wetsuits drysuits and winter alluvials

[HeadsUp]

I am after opinions on the best option for working creeks in winter.

what is better , wetsuit , drysuit or any other options ?

I want to be warm and be able to work thigh deep in cold water all day and shovel into a highbanker with water spraying all over me without getting pneumonia .

i may also do some diving in any season with a hookah air pump or snorkel for crevicing purposes.

should i get two different suits , one for winter ( 5 mm ? ) and one for summer ( 3mm )

i have never done diving before

some of the places i go have daytime winter temperatures from 5 degrees celcius to 16

any suggestions ?

neoprene waders are a possibility if the boots are all one piece , or a full wetsuit for submersion diving as opposed to wading around in creeks with a shovel

 

[20x]

I am after opinions on the best option for working creeks in winter.

what is better , wetsuit , drysuit or any other options ?

I want to be warm and be able to work thigh deep in cold water all day and shovel into a highbanker with water spraying all over me without getting pneumonia .

i may also do some diving in any season with a hookah air pump or snorkel for crevicing purposes.

should i get two different suits , one for winter ( 5 mm ? ) and one for summer ( 3mm )

i have never done diving before

some of the places i go have daytime winter temperatures from 5 degrees celcius to 16

any suggestions ?

neoprene waders are a possibility if the boots are all one piece , or a full wetsuit for submersion diving as opposed to wading around in creeks with a shovel

:lol: ...on Thursday I forget my worter-resistant pants and parker, I wasn't driving 30mins home to get either. I was loading the HB from the side but that didn't really help. couldn't stop moving all day cause I would start freezing :lol:

fear of pneumonia increases productivity :lol:

by Friday night my head was leaking clear liquid from my nose quite rapidly :lol: ive worked throught it but would prefer this not happen again...surfers full steamer wetsuit might be the go I reckon

 

[HeadsUp]

a steamer wetsuit would be okay if it had neoprene "socks" so then you could wear any type of boots with them and still have dry feet

i may have to use two different types

1) neoprene waders with one piece sealed boots and a neoprene jacket over the top for those windy splashy high banker days in winter

2) full wetsuit / drysuit for diving

3) freezer suit for winter detecting "in the snowline"

i often try to buy equipment that will multi task but sometimes you just got to bite the bullet and get specialised gear for each job .....

 

[willo1]

If your planning on diving into cold water, I suggest a two piece suit. I use a two piece suit with hood which is 3mm. This gives 6mm across the chest and back where warmth is mostly required. I have not used it for prospecting yet but it is great for getting lobsters during winter..

 

[MDH]

If you're diving in winter and feel the cold you'll freeze in a 5mm... I use a 7mm semi dry with a thermal layer and hood and in winter water temps I'm a bit cold after 1 tank, but I feel the cold in summer I dive with the same suit minus hood and could stay in all day. I would not like to be shovelling in a wetty though. Take a look in a dedicated fly fishing shop and they've got heaps of options for staying dry. One worthwhile option is waterproof pants and jacket. I have a fishing mate that has these and used them in Alaska and thinks they're the bees knees. The pants are stocking foot so you just buy a cheap set of hikers (or the expensive matching waterproof boots) and the jacket has a waterproof zip that attaches it to the pants making you waterproof to the neck. Though it's a rather pricey set of gear I reckon that would definately be your most comfortable option, but if you're considering a dry suit they're both in about the same ball park price wise.

 

[Paydirt]

I use the same principle as getting around in the snow - water is my enemy, don't let it touch skin. Lately I've been working away from the river but decking myself out in gummies, old snowboard pants and a cheap as raincoat, one rubber glove over the one hand that goes in the HB and I stay dry. Blizzard here at moment, snowing, wind howling, minus stupid, fire is roaring, life is goot. Walbanker now gets mothballed till spring

 

[TTKooAu]

1. Bottle of dark rum
2. Open fire.
3. Avoid contact with water.

 

[MJB]

We used Drysuits on stupid inflatable boats in Port Phillip in the middle of winter in the middle of the night. Still had as many layers on underneath as you could fit and managed to stay relatively warm and very dry.

Hope the snow hangs around Paydirt, I'm heading up there in a couple of weeks.

Cheers

 

[Tathradj]

Thank God I got that Perisher repeater fixed a couple of weeks ago. LOL
And yes, I have been to that site in a blizzard. Rode the triple up in Sun Light, Back down again in a howling blizzard.
Never forget that and people play in that stuff. PMSL...

 

[Paydirt]

We used Drysuits on stupid inflatable boats in Port Phillip in the middle of winter in the middle of the night. Still had as many layers on underneath as you could fit and managed to stay relatively warm and very dry.

Hope the snow hangs around Paydirt, I'm heading up there in a couple of weeks.

Cheers

Hopefully, like last year we will be enjoying sliding from now until November. Looking bloody nice out there now (I mean full blizzard - yummy).
Doug you coastal dwellers are just ...well .... soft and a little bit sqwooshy. bahahaha, tis gunna be a wee ripper out there over the next week

 

[G0lddigg@]

my two cents - if you can avoid puncturing your waders then 5mm neoprene chest waders are the shiz, accept when you bend forward and scoop water into them yep done a million times. Ive got four pairs of waders out in the shed that ive worn out the inside of the boot on from the edge of my shovel. lets face it they are not made for digging they are made for fishing.
I'm now wearing a wetsuit with these boots i got from rays outdoors for $55 and thermals under my wetsuit and of course diving gloves. I went out the other night 12 v battery and light took the sluice got right up to my hips digging the middle of a creek. no problems at all. hope that helps.

by the way these boots are called subzeros they are nice and toasty

 

[Gippy]

You blokes are Bloody keen Brrrrr. Its no good for arthritis and its near imposable to light a fire.

 

[G0lddigg@]

You blokes are Bloody keen Brrrrr. Its no good for arthritis and its near imposable to light a fire.

hahah yeh a bit mad even but i get cabin fever if i don't get in the water at least 3 times a week, tell ya what thought i find the best gold during high water its much easier to move overburden when the water flowing right over your shovel.

 

[Gippy]

Not bad boots for the price Gold Rat. Not bad for Kayak fishing.

 

[BrisJoe]

You can come up my way if you complain about the cold, been an average of 27-30 so far this week at the mine. Although the windchill at 630 in the morning while climbing on top of drill rigs and Hitachi 5600 diggers was ghastly last week, we ended up with t shirts under and sperm suits over just to keep the wind out lol

 

[Goldtarget]

my two cents - if you can avoid puncturing your waders then 5mm neoprene chest waders are the shiz, accept when you bend forward and scoop water into them yep done a million times. Ive got four pairs of waders out in the shed that ive worn out the inside of the boot on from the edge of my shovel. lets face it they are not made for digging they are made for fishing.
I'm now wearing a wetsuit with these boots i got from rays outdoors for $55 and thermals under my wetsuit and of course diving gloves. I went out the other night 12 v battery and light took the sluice got right up to my hips digging the middle of a creek. no problems at all. hope that helps.
http://media.supercheapauto.com.au/shared/images/253487.jpg

by the way these boots are called subzeros they are nice and toasty

This is why my tally for the year is behind. ... Loving the keenness, might have to tackle this problem following your lead can't count how many days I've spent starting out in the darkness cursing winter. Might start at rays and go from there.

 

[G0lddigg@]

Mate nothing like heading out to a good spot at night knowing noone will bother you lighting a fire and getting stuck into it for a few hours. I always have the strom tent in the truck just incase I over do it and need a kip.

 

[Goldtarget]

Where did you get the wetsuit and cost? I have had a couple of goes at waders but I'm not keen, tall and skinny with big feet seems to be the wrong body dimensions for waders. Could double up ffor wakeboarding in the warmer months.

 

[G0lddigg@]

Lol I know what you mean mate 86kgs 6.2

The wetsuit I got from an aussie mob adrenaline from their ebay store. $70
Kevlar Gloves ebay wa seller $35/$45 depending upon sales summer boots random surf shop more for getting into deep crevises $45 not good for using with a shovel.

 

[HeadsUp]

my two cents - if you can avoid puncturing your waders then 5mm neoprene chest waders are the shiz, accept when you bend forward and scoop water into them yep done a million times. Ive got four pairs of waders out in the shed that ive worn out the inside of the boot on from the edge of my shovel. lets face it they are not made for digging they are made for fishing.
I'm now wearing a wetsuit with these boots i got from rays outdoors for $55 and thermals under my wetsuit and of course diving gloves. I went out the other night 12 v battery and light took the sluice got right up to my hips digging the middle of a creek. no problems at all. hope that helps.
http://media.supercheapauto.com.au/shared/images/253487.jpg

by the way these boots are called subzeros they are nice and toasty

you can get neoprene waders that have "neoprene stocking feet" instead of boots glued to the wader leg

so you can wear any type of boot over the stocking

not sure if they are warm enough for thredbo .....

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Remingto...US_Athletic_Footwear&var=&hash=item1e8d33c0c2