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Unless someone invents an underwater water heater, hot water suits will
never become part of scuba. As it stands right now a hot water suit is not
self contained.
In my opinion DUI makes the best hot water suits on the market.
I dove hot water suits commercially for three years and I will tell you that
once you dive a hot water suit you will never want to dive anything else. A
properly functioning hot water suit is better than any dry suit for surface
supplied activities. You will have to wear a thin wooly bear to protect you
from scalding however. Basically hot water suits are used strictly in
commercial applications.
Fit is the most important consideration of a hot water suit you want about
1" between the suit and you body. The suit will hold about 3 - 5 gallons
(13 - 22 L) of water
I will now list the pros and cons of a hot water suit.
Pros - 1) you need about five pounds of weight that is it (Made of crushed
neoprene)
2) freedom of movement suit fits really baggy
3) You can stay in all day in 2 degree celsius water and never
lose a point on your core temp if the surface support controls the diesel
heater properly and it does not malfunction.
4) You can piss in your suit if need be (for the people with
little bladders)
5) With a helmet it will heat the gas that you are breathing
6) Diver can regulate thermal protection
Cons - 1) You need surface support (There is a lot of strokes out there)
2) If the heater fails you freeze your ass off because it is a
loose fitting crushed neoprene wet suit with no insulation factor and no
neck or wrist seals
3) If your surface supports are dolts they can burn you badly
(feet usually burn first) see con 1
4) You are now permanantly tethered to the surface limiting
range
5) heaters break down lots (trust me I know) which makes for
cold decos, and unless your running surface recompression using O2 in a
chamber you'll would probable either die of Hypothermia before you could
safely complete any hanging deco or bend yourself silly on extended range
diving.
6) Very Expensive
7) You need an umbilical
8) difficult to swim in (not streamlined)
9) gradual temperature changes are not easily felt by the diver,
the diver could easily become hypothermic or hyperthermic leading to injury
Diving Dry in Sault Ste. Marie
Richard Hayward
HD Diving Services
23 Montgomery Avenue
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
P6B 1M4
Phone (705) 949-3431
Fax (705) 949-1580
-----Original Message-----
From: Daniel Gault <djgault@wo*.at*.ne*>
To: Ingemar Lundgren <ingemar.lundgren@mb*.sw*.se*>
Cc: techdiver@aquanaut.com <techdiver@aquanaut.com>
Date: December 22, 1997 5:28 AM
Subject: Re: Drysuit heating system
>Ingemar -
>
>There are commercially available hot water diving suits - the unit requires
>a surface supplied kerosene heating unit. The suit has a valve to control
>the flow of water and your temperature. It is basically a wet suit, you
>will be warm but wet. Because you are in water, there are limits to your
>exposure - depending on your diving profile and conditions you would
>probably be better off with heavy thinsulate and a dry suit.
>
>Dan
>
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