Wetsuit construction

[cap n chris]

taste a lot better than your imagination would lead you to think

Unlike Butcombe, then.

 

[Roger W]

I don't know about the Butcombes, but I suspect that after downing a few noggins of that centipede juice you'd neither know nor care if your wetsuit socks had holes in 'em or not. 

 

[Katie]

I don't know about the seams on my wet socks (cos i have never looked and am not at home now) but i find the ones i use warmer (and cheaper  ) then ones i have bought in the UK.

I have family in Thailand and buy decathlon wet socks out there which i think are good, however i have not seen the same ones in decathlon over here....

Basically i know for sure if they are any better then Uk ones but for 8 pounds they probably worth a try!

 

[tubby two]

Can you not put something over your wetsuit socks to stop the water circulating around them?

I dont dive, and didnt know you wore wellies to dive in caves, but couldnt you tie the top of the wellies to rerstrict the water flow so warm water is kept near your feet? Or put some sort of plastic liner over your wetsocks and tuck it under the leg of your wetsuit, soalthough water gets in it doesnt do so very quickly and keeps warm.

Alternativley, just be glad you've only got cold feet and are not stuck in china eating a snakes cock stuffed with badger balls. I can see why roger posts so much now- it's to avoid mealtimes!

tt.

 

[Pitlamp]

Thanks Bat Girl - if ever I'm in a Decathlon I'll take a look and / or ask.

Thanks TT but I'd rather have a better made pair of wetsuit socks in the first place.

I'm really not looking for advice about bodging poor equipment; all I'm asking for is where I can buy decent stuff.  It's almost getting to the point where I'm going to have to resort to making them myself.

Can anybody answer the original question - where can I buy wetsuit socks by mail order with seams that don't leak, from a retailer in the UK?

 

[SamT]

Can anybody answer the original question - where can I buy wetsuit socks by mail order with seams that don't leak, from a retailer in the UK?

It would seem not  Pitlamp 

I've found my wetsock things - but my wive has run off with my camera for the week. Not that seeing photos of them will particularly help with your situation. but might give you an idea of something to look for.

Im off to bed, 

 

[DCWB]

Pitlamp,

Many years ago I bought a pair of 8mm wetsocks with waterproof (strobel stiched) seams such as those you seek from the Divers Warehouse (https://vault2.secured-url.com/mtcsl/dw/index.htm) in Bradford.  I don't know if they still stock them but as they build suits onsite they may do a pair to order.

 

[Pitlamp]

Many thanks DCWB; good point - in fact Diver's Warehouse isn't that far from me so I'll try and have a look over there in the near future.

 

[SamT]

There you pit lamp - bought in the 1980's though. Wouldnt be ideal because the fit round the foot is a bit crap - but the principal is there.....

 

[Pitlamp]

Thanks Sam - but all I can see is the dreaded cross in a box (as with your other thread on identifying bones).  I wonder if the problem's at your end because when Johnny kept finding all Steve Tucker's diving gear, and posting pictures to prove it, I could always see those instantly.

Actually I'm quite interested to see the pictures of youir bone; I'm not bad at identifying them but if it's beyond me I know a bloke who knows a mammal expert in Manchester.  If you get really stuck I can sort an address for you to post it to - and set up the ID for you.

 

[SamT]

What about now??

 

[danthecavingman]

Actually I'm quite interested to see the pictures of youir bone;

Heh heh! It's not very big!!!

 

[Pitlamp]

Well, I asked a well known purveyor of wetsuits if he would ask his supplier to send a pair of wetsuit socks just glued together (not stitched) so I could complete making them myself.  He said no chance - they're all made in China now.

So in desperation I rooted out an old single lined 5 mm wetsuit and got enough neoprene out of it to make myself a pair from scratch.  I went caving today in them on a wet trip and they are so much better than what's available in many shops.  Time was when everybody made their own wetsuits.  It would appear that we haven't really advanced very much.

I know a bloke who still makes his own full caving wetsuits; now I know why.  Oh well.

 

[Beer]

I use wetsuit boots... rip curl ones i think... that have a velcro strap that goes around the ankle and the foot. The sole is also coated in rubber. Can't check the stitching right now (and not sure I would know what I'm looking for) but can confirm that the "buckles" (which are very small) are not noticeable in the welly and keep my foot nice and toasty.

 

[Pitlamp]

Bit more feedback; the new wetsuit socks are still doing fine.  I've done cave dives in them now of up to 90 minutes duration and they are so much better when water circulation is "designed out".  If they are totally waterproof the only way they are able to leak is around the join between sock and wetsuit let; a couple of turns of duct tape round this joint makes them even better!

Looks like I'll be making my own from now on because those available in caving shops just aren't up to the job.