Drysuit decisions.....

   I'm a slightly plump sweaty person (wow, I must be a catch) who finds breathability important. Trouble is, they put it where the BA covers the suit, which must then stop it working, mostly.

As for sweaty feet, I find it comes from all over and runs down, so the choice is between wet feet or it pooling round the ankle. 6 of one, 1/2 dozen of the other...

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Rupert Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 11 Aug 04 Location: Whitefriars sc Online Status: Offline Posts: 8956	Post Options Post Reply Quote Rupert Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Drysuit decisions..... Posted: 10 Nov 14 at 11:10am
	I'm a slightly plump sweaty person (wow, I must be a catch) who finds breathability important. Trouble is, they put it where the BA covers the suit, which must then stop it working, mostly. As for sweaty feet, I find it comes from all over and runs down, so the choice is between wet feet or it pooling round the ankle. 6 of one, 1/2 dozen of the other...
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Medway Maniac Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 13 May 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 2788	Post Options Post Reply Quote Medway Maniac Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 10 Nov 14 at 10:45am
	Wore my 1992 Piel drysuit (with feet) yesterday on a calm, sunny day in a F.2. By no means necessary, but I was feeling wimpy. It isn't breathable but I wore a polyprop base with fleece layer over it and was perfectly comfortable all day, both on the water and in the clubhouse at lunchtime. Sure, there was some condensation on the inside of the suit when I took it off but nothing I'd noticed previously, ad. it was gone in a short while after I hung the suit on a hanger when I got home. I am absolutely unconvinced of the desirability of a breathable suit and feel no need for one, esp as people always seem to be complaining that they soon leak or are colder. Caveat: I am a cold mortal with a lowish bmi, and thus a high surface area:mass ratio. Sweaty fatties may need a different approach, so I'm not saying this is a solution for everyone. But if you're skinny...
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iGRF Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 07 Mar 11 Location: Hythe Online Status: Offline Posts: 6499	Post Options Post Reply Quote iGRF Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 10 Nov 14 at 10:25am
	By choice I'd go for ankle seals rather than the latex boots that I've got on my current suit. When I was selling gloves for a living we got given a little phial which they filled with water and explained that's how much water came from one hand (or foot) during any given hour so unless there was a high level of goretex style breathability anything that encased them would inevitably contain that much water. Hence your clammy feet, so with extremities its essential they either breath or you use the moisture to advantage wetsuit style, so wetsuit booties would be warmer. I've yet to come across a truly breathable death bag and the problem comes with saltwater blocking the pores of Goretex style membranes anyway so the water builds in the suit and drains to your feet, at least with ankle seals you can periodically vent it Just my three happorth on the subject, I've seen some new systems that they are using in the kitesurf world, two piece suits built to be super crash proof, Ive not tried one yet, they're super expensive, but it's a world where development seems to have been a lot slower than mountain and snow wear so long overdue a catch up imv. Edited by iGRF - 10 Nov 14 at 10:26am
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Rupert Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 11 Aug 04 Location: Whitefriars sc Online Status: Offline Posts: 8956	Post Options Post Reply Quote Rupert Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 08 Nov 14 at 11:25am
	If size 9, go for size 11, not 10. Years ago I had one with the feet sticking out. Never again.
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didlydon Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Far too distracted from work Joined: 15 Oct 08 Location: Margate England Online Status: Offline Posts: 280	Post Options Post Reply Quote didlydon Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 08 Nov 14 at 10:22am
	Hammonds offer latex cuffs or latex feet & it seems the majority of users have the feet, but I wondered just how warm your tootsies stayed with neoprene socks under your regular dinghy boots with the layer of water between...& be more comfortable? I'm a size 9 so I suppose I could get more boots in 10 & go the latex feet / plastic bag/ boot route! Decisions decisions..........!! Thanks for all the input so far chaps...
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Rupert Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 11 Aug 04 Location: Whitefriars sc Online Status: Offline Posts: 8956	Post Options Post Reply Quote Rupert Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 08 Nov 14 at 9:55am
	I replaced my own neoprene wrist seals at the beginning of the season (I'd bought the suit 2nd hand the year before, and one was torn) and it wasn't too hard. Taking the old ones off was the most difficult bit, but I managed without leaving too much glue on the iron... The feet are a little too small, so my next task will be to replace them, but kinda waiting till I have to. They are latex - can I replace them with cloth, or do they have to be on a suit from new?
	Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686

Medway Maniac Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 13 May 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 2788	Post Options Post Reply Quote Medway Maniac Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 08 Nov 14 at 9:47am
	Have you already decided on whether it's latex or neoprene for the cuff and neck seals? I've now switched to neoprene. Definitely not as good a seal for a given amount of strangling, but good enough for dinghy sailing imho, and it does save me the biennial (it seemed) trip to Hammonds to have them replaced.
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Paramedic Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 27 Jan 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 929	Post Options Post Reply Quote Paramedic Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 08 Nov 14 at 8:14am
	Talcom powder works well to get in and out of boots and helps protect the latex.

The Moo Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 01 Jun 06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 809	Post Options Post Reply Quote The Moo Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 08 Nov 14 at 7:52am
	Oversize dinghy boots (I think mine might even be 3 sizes up!) and a pair of ordinary socks over the latex. Feet are toast and I am still nimble on my feet. My wife wears my summer size boots over her drysuit feet.

Medway Maniac Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 13 May 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 2788	Post Options Post Reply Quote Medway Maniac Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 07 Nov 14 at 9:58pm
	The boots you wear over built-in drysuit feet need to be big enough not to squeeze your feet, so I buy supersize (think Coco the Clown) dinghy boots and just live with my feet slopping about in them in the summer. The well-heeled (literally!) could have summer and winter pairs - they all wear out eventually, after all. Under the drysuit feet, I wear polyprop liner socks and Musto hot socks. No more cold feet (except in my mental approach). I'll second the freezer bag idea, but find the free bags used in supermarkets to put your fruit and veg in are ideally thin and slippery. Also helps deal with the mounting pile of such bags gathering in my veg drawer (I've even started taking them back to the supermarket to re-use them - gives me a warm enviro-glow!)
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