Immersion Suits - Spray Hoods and Lifejackets

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NB Willawaw

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Im looking at doing some experimentation which involves me floating in open sea in quite chilly water.
Looking at the different brands of suit on the market, my concern is about waves tipping me over or spray in the face making breathing difficult.

Some brands seem to have an inflatable pillow behind the head, but nearly all seem to allow air to pool in the feet keeping the legs on the surface.

Some survival suits like the Helly are fitted with spray hoods, but I don't see them on immersion suits ?

Does anybody have practical experience of this or wisdom to impart, particularly concerning the additional use of a lifejacket and spray hood ?
 
I would suggest buying a sprayhood as a separate item if the chosen suit doesn't have one. I was amazed at how much difference it makes.
 
all heli flights to offshore installations have survival suits, and lifejackets with spray hoods built in. i would check those out if you are looking for extreme cold. they new ones issued for use with Shell and CHC Scotia helis are thermally lined. the old ones were not.
 
I've been for a swim with an immersion suit on. The ones we used on that ship were thick orange jobs with blue trim on the hood. I'm pretty sure they were helly hansen but I wouldn't swear on it? Anyway, you have to squat in them to get the air out before jumping in. You also had to wear a life jacket separate. Spray hoods should be worn if available. Swimming/floating was fine but getting out was a nightmare mainly due to the suit having two fingers on the glove part so as your hand looked like a chameleons hand. Basically your hand was forced into a startrek spok salute. in the end the guys just had to push me under so as the buoyancy of the life jacket would spring me out enough that they could haul me over the side of the fast rescue craft. It was only a training exercise whilst my ship was sat alongside in Canada but whilst the swim was great the getting out made me swear not to do it again unless it was real.
 
I struggle slightly to understand the subtle differences between drysuits, immersion suits and survival suits. Apart from cost implications it seems to be largely about mobility and whether you wear it for activity or just abandoning.
 
Hi, We had a chance to try out a dry suit with an old flotation vest on top so you could easily lie on you back in the waves. There was a seperate neoprene hood and gloves. Water was cold 3.5 deg C and it was difficult to get in to the life raft.
Here is a picture https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/74926555/IMG_0578.JPG

Good practise and an interesting excercise, but I would not like to do it for real. It was difficult and tireing !
 
interesting. Thanks for sharing. I think I will be testing it out in shallow sheltered water before using it in anger up in the Baltic and I have arranged a low sided safety boat to ease recovery.
 
NB Willawaw said:
I struggle slightly to understand the subtle differences between drysuits, immersion suits and survival suits. Apart from cost implications it seems to be largely about mobility and whether you wear it for activity or just abandoning.
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It also depends on which activity / industry the suit or the speaker are from.

For example, divers and dinghy-sailors would only ever refer to a "drysuit", whereas I think a fast-jet pilot in more or less exactly the same kit would call it an "immersion suit".

Basically it's all a bit of a muddle and if you want to be sure what you're buying, you need to clarify whether it's membrane (aka trilaminate) or neoprene, and whether it's intended for constant-wear or only put on during an emergency.

Pete
 
prv said:
It also depends on which activity / industry the suit or the speaker are from.

For example, divers and dinghy-sailors would only ever refer to a "drysuit", whereas I think a fast-jet pilot in more or less exactly the same kit would call it an "immersion suit".

Basically it's all a bit of a muddle and if you want to be sure what you're buying, you need to clarify whether it's membrane (aka trilaminate) or neoprene, and whether it's intended for constant-wear or only put on during an emergency.

Pete
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I've got a Gul Drysuit, waterproof/breathable & an ex RN "Immersion suit", both with rubber feet. These feet seem quite large & obviously would tear if walking on rough ground. What is best to wear over them?
 
alant said:
I've got a Gul Drysuit, waterproof/breathable & an ex RN "Immersion suit", both with rubber feet. These feet seem quite large & obviously would tear if walking on rough ground. What is best to wear over them?
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If you have latex or neoprene feet on your suit, I have a Gul breathable dinghy suit, the best boots to wear over them are jetski boots such as Jobe - don't walk around without anything on your feet as particularly latex feet like the Gul ones will be knackered very fast

If you are a fashion victim you could wear something like converse trainers with them like a lot of divers do, I wear http://www.roho.co.uk/watersports/Jobe-Neoprene-Boots-Black-Head--2013-.html with my dinghy suit and http://www.othree.co.uk/products/boots-21/abyss-boots-80.aspx with my dive drysuit
 
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In the MN the difference between a Dry Suit and an Immersion Suit is that a Dry suit is really just a watertight skin as used in helicopters, RIBs and Divers etc whereas an Immersion Suit is a much more insulated suit and unsuitable for working in and designed purely for survival in the roughest conditions. They always have an insulated hood to keep your head warm. the feet and gloves are an integral part of the suit.
 
cryan said:
In the MN the difference between a Dry Suit and an Immersion Suit is that a Dry suit is really just a watertight skin as used in helicopters, RIBs and Divers etc whereas an Immersion Suit is a much more insulated suit and unsuitable for working in and designed purely for survival in the roughest conditions. They always have an insulated hood to keep your head warm. the feet and gloves are an integral part of the suit.
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The Gul suit came with a thick 'teddy', which I would find difficulty wearing, unless the suit is bigger.
Not sure if its my masculine shoulders :p, but I find it a struggle to get out of these drysuits (even work overalls) without help.
 
DinghyMan said:
If you have latex or neoprene feet on your suit, I have a Gul breathable dinghy suit, the best boots to wear over them are jetski boots such as Jobe - don't walk around without anything on your feet as particularly latex feet like the Gul ones will be knackered very fast

If you are a fashion victim you could wear something like converse trainers with them like a lot of divers do, I wear http://www.roho.co.uk/watersports/Jobe-Neoprene-Boots-Black-Head--2013-.html with my dinghy suit and http://www.othree.co.uk/products/boots-21/abyss-boots-80.aspx with my dive drysuit
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How do you 'size' the boot to fit, is it naked foot size +1, or to suit the neoprene/latex foot size?
 
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