I've sworn by semi-drys as being less complicated, less messing about and cheaper, but having seen this and your drysuit vid, and finding my semi-dry has inexplicably shrunk a few sizes during lockdown for unknown reasons, I am getting sold on the idea of one :) - Plus preserving my as always impeccable levels of feminine grace and dignity in while extricating myself from what one can only be described as BDSM cosplay gone wrong and also trying to dry off and get dressed in middle of a muddy car park might be harder than it used to be as well....
Diving in cold Baltic waters I've used Santi BZ400 undersuit and heated undergloves especially during the spring dives. You mentioned heated undersuit and west but not gloves. Those are fantastic for a person like me with cold hands and not very thick.
Hey Mark; A few years back I just happened to find some Merino wool socks at WalMart. I bought four pairs. I don't recall the price but seems they were less than five dollars. My feet have been fine ever since. I highly reccomend these socks.
Great job, Mark, as usual. I don't have a dry suit as yet, but your tutelage has gotten me to seriously consider acquiring one. What I do have is a well-made 8/6mm Pinnacle semi-dry suit purchased some years back but hardly used and still in great shape. Its pretty warm for diving in San Diego but it does get chilly from time to time here (chilly for us is just comfy for UK, I know!). The suit is bulky obviously, relatively speaking, and not as stretchy as contemporary suits, to say nothing of buoyant, which it is. I am contemplating a thinner suit, and would greatly appreciate an intro review of the undersuits now available to bolster wet suit warmness, such as offerings from Pinnacle, et al, for those occasions where flexible 5mm is nice but not quite warm enough. Info on sock, glove, and hood products of this nature too, would be useful. Many thanks! Keep up the good work, i am learning a great deal from your efforts. 🐠🤿
Hey Mark Really enjoying your videos. I do alot of cold water diving 2 Celsius and my feet get cold at that temperature i usually only do no more than a 30 minute dive i thought i might try some rechargeable boot insoles. any thoughts on my little experiment 🤔 Cheers Ray
Hi Mark great video I have taken the leap and awaiting delivery of my made to measure o’three neoprene dry suit. Any chance of a video on cleaning caring and maintaining dry suits keep up the good work thanks Mark
Hello, could you make a video on the Hollis Katana 2? Just break it down and explain the features and what you like and dislike about it. There's no one on UA-cam right now with any review of this side mount BC
Hey Mark, not sure if this should be here, or in the discussion about your cold water gear, but here goes.... I've recently returned to the UK, and am buying my first drysuit. I have a 5mm wetsuit that goes down to roughly 18°C. You wear the Santi BZ400X undersuit, which according to the Santi info is suitable from 12 to 0°C. Do you find this to be too warm to wear from 18 to 12°C? Do you wear a base layer under the suit at these "higher" temperatures? And if so what kind? Do you find at lower temps, or longer dives that you need to change to a more thermal base layer, or double up base layers? Or do you add something else, such as a heated jacket, a specific garment for your body core, or anything like that? Thanks in advance for your input. **** I am aware that the listed temperatures are guides only, and that so much of this is all about personal preference, cold tolerances and dive duration, but I'm just looking for your personal experiences here, not going to hold you to anything.
No, I've only ever seen pictures. I was hoping to see a sample early this year but lockdown put an end to that. I did speak to FE a few years back and they were experimenting with embedding things inside their material back then which probably lead to this
Great video Mark! What is your opinion for FE arctic as a base layer and the Santi bz400x combined for 0 degrees water? Will it be ok or is it a bit too much? About the gloves system, how easy is it to put the si-tech quick glove systems? What is your opinion for SI-TECH in general? They told me it is the best fit for the BARE drysuit, any comment on that?
No, Rash Vests are built to protect you from the sun and marine scrapes & stings so they have quite a tight, flat weave. Baselayers will be a bit lighter to keep your skin dry. You could wear a rash vest as a base layer under your undersuit to prevent rubbing but it wouldn't be as good as a Baselayer for warmth.
When you are speaking about cold waters you mean below 14°C? I’m really interested in buying a dry suit, but I already own a semidry and I wonder if it’s worth the investment.
Yeah, I tend to wear my drysuit in waters below 20°C. The colder it gets the more layers I use underneath. If you're comfortable in your semi-dry then stick with it, but if you're surfacing with blue lips or want to expand your range then maybe look into drysuits. But don't ignore everything else you own if it's working for your diving right now
Hi Mark. How would you decide between the XL4 und XTX50? I like the compactness and looks of the XL4 but the XTX50 does have the flow control and is such an widely used regulator. Thanks!
For a primary, I'm not overly worried about about breathing adjustment. I only tend to use it for storage. Both are lovely regulators, so you won't be disappointed either way. For me, the main difference is in the 1st stage. The XL4 and the + comes with a DS4 1st stage, but you can buy the XTX50 with the DST 1st stage which increases hose routing. For stage tanks the XL4 is perfect, for twins and singles I'd want to fit them to a different 1st stage
@@SafeDivingHi Mark, thanks a lot for your answer and help! Very much appreciated! Since I'll be diving in colder water, I thought abaout buying the Octo-Combo of the XL4 and add a DST as my second first stage. That should help a lot with hose routing and I can put it all onto the DST if I'm in warmer water. Thanks again!
I've sworn by semi-drys as being less complicated, less messing about and cheaper, but having seen this and your drysuit vid, and finding my semi-dry has inexplicably shrunk a few sizes during lockdown for unknown reasons, I am getting sold on the idea of one :) - Plus preserving my as always impeccable levels of feminine grace and dignity in while extricating myself from what one can only be described as BDSM cosplay gone wrong and also trying to dry off and get dressed in middle of a muddy car park might be harder than it used to be as well....
Thank you for these topics! Couple weeks later I will buy all personal diving gear. So it's so valuable for me :)
Diving in cold Baltic waters I've used Santi BZ400 undersuit and heated undergloves especially during the spring dives. You mentioned heated undersuit and west but not gloves. Those are fantastic for a person like me with cold hands and not very thick.
Hey Mark; A few years back I just happened to find some Merino wool socks at WalMart. I bought four pairs. I don't recall the price but seems they were less than five dollars. My feet have been fine ever since. I highly reccomend these socks.
Great job, Mark, as usual. I don't have a dry suit as yet, but your tutelage has gotten me to seriously consider acquiring one.
What I do have is a well-made 8/6mm Pinnacle semi-dry suit purchased some years back but hardly used and still in great shape. Its pretty warm for diving in San Diego but it does get chilly from time to time here (chilly for us is just comfy for UK, I know!). The suit is bulky obviously, relatively speaking, and not as stretchy as contemporary suits, to say nothing of buoyant, which it is.
I am contemplating a thinner suit, and would greatly appreciate an intro review of the undersuits now available to bolster wet suit warmness, such as offerings from Pinnacle, et al, for those occasions where flexible 5mm is nice but not quite warm enough. Info on sock, glove, and hood products of this nature too, would be useful.
Many thanks!
Keep up the good work, i am learning a great deal from your efforts. 🐠🤿
What the best way to clean all dive gear. 🤘🏻
Its weird ... a video from you not saying the standard welcome real real high ... but I am stoked about finding it !
Hey Mark! Congrats for your personal channel, really enjoy watching all your vids,
Maybe more light would really look cool!
Keep going mate!
Great insight, thanks
Hey Mark
Really enjoying your videos. I do alot of cold water diving 2 Celsius and my feet get cold at that temperature i usually only do no more than a 30 minute dive i thought i might try some rechargeable boot insoles. any thoughts on my little experiment 🤔
Cheers
Ray
I found some great dry glove under-gloves at TOG24, basically thin fleece. They're warmer than the Kubi woolly ones and still good for dexterity.
Hi Mark great video I have taken the leap and awaiting delivery of my made to measure o’three neoprene dry suit. Any chance of a video on cleaning caring and maintaining dry suits keep up the good work thanks Mark
Excellent info!! Thanks :)
that was great, thank you
Also talked about how it compares to the X deep stealth 2.0 Tech
Great topic mark.
Hello, could you make a video on the Hollis Katana 2? Just break it down and explain the features and what you like and dislike about it. There's no one on UA-cam right now with any review of this side mount BC
Hey Mark, not sure if this should be here, or in the discussion about your cold water gear, but here goes....
I've recently returned to the UK, and am buying my first drysuit. I have a 5mm wetsuit that goes down to roughly 18°C.
You wear the Santi BZ400X undersuit, which according to the Santi info is suitable from 12 to 0°C.
Do you find this to be too warm to wear from 18 to 12°C?
Do you wear a base layer under the suit at these "higher" temperatures? And if so what kind?
Do you find at lower temps, or longer dives that you need to change to a more thermal base layer, or double up base layers? Or do you add something else, such as a heated jacket, a specific garment for your body core, or anything like that?
Thanks in advance for your input.
**** I am aware that the listed temperatures are guides only, and that so much of this is all about personal preference, cold tolerances and dive duration, but I'm just looking for your personal experiences here, not going to hold you to anything.
I'm to the point of just going dry suit year around to keep from having to get a few new wetsuits
What layer do you prefere for 24 to 18 degrees water i go to malta in oktober
Hi Mark. Great to see you back. Have you had any experience with the new fourth Element halo AR under suit. ?
No, I've only ever seen pictures. I was hoping to see a sample early this year but lockdown put an end to that.
I did speak to FE a few years back and they were experimenting with embedding things inside their material back then which probably lead to this
Great subject!
Great video Mark!
What is your opinion for FE arctic as a base layer and the Santi bz400x combined for 0 degrees water?
Will it be ok or is it a bit too much?
About the gloves system, how easy is it to put the si-tech quick glove systems?
What is your opinion for SI-TECH in general? They told me it is the best fit for the BARE drysuit, any comment on that?
Hey Mark! Thanks for the great channel. Quick q on the base layers: are they the same as rash vest? Tks
No, Rash Vests are built to protect you from the sun and marine scrapes & stings so they have quite a tight, flat weave. Baselayers will be a bit lighter to keep your skin dry.
You could wear a rash vest as a base layer under your undersuit to prevent rubbing but it wouldn't be as good as a Baselayer for warmth.
Tks!
Can you dive in egypt with a drysuit i see many people wearing one when diving egypt ?
Sure, you need to make sure that you won't overheat on the surface but, a drysuit isn't a bad idea for longer or deeper dives to stay warm.
When you are speaking about cold waters you mean below 14°C? I’m really interested in buying a dry suit, but I already own a semidry and I wonder if it’s worth the investment.
Yeah, I tend to wear my drysuit in waters below 20°C. The colder it gets the more layers I use underneath.
If you're comfortable in your semi-dry then stick with it, but if you're surfacing with blue lips or want to expand your range then maybe look into drysuits.
But don't ignore everything else you own if it's working for your diving right now
Are base layers the same as cold weather thermals?
Pretty much, I've worn Helly Hansen baselayers before. Something that's made to be worn against the skin to keep you dry should do you fine
Hi Mark. How would you decide between the XL4 und XTX50? I like the compactness and looks of the XL4 but the XTX50 does have the flow control and is such an widely used regulator. Thanks!
For a primary, I'm not overly worried about about breathing adjustment. I only tend to use it for storage.
Both are lovely regulators, so you won't be disappointed either way.
For me, the main difference is in the 1st stage. The XL4 and the + comes with a DS4 1st stage, but you can buy the XTX50 with the DST 1st stage which increases hose routing.
For stage tanks the XL4 is perfect, for twins and singles I'd want to fit them to a different 1st stage
@@SafeDivingHi Mark, thanks a lot for your answer and help! Very much appreciated! Since I'll be diving in colder water, I thought abaout buying the Octo-Combo of the XL4 and add a DST as my second first stage. That should help a lot with hose routing and I can put it all onto the DST if I'm in warmer water. Thanks again!