SANTI undergourment for dry suits - equipment test

[Dorota & Wojtek]

The wind of change....
How SANTI managed our “clinging” nature

Some time ago Tomek - the owner of Santi - asked us to test his undergourments. There were some things to change, and after thetest, here is the outcome. The tested undergourment is CDS40 (Thinsulate 40).

The cut of the area around waist was changes – the undergourment is now more “profound” in the buttocs area – there is more space for them. In this way we reduced the roomy chest/torso part and still we gained more manouverability in legs/waist area (the crotch is where is should be).


Below general view of the undergourment – the facial expression of the model was insidiously provoked and I (Wojtek) can do anything about it ...
http://www.divetrek.com.pl/foto/santi/10.jpg
The proper placement of crotch was achived by remaking the cut and by using suspenders inside the undergourment. The manouverability is much much better both on land and in the water.
http://www.divetrek.com.pl/foto/santi/9.jpg
The suspenders also alow to take off the upper part of the undergourment without “losing” the rest – the plastic buckles on the suspenders do not influance the comfort (also underwater).

The pockets are gone, the waist area is more flexibla also due to double width of ribbing – it gave much more streachability to the “side line”.
http://www.divetrek.com.pl/foto/santi/13.jpg
The range of movements is much better – the „job” is done by the ribbing mainly and the “cotton-like” ribbing in the under arm area.
http://www.divetrek.com.pl/foto/santi/12.jpg
With the new cut any manouvers behing the back (valve area) can be done very easly without excessive „string effect” .
http://www.divetrek.com.pl/foto/santi/15.jpg
We also did the maximum streachability test – maximal tension of the “side line” – which normally should also be done while fitting the dry suits.
http://www.divetrek.com.pl/foto/santi/16.jpg
Changes in the sleeve area:

Dropping of the sleeve is solved with very simple solution: the sleeve is not connected to the “cotton-like” ribbing but to the shoulder area – this effectivelly stops the sleeve from dropping.
http://www.divetrek.com.pl/foto/santi/11.jpg
The flexibility in the shoulder stays the same but the dropping is stoppedJ

Also the end part of the sleeve ic changed. On the distance of last few centimeters thiner “warming” textile was used what along with thin, strong mesh makes the sleeve less “puffy”
http://www.divetrek.com.pl/foto/santi/14.jpg
Here comes the inner side od the sleeve.
http://www.divetrek.com.pl/foto/santi/19.jpg
Additional bonus is that the part od undergourment that usually gets a bit wet while diving has better chance od drying out fast.

The legs down part also was re-done with very good effect that alowed us get rid of the “baggy leg effect”. Down here how rthe new leg ending looks like:
http://www.divetrek.com.pl/foto/santi/17.jpgAlso here the textile at the and was changed and a „smooth”material was used to ease putting the undergourment on. Here comes the leg from inside out

http://www.divetrek.com.pl/foto/santi/18.jpg
The wide ribbing (the loop at the end) alows even more manouverability – it streches quite a lot alowing more movement (this also changes the tension is “side line” area).

Due to the new “more-flexibility-solutions” of the undergourment, we were able to get rid of the baggy sleeves and legs without loosing the comfort. We gained less volume = lest gas trappment = less weights.

The female version got its „bust” space and more better cut in the waist/hip area.

The collar has nice soft finish – it doesn’t couse any constrictions around neck area.
http://www.divetrek.com.pl/foto/santi/20.jpg
Now all SANTI undergourments are done with smooth outer textile – Pertex. Due to this fact we gained much more freedom while putting the undergourment on (previous textile coused blocking and clogging of the undergourment in the dry suit)

The changes are more noticabe when done on more tjhick undergourments. Version TECH connected with teh model BZ400 can be very useful tool in hands of divers that want both comfort in warmth and monouverability in most diffucult conditions requiring flexibility.


Our remarks:
In the new version of undergourment we have done several dives (like 30) – the differance between the new and the old model is huge. Now we have an undergourment that is both warm and flexible (for our Red Sea conditions we advice Thinsulate 40) – it gives big comfort both underwater and on land during windy days

Our cooperation with SANTI did not end on this project – it opened a door to more interesting things happening in near future. The undergourment gained attantion of advenced divers making exploration dives. There are many ideas emerging in the horizon

We will be gratefull for any remarks from any SANTI undergourment users.

We would like to thank Dorota’s mother for valuable professional ideas on re-making the cut. Also Tomek Stachura for replying swiftly to all our ideas and our constant griping. And to Richard Lundgren for many remarks on requirements and expectations a good undergourment for cold, long and deco dives should meet.



see you...
D&W

[Dorota & Wojtek]

the beginnings...
(how the testing begun so you can see yourself what was improved...)

At the beginning we received two undergourment that suited the conditions we are normally diving in – Red Sea during the wintertime (water 20 degrees, air – 20/25 degrees). They have been custom made accoring to measurements we were asked to give to Tomek (SANTI)

Goal was to find a undergourment that in extreme conditions gives the diver maximum manoeuvrability along with best possible warmth comfort. We had our Tech1 course just ahead so we could see how the undergourment behaves. Also our instructor Richard Lundgren is almost the size of the “male” part of our team (Richard is a bit taller), so we also had a chance to test it on him and we used it scrupulously.

The first contact with the undergourment – very good. High quality of workmenship makes no doubts – we are dealing with very professional company. Used materials are from “top shelfs” of the „active” textile market. But...it would not be us iof we would just rest on one’s laurels.

First critical comments:
The cut could be satisfactory but for those who like „go dive and only survive” divers – put the undergourment, put the dry suit, go to the water and survive to the end of the dive – as long warm as long good.

Before we write more on this let’s talk a bit about the material that is used as „the warmer” – Thinsulate. It is this kind of textile that alows a diver in cold cold waters to safe his ...life, after being flooded and with lots of deco time ahead of him. But the textile has some not particulary nice feature – it is not streachable. So the undergourment has to be a compromise.

Now going back to what we did not like:
To have a freedom of movements the undergourmenst had to be much “taller” then the user hight – and because of this the undergourments’ crotch was dropping lower and was blocking legs movements. For us it is crusial as for those responsible for others safety on diveboat we have to be able to act fast and not to be “stumbbled” over own undergourment.
The “excess” of undergourment created a “baggy leg effect” when we were not moving and coused a “jam” in the legs/boots of drysuit – the tightness was teh bigger the better fitted was the drysuit. In Dorota’s case after 20 minutes of dive she started to have numb feet.

Below you can see the the cut around waist area – the excess of material constrains the movements. All the are was “puffed”.
http://www.divetrek.com.pl/foto/santi/2.jpg
Below here „dropping legs”
http://www.divetrek.com.pl/foto/santi/1.jpg
The cut fashion of the undergourment coused high tension of the “side line” (along side outer line of torso, legs and arms) – which is quite important when fitting undergourment and drysuit.

Below the undergourment from front – and you might thunk it looks OK.
http://www.divetrek.com.pl/foto/santi/4.jpg
... but it is definitely too short in the back – after lifting the hand (as to simulate reaching the valve) Wojtek could feel that it is much too short – look at the buttocs:)
http://www.divetrek.com.pl/foto/santi/3.jpg
- the undergourment got between the buttocs and coused big discomfort in crotch area when arms where rised.
http://www.divetrek.com.pl/foto/santi/5.jpg
The situation was somehow “rescued” by a „ribbing” in waist area, but its streachability was too small to compensate the “string effect”.

The shoulders were contected to the rest by a „cotton-like” ribbing that gave great flexibility nad manouverability, was giving away gases fast but the solution coused the whole sleeve to fall down and create another “baggy effect” – “baggy sleeve effect”.
http://www.divetrek.com.pl/foto/santi/6.jpg
Around wrist area we had another excess of material – it stuffed the sleeve of the dry suit quite well... or too well we shell say.
http://www.divetrek.com.pl/foto/santi/7.jpg
The excess od textile couced yet another effect – the sleeve jammed around elbow area making any movements very difficult (especially valve drills and so on) – the movements of the arms was very restricted (while manipulating in valve area).
http://www.divetrek.com.pl/foto/santi/8.jpg


In our opinion the cut the undergourment coused jamming of the materials (especially the thick onces) in the suit. When adding the ribbing at the end of sleeves and legs – the effect was really huge. The comfort of using the suit was much too less considering the warmth comfort.

We have received the undergourment with two types of outer textile – one was smooth, the second coarse (“matte”) – the undergourment with the second outer textile (on the pictures) was easly jammed in the dry suit also because the outer “matte” textile.

In female vrsion there was small thing forgotten – then ladies can have …bust. Both undergourment were “flat” chest cut.

There were also roomy pockets in the waist area – in our opinion it is not necessary and makes the amount of textile around hips too big.


D&W

[Tobias Carlsson]

Very nice! A quick question though...

The thinsulate is supposed to have very good warming capacity when wet (I suppose this is the same material as DUIs 400g).

Have there been any testing of this new suit with floods (cold water), how much water does the "strech material" hold? Not very nice with a "belt" of water around your waist?

[Charlotta Carlén]

I enjoyed reading the very thorough review. Good job!
I am also curious about the characteristics of the material around the waist.

/cc

[Dorota & Wojtek]

Helo Tobias:)

You read our minds - we are already palnning some "hard core" test in Baltic this autumn... because in our most common condition the test would not be very helpfull (min water temp is 20oC).

We wrote to Tomek (SANTI man) about it and we will see what he says... but surly he will agree.

Best
D & W

ps Thinsulate is Thinsulate no matter what is surrounding it (so no matters DUI or SANTI or WINNIE the POOH undergourment:D)

[Tobias Carlsson]

Great, let us hear the results!

[Didrik Venge]

Hi.

I am wonduring if the changes u did to the undergarment is now the stander when they are making them, or do I need to put in all these ramarks myself?

Best

Didrik

[Dorota & Wojtek]

Hi Didrik!

It will be better, when you ask about D&W (Dorota & Wojtek) version.

Good luck :)

D&W

[Antzoulis]

Very nice! great job!!!

[Jack]

Excellent pictures and review, the first part might be a littel negativ.
I started out wanting to buy one, then drifted in to "aa polish crap" and then back to wanting one. :D