Wanted: Waterproof oversuit with feet.

A

AP

Guest
I'm after a waterproof oversuit with built on waterproof socks. Please e-mail me if you have one for sale.
If you don't have one for sale but know where I might be able to come by one, I'd still love to hear from you!

I'm 5'8" and medium build.


Alex - trom_bones@hotmail.com
 
Z

zomjon

Member
Not quite sure what you're after, but Kayakers use dry trousers - you can often get these with sealed latex socks, quite expensive though, even 2nd hand.
 
Ship-badger

Ship-badger

Member
I have a couple of Goretex helicopter "survival suits". These are totally waterproof, as they have neck and wrist seals. I use them for winter kayaking and canoeing. I would never use them in deep water underground, because if there was a tear the suit could fill up with water and become a deathtrap.

What do you want the suit for ?
 
A

AP

Guest
I'm after the suit simply to keep my feet and legs dry in some thigh (maybe waist) deep wading. I've seen pretty standard PVC oversuits with built on feet before and thought it a brilliant idea.

Thanks for the offer of the sealed ankle and neck suits but it's not what I'm after.
 
D

Dep

Guest
Unless you have something which is perfectly waterproof you are still likely to get damp and wet, even after going to a lot of trouble.
You would probably be better off doing what cavers usually do and use either a furry or wetsuit. Little effort required trying to avoid getting wet, better spend the effor in dealng with keeping warm in the water.
Probably less hassle in the long run, easily available and you shodln't suffer any serious discomfort.

 
A

AP

Guest
Thank you for your advice.

I would still like to get hold of an aforemetioned suit with feet though.
 
P

Peter Burgess

New member
AP - If you can get something, go for it. Wading continually for a significant distance in waist deep water is unpleasant even in a furry/caving oversuit. Once out of the water you warm up quickly, but the wading itself is not nice. I am here writing of my own experience in part-flooded mine levels, where if I know in advance, I have worn wetsuit trousers under my furry/oversuit to reduce the chill. Wetsocks are really useful too, if you can't get such at the end of the day. Warm legs with ice-cold feet is horrible.
 
A

AP

Guest
Fisherman's waders are the second choice but would be fairly clumpy.
 
menacer

menacer

Active member
Hi AP.
You probably know this already but thought i'd mention it anyway...

If its short sections of wading, cavers often use snoopy loops around the wellies, with a pvc oversuit (eg meander)covering the outside of the wellie.(making a fairly snug seal) Warmbac knee pads shoved down over the wellies can be a desperate substitute if needed.
Providing your suit has no holes in it, it can be waterproof for about 15 secs before water slowly starts to seep in.

I know this doesnt answer your initial question but may be of some use in the interim.

 
A

AP

Guest
I have in fact done a similar thing a few times before using gaffa-tape to make the seal.
Success was mixed.
 
shotlighter

shotlighter

Active member
Of all places Lidl are flogging pvc chest waders with sock feet (shove in yer wellies) for £4.99, from Monday. Got to be worth a go for a fiver!
 
menacer

menacer

Active member
Shotlighter what a fantastic find....your Fab......Gonna get me one of those.....I hate getting wet....(have learnt to walk on water though to avoid it at all costs)
I feel a welsh trip coming on to try em out....They look they will roll up quite small in your kit bag....
I wonder if they could be used as a bivvy bag too???

A big hug from me... :hug:

:kiss2:

ps heres the link
http://www.lidl.co.uk/uk/home.nsf/pages/c.o.20070409.p.Waders.ar6
 
D

dl

New member
A while ago Caving Supplies had some of the fabled "Goon suits" for sale which a couple of people I know used in just the  conditions you mention.  May be worth giving them a ring - I don't think they were that expensive.

Failing that you could try www.expe.fr and see if they still stock pontonieres - they are expensive!
 
D

damian

Active member
dl said:
Failing that you could try www.expe.fr and see if they still stock pontonieres - they are expensive!
Click to expand...

Pontonnières sound like exactly what you are looking for. They are basically a suit of latex but with dungaree-type shoulder straps. The (in my view, major) drawbacks are cost (about £80 I think) and also their extremely fragile nature. Traditionally they are worn between the oversuit and furry suit but, because they are so prone to ripping, are put on just before the wet section and off just after. This takes ages and leaves the rest of the party - who have just got soaked and want to keep moving - very annoyed while they stand around for ages waiting for you to undress.

(Un)fortunately for you, Expé don't seem to sell them anymore and I can't find any more online either.
 
paul

paul

Moderator
damian said:
dl said:
Failing that you could try www.expe.fr and see if they still stock pontonieres - they are expensive!
Click to expand...

Pontonnières sound like exactly what you are looking for. They are basically a suit of latex but with dungaree-type shoulder straps. The (in my view, major) drawbacks are cost (about £80 I think) and also their extremely fragile nature.
Click to expand...

Their other major drawback, as related in Jime Eyre's "The Cave Explorers", is filling up with water when climbing wet pitches so that you end up like a Michelin Man but 10 times as heavy...

 
D

Dep

Guest
Or with waders standing in waist deep water and discovering that you have positive bouyancy - you end up walking as if you were on the moon with a real danger that if you lift a leg too high you may go arse over tit backwards.

As I said before just do what everyone else does and use a furry or wetsuit. Neoprene wetsocks have also been suggested in this thread; I would consider these essential in any wet site.

With a dry-suit there are so many things to go wrong - and all of these will result in you ending up very wet but with no thermal protection - so you will be prefectly ok until it goes wrong and then you will suffer.

Using wet-kit you save a lot of hassle and are well insulated so will not suffer unduly.
 
A

AP

Guest
My thanks again to shotlighter for bringing to the UKCaving public's attention the Lidl offer on waders.
I got mine.
 
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