Drysuit question

[Rick Fisher]

Hello ..

I operate a 7.7m Rhib in Canada. This time of year there are lots of beautiful but cold days that I would like to go out, but its cold.

I've been considering getting a dry suit, wearing some warm under it. If I go out alone and end up in the water this time of year, without proper attire I won't last long even with a VHF to call for help.

The survival suits seem really bulky. Does anyone wear a dry suit ?

[GuyC]

A surprising number of people on here wear dry suits as a matter of course. There is often a discussion about it so if you do a search for dry suit on here, there will be quite a lot of info / opinion.

Keeping warm - motorcycling has similar issues in that wearing sufficient layers to keep you warm results in everything becoming bulky. One answer is heated clothing. I'm assuming in Canada that something like snowmobile clothing will have heated options.

[beerbelly]

most folk i know wear a surface water sport dry suit the sort of thing wild water kayaker,s wear breathable but waterproof and when its chilly i wear a woolly bear type under fleece .
https://www.wetsuitoutlet.co.uk/2020...0-p-26827.html

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by GuyC

A surprising number of people on here wear dry suits as a matter of course. There is often a discussion about it so if you do a search for dry suit on here, there will be quite a lot of info / opinion.

It's not really surprising. If you are launching from a trailer most people struggle to do that and stay 100% dry...

Keeping warm - motorcycling has similar issues in that wearing sufficient layers to keep you warm results in everything becoming bulky. One answer is heated clothing. I'm assuming in Canada that something like snowmobile clothing will have heated options.

Not gonna work if he is in the water!

[Rick Fisher]

Thanks for the replies. I did a search and read old articles, lots of experience here. I think I will bite the bullet and buy the dry suit. A buddy of mine who winter wind surfs said with a proper drysuit and under clothing I would starve to death before i died of hypothermia ...

[jeffstevens763@g]

i wear one even in summer plenty of layers is the key and a suit made to measure with plenty of room in it

[Chunk]

Yes, always a dry suit.
Was on a commercial rescue course recently and the latest facts blew my view on cold water. In the UK with a life jacket and non flushing clothes it could take between 15 and 17 hours for hypothermia to kill you...but:
56% of deaths happen the first 3 minutes due to cold water shock and cardiac failure (when wearing normal flushing clothes)
Another 24% die within 30 mins if not wearing a life jacket due to swim failure.

Basically if you wear a life jacket and a dry suit (and to lesser degree Sailing Foulies) you massively increase survivability rate.

(Flushing clothes were described as normal everyday loose clothing that allows water to ‘flush’ in and out. Taking away heat.)

[The Gurnard]

A drysuit for me too.

I learned my lesson the hard way , a few years ago, when I capsized a kayak a mile off shore in mid December near Millport, Scotland. I was wearing simple waterproofs on top of layers of woollen and cotton clothes.

So I know first hand the gasp reflex when you first go under, I know how quickly I lost my arm strength trying to get back into the kayak over its rear deck while my two companions rafted beside it.

I know the feeling of hypothermia making me feel drunk after only 10 minutes in the water. I also know as soon as I got to the shore, fifteen minutes later, my problems had only just begun. I collapsed in a heap after being on dry land for only a couple of minutes. It was the bitter cold wind cutting into sodden clothing that was now worse than the relative warmth of the freezing cold winter sea.

I doubt if I would be writing this today if it had not been for my companions being better prepared than myself. They put me in a survival bag that stopped the wind chill. They put me in their spare dry clothes as I didn’t even carry a change of clothes back then .. then gave me hot soup until I started to feel better.

I confess .. I have fallen in since, when wearing my drysuit.. clambered back into the boat and continued on my adventure ... non the worse for my surprise dip.

Its the best piece of boating clothing I have ever bought.

[hyndlandguy]

I did lots of research on here before buying my Drysuit a couple of months ago. Thanks to the folks on here I went with a Typhoon Multisport 4 with the option of a thermal undersuit. The quality is brilliant, and I am really pleased with it. Seems there are a lot of substandard suits out there, but Typhoon appears to have the best reputation.

[M.Thornton]

My son even sunbathes in his Typoon!

[HDAV]

Don’t forget to upgrade your pfd for the added weight of the suit most recommend a 275 for drysuit users consider a tear and added water weight in a leg etc.....

[GuyC]

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

It's not really surprising. If you are launching from a trailer most people struggle to do that and stay 100% dry...


Not gonna work if he is in the water!

You need to tell these people!

https://dansdiveshop.ca/product/sant...ted-undersuit/

...and in Canada too.

[GuyC]

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

Not gonna work if he is in the water!

You need to tell these people!

https://dansdiveshop.ca/product/sant...ted-undersuit/

...and in Canada too.

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by HDAV

Don’t forget to upgrade your pfd for the added weight of the suit most recommend a 275 for drysuit users consider a tear and added water weight in a leg etc.....

Nothing to do with a year. A tear just gives you foulies.

It's the air in your feet that stops you being rolled onto your back to clear your airway.

With 275... Swimming is impossible.

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by GuyC

You need to tell these people!

https://dansdiveshop.ca/product/sant...ted-undersuit/

...and in Canada too.

I hadnt
Grasped that you were wearing under a dry suit ramlther than foulies...
Gonna get toasty!!

[GuyC]

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

Nothing to do with a year. A tear just gives you foulies.

It's the air in your feet that stops you being rolled onto your back to clear your airway.

With 275... Swimming is impossible.

https://www.seafish.org/media/Publications/SR587.pdf

Whilst the report is nearly fifteen years old, it's still quite interesting and backs up Shiny Shoes comments.

[jeffstevens763@g]

id also add head protection too lot of heat lost there a kayak neoprene caps with chin strap are very good not expensive

https://www.nswatersports.co.uk/clot...3/headwear-c87

[GuyC]

From the website Jeff linked to, what's that designed to stop heat escaping from?

Even the description causes puerile sniggering.

[Nico501]

I use a typhon ps330 to dry when I launch my rib, (use life jachet with too)

[smallribber]

What about this Crew Saver Dry Suit

https://www.wetsuitoutlet.co.uk/2020-crewsaver-atacama-sport-drysuit-including-undersuit-red-black-6555-p-22619.html?a={5}42

Any one any views on these