Is a wet open cell suit the easiest to put on & take of?

[Lambis]

I've just done some tests with some samples that Elios have send me.

I wanted to find out which material is easier to put on.
(O.K. I know that with samples is not really the best way to test this but I have not access to suits of all that different kind of material).

What suprised me after reading the forum was that:
a: When the material was dry the superelasting lining was very very easy following the Gold coating and the Open Cell was inposible. BUT when the material was wet the open cell became
very very slipery and the other materials get stuckt very easy.

I was really suprice the open cell in wet conditions is so "slimy"
and so easy to put on.

Is open cell if it is wet is the easiest material to put on & take of?

I havent try a open cell but if it is true open cell is the way to go.

motionsync

 

[Beaky]

Open cell vs superelastic lining

I would say that dry superelatic lining is by far the easiest to put on! Putting open cell on with only water (no extra lubrication) works ok if you are in the water, but not on land.

I have no experience with gold coating, but if I should rate the others, this would be it, with the easiest first:

Dry superelastic
Lubed open cell
Wet superelastic
Open cell while in the water
Wet open cell (very difficult, if at all possible)
Dry open cell (impossible)

// Johnny

 

[Lambis]

Hello Johny

Yes you are absolut right. Dry superelatic lining is the easiest to put on!

But lubed open cell is more easy that i was thinking.


What I mean is that if you whant a suit that you use in warm courtrys (Greece, Agypt) and you acess the water from the land or boat a 3mm open Cell /Elastic lining outside is a nice choice.
Especially if (like me) you have a house 100m from the sea.

But from Sweden cold days, (drive to lakes,) there is open Cell = "mission imposible"
In Sweden I think that 5mm elastc lining inside is the choice.

Greatings from Malmö

Motionsync

 

[Beaky]

I have a 5mm suit with superelastic interior lining (and smoothskin outside) which I use for "colder" diving. It's a good suit, but if I had to replace it I would definitely go with open cell instead!

You could lube up the suit at the diving site while wearing warm clothes and then get into it almost as easily as with a "superelastic" suit! The advantage ofcourse being that the suit will be warmer and more flexible in the water.

If you are planning on putting the suit on at home before you go to the dive site, I can see why you wouldn't want to lube the suit to get it on though!

// Johnny

 

[Per]

Having been really cold for some time now, I'm about to buy a new suit. I wonder how easy an open-cell suit is to put on/take off with a thin shorty underneath.

Does the shorty really help, or should I just get a lined suit like Cressis supercompetition... Anyone tried this?

/Per, Malmoe.

BTW, has anyone dived the West Harbour area without dodging fishing hooks?

 

[Lambis]

Hello Per and welcome to the Forum.
I nice to see that I am not alone. I am living to in Malmoe Sweden !!

Motionsync

 

[AlanC]

Originally posted by Per

Does the shorty really help, or should I just get a lined suit like Cressis supercompetition... Anyone tried this?

I've just got a cressi supercompetition and can get it on and off no problems dry.

Alan

 

[bluecape]

Diving in 9 degree water with 5mm open-cell. Use a shampoo / water lube mixture, real easy to get on and off.

Cheers

jeff

 

[Per]

Thanks! I've been looking at Sporasub Diabolo as an alternative to Supercompetition - anyone ever tried this suit? How much rocks and rough bottom does it stand?

Motionsync - thanks! Seems like one's a bit alone from time to time down here...

 

[dallasdiver]

I have never had a suit that was tight enough where I needed any lube to get into yet, which probley explains why I get cold. When you say that you use shampoo to lube up to get in your suit, does the soap bother your skin after several hours or does the soap rinse out while freediving?

 

[donny]

Dallas-

I'm no expert but I do use a picasso open cell suit that is tight on me, I'm a big guy but the suit is supposed to fit tight. It is comfortable and I definitely need to 'lube up'. It doesn't wash off as only 50%(at the most) of my body even gets wet after a 1-2 hour dive. I don't have any problem with irritation but some people might and you could change the 'lube' to suit you. I use the cheapest hair conditioner I can find mixed with water.

I've had this suit for only severel months but It is far far warmer and more comfortable than similar thickness closed cell suits. I dive in water in the mid to high 50's so far.

 

[Veronika]

What is the water-to-shampoo-ratio that you guys are using ?
I got an open cell suit last month and it was a real struggle to get it on.
I even thought about using the gel that is normally used for ultrasonic testing :duh . It is cheap, does not harm the skin, is water soluble and biodegradable :hmm ...

 

[flyboy748]

Veronica,
I use one part conditioner/3 parts water. I've tried shampoo and it pries out the skin to much. Less comfortable. I put the conditioner/water mix in a spraybottle, and that works well for me.

Per,
I have a Cressi Supercomp, and it truly is a great suit. The water around here is 32-34F (0-1 C) and I last an hour at least. My suit has about 30 dives so far, and is still brand new. No cuts anywhere in spite of a few tumbles on the rocky shore, and lots of brushes with the high population of zebra mussles here! My supercomp is as warm as my Picasso 7mm bio-seal suit, and a bit more comfortable, and definatly more durable!

I just did a dive in Flordia with my supercomp as well. Definatly overkill for the 70F (20C) water, but I was fine. I took off the hood near the end of the second dive, but never even got close to overheating. Maybe I would've if it had've been sunny though....

Aaron

 

[Per]

Thanks for the info!

 

[McCoy]

Elios told me to use a mixture of (johnson)baby oil and water or
talcum powder. That shampoo and conditioner tend to irretate
the skin.

Matt

 

[bobbybuttr]

Matt,
Thanks for the tip. I have been trying to use shampoo and conditionero on my Elios, but it just doesn't lube it well. I was thinking of doing something with oil. I will try it.
Bobby

 

[Mr. X]

Elios told me to use a mixture of (johnson)baby oil and water or
talcum powder. That shampoo and conditioner tend to irretate
the skin.

:hmm Sorry for reviving an old thread but I wondered if baby oil is still recommended? I always thought oils attacked rubber. Is baby oil really oil -- or something similar, like glycerol or K-Y jelly?

 

[Fondueset]

I use very diluted 'organic' hair conditioner for the top of my elios 5mm black shadow suit with the 'new black' lining. Bottoms require no lube.

n

 

[Mr. X]

:hmm Sorry for reviving an old thread but I wondered if baby oil is still recommended? I always thought oils attacked rubber. Is baby oil really oil -- or something similar, like glycerol or K-Y jelly?

It is mineral oil apparently :rcard , ref.: http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.jsp?id=prod905&CATID=100325&skuid=sku300905&ec=sp_611638 -- so I don't plan on using this on my wetsuit:ban.

Think I will try some cheap Lidls hair conditioner, :hmm or perhaps organic would be a safer bet -- or maybe glycerol (/glycerine) [also good for mask/goggle demister] as this K-Y liquid http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.jsp?CATID=100269&navAction=jump&navCount=0&id=prod359769 claims to be rubber safe and seems to be mainly water & glycerol. Glycerol is available for pharmacists (Tescos has small & medium-small bottles for about 1.25 & 2.50 GBP -- more than conditioner but I wouldn't be surprised if you can get big bottle much cheaper than that though -- maybe somewhere like Costco Pharmacy?).

Anybody know how glycerol is made -- what is it? (Not something nasty -- like gelatin is it?! Calf foetus? Pigs brain? ).

 

[Lambis]

I use a greek product Skin Glide:
http://www.diveandfish.gr/el/pd1112035677.htm?categoryId=55

Works perfect & dont smell