-like material, which stretches to match the body’s contours, plus anti-microbial properties
PROS: Anti-microbial property great for against the skin layer, lightweight, and wicks away moisture
CONS: No thumb loops—making putting it on more difficult, somewhat expensive
BARE SB SYSTEM PANTS
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | LeisurePro
BEST FOR: The bottom part of the SB Base layer top is ideal for use as a base, and can be used on its own in warmer waters, or in colder water with a neoprene drysuit
WOMEN’S VERSION: Bare SB System Pants
KEY FEATURES: Leg loops make it easy to put on and prevents the legs from rolling up when putting on the dry suit
MATERIAL: Same as base layer top, 3 layers of fleece, which will stretch to match your body shape, and has the same anti-microbial properties as the top layer
PROS: The anti-microbial property is great addition for a layer that sits against your skin, lightweight, and wicks away moisture
CONS: Somewhat expensive, routing the hose from a P-valve can be somewhat difficult
2. BEST MID WEIGHT DRY SUIT UNDERGARMENTS
FOURTH ELEMENT ARCTIC
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | LeisurePro
BEST FOR: Ideal for colder waters when used alone, when combined with the Xerotherm can be used in very cold waters
WOMEN’S VERSION: Fourth Element Arctic
KEY FEATURES: Thumb and foot loops make it easier to put on the drysuit, will continue to provide warmth even after minor leaks
MATERIAL: Dual layer fleece-like material, that provides great insulation whilst being lightweight
PROS: Very warm, lightweight, and combines very well with Fourth Element base layers, stays warm when wet
CONS: Somewhat expensive, does not offer ideal routing for a P-valve, and can take a while to dry
BARE SB SYSTEM MID LAYER
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | LeisurePro
BEST FOR: Ideal for colder waters when combined with the SB base layers
WOMEN’S VERSION: Bare SB System Mid Layer
KEY FEATURES: Leg loops, single pocket and 2 way zip
MATERIAL: 4-way stretch polyester/spandex fleece
PROS: Warm, snug fitting, leg loops make donning the drysuits much easier, pocket makes storing keys and cards easier
CONS: Expensive, zip angle makes routing the P-valve hose more difficult, no thumb loops
SCUBAPRO CLIMASPHERE
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | LeisurePro
BEST FOR: Diving in temperate and cold waters, by choosing to wear either one or both layers
WOMEN’S VERSION: Unisex
KEY FEATURES: 2-piece suit with a full body undersuit, and a shorty-like top for additional warmth, thumb and foot loops, neoprene ankle and wrist cuffs
MATERIAL: Fleece material, that stretches to match the diver’s body shape
PROS: Two-piece gives more flexibility, cuffs and loops make putting the drysuit on much easier
CONS: Two-piece design can be bulky around the midriff, chest and shoulders area, not easy to route a P-valve, somewhat heavy
3. BEST HEAVY LAYER UNDERGARMENT
FOURTH ELEMENT HALO 3D
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | LeisurePro
BEST FOR: Cold water diving, or ultra-long dives in temperate waters, ideal for combining with the Xerotherm base layer
WOMEN’S VERSION: Fourth Element Halo3D
KEY FEATURES: Thumb and foot loops, right arm pockets, P-valve holes, three-layer construction with SPACETEK insulated panels
MATERIAL: Dual layered stretch material with SPACETEK panels
PROS: Super warm even when soaking wet, pockets, thumb and foot loops make donning the drysuit very easy, P-Valve holes allow for easy routing of the hoses
CONS: Expensive, can be bulky especially when worn with base layer
WATERPROOF WARMTEC HD
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | LeisurePro
BEST FOR: Cold water diving
WOMEN’S VERSION: Unisex
KEY FEATURES: 4 pockets, thumb and foot loops
MATERIAL: Outer shell: 100% nylon taffeta 210T polyurethane silver coated; lining: polyester fiber with scald surface
PROS: Very warm, great value for money, thumb and foot loops facilitate putting on the drysuit
CONS: Thick material means it can be cumbersome
BARE HI-LOFT POLARWEAR EXTREME
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | LeisurePro
BEST FOR: Cold water diving
WOMEN’S VERSION: Bare Hi-Loft Polar Wear Extreme
KEY FEATURES: Two-way zipper, thumb and foot loops, and Thinsulate panelling
MATERIAL: Fleece material with HYDROSTRETCH panels, and Thinsulate around the torso
PROS: Super warm, two-way zip allows for easy P-valve routing
CONS: Expensive, can be quite bulky
Now, We’d Love to Hear from You! What Undergarment Do You Use With Your Drysuit, and What Do You Think Is The Best Drysuit Undergarment?
Disclosure: The Adventure Junkies is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost for you. We also use other programs like REI, LeisurePro and others to keep our site independent. You can read more about how do we review here.
The post The 9 Best Drysuit Undergarments of 2016 appeared first on The Adventure Junkies.
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