Diving Boots

When DiVING in the Red Sea it's important to choose the correct type and thickness of diving suit. It's all too easy to think it will be warm enough for a shortie or 3mm suit only to find yourself freezing after the first couple of dives. So what is the correct thickness? As a general rule of thumb, a 3mm wetsuit or shortie will be fine for July until the end of September. For April to June and October to December,sscp a 5-7mm semi should suffice, while during the winter a good two-piece 6-7mm wetsuit or even a drysuit is required. Suit manufacturer Pinnacle, however, claims that as its wetsuits are lined with merino wool the same level of warmth can be achieved using thinner suits. We decided to put the company's claim to the test by taking its Arctic model for some deep diving at the beginning of November off the oracle certification training coast of Sharm El Sheikh. When I got out there I discovered that the Arctic isn't made entirely from 7mm neoprene as I had thought - for extra manoeuvrability, the arms and legs are reduced to 5mm. So I was glad that I had packed a 2mm neoprene under-shortie just in case. The water temperature was 25ºC at the surface, going down to 22ºC below 50m. Merino is a fine wool said to have, when either dry or wet,mcts training around a 35 per cent improved thermal efficiency when compared to that of the best man-made fabrics. Merino wool is exothermic, which means when it absorbs water it actually gives off heat. Another advantage is that the wool is hypoallergenic, reducing the chances of rashes caused in continuous high-action areas such as under the arm and behind the knees. The suit was certainly easy to put on and take off. Also, I found that when I put the suit on for a second dive while it was still wet, there was none of the sharp coldness I get with my normal suit.mcts 70-640 This must be the result of the material's wicking effect. After 60 minutes or so to a maximum depth of 75m, where there would have been quite a high reduction in the wetsuit's thickness due to the extreme pressure at this depth, I was very comfortable. Indeed, after a further 30 minutes of fairly inactive decompression I didn't feel the slightest bit of a chill, unlike the rest of my companions. Other features that increase the suit's thermal efficiency include a roll-down collar that allowed plenty of head movement without breaking the neck seal. The wrists are sealed using a super-flex outer O-ring cuff and what Pinnacle calls an internal 'Orcaskin' chimney seal for reduced water entry. The ankle-sealing system also has this internal chimney seal to eliminate water transfer and includes a locking zip. I found that the zip on the ankles did rub a little, so in the end I didn't close it all the way down, but this didn't seem to make more water flush in.