THERMIC PROTECTION
The thermic protection guaranteed by your dry suits depends on
the following main factors:
•
Water temperature
•
Diver’s morphology
•
Diver’s physiology
•
Diver’s weariness
•
Material’s thermic properties
Some of them do not depend on the product’s peculiarities: the-
refore, it is important to be aware of one’s own predisposition to
the environmental changes of temperature.
Although a dry suit is produced to dive in low temperature water,
the risk exists of pathologies due to a decrease of physiologic
functions because of the cold. Water temperatures lower than
21° C (70° F) mean cold water. Water temperatures lower than
5° C (40° F) mean freezing water. Diving in freezing water is
highly dangerous and requires special equipment, training and
procedures.
WARNING
During dives, dangerous situations may occur,
when the body gets excessively warm or cold
(hyperthermic
and
hypothermic
conditions).
Therefore, by wearing your dry suit on surface in
the summer or in tropical areas, avoid standing
long in the sun, both when you are more or less
tired. In the same way, avoid staying long in cold
water or on surface by wintry climates. We recom-
mend to wear your wet suit always together with
thermic under-suits, thermic socks, thick gloves
and hood (if not included in the dry suit), in any
situation when the water temperature might expo-
se the diver to the risk of hypothermic conditions.
Thermic under-suit
In order to protect the diver from the cold, that might cause his
physiological conditions to be reduced, it is very important to
wear a thermic under-suit correctly. This must be adequate to the
meteorological conditions, to the water temperature, to the kind
of dive you are going to carry out and to your own physiology.
Hood
The hood is very important, since it protects your head from the
cold. If your dry suit does not include a hood, please consider
one with a minimal thickness of 5 mm and be sure it envelops
your neck without being too loose.
Gloves
It is very important keeping your hands warm, so that you may
always be able to control your equipment during the dive. Use glo-
ves with adequate thickness as to the water temperature. In free-
zing water, we recommend 7 mm thick three-fingered gloves.
HOW TO PUT ON YOUR DRY SUIT
It is very important that the dry suit adapts itself to the diver’ s
body correctly, clinging to it without being too tight. Be sure you
are able to unite your hands over your head, to touch your toes
and to bend your knees without any hindrances.
It is very important that the dry suit does not hinder your chest’ s
expansion in any way: we recommend therefore to simulate
deep breathing. You must also pay attention that your suit is
perfectly watertight at your neck, wrists and ankles, without
being too tight. Should your suit be too tight, the blood flow to
your hands, feet and head would be blocked, causing you to
loose sensitivity or to faint. On the contrary, a too loose suit will
let the air flow inside it, inducing a flux that might cause serious
balancing problems. You must choose your suits size so that
you are able to move easily, and too wide air -pockets are avoi-
ded.
In order to choose the Cressi dry suit standard size that most
adapts to your own, please refer to the following table.
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