Layering Sharkskin Under a Wetsuit or Drysuit
If the water has gone properly cold and your current wetsuit is not quite cutting it, the instinct is usually to buy a thicker suit. There is a simpler option first: layering Sharkskin under a wetsuit or drysuit. It adds real warmth without the bulk, cost, or fit headache of stepping up a whole suit thickness, and it is exactly what the Chillproof and T2 Titanium ranges are designed to do.
Why layer instead of buying a thicker suit
A thicker wetsuit is warmer, but it also costs more, is stiffer, is harder to get on and off, and often does not fit as well as the suit you already own - which usually means the fit compromise lets in more cold water than the extra neoprene keeps out. A thin thermal layer worn underneath solves the actual problem, which is not enough insulation, without touching any of that. Your existing wetsuit still fits the way it always has. You just add warmth to it.
It is the same idea skiers and hikers have used for years: a base layer under an outer shell beats one very thick garment doing everything.
How the layering actually works
Under a wetsuit, a thermal layer sits against your skin and adds an extra insulating barrier before the neoprene even starts working. Under a drysuit, the same idea applies but the job is slightly different - a drysuit already keeps water out entirely, so the layer underneath is there purely for insulation and for managing moisture, since you stay dry but you still sweat.
- Under a wetsuit: wear the thermal layer as a base layer, with the wetsuit going on over the top as normal. Expect the wetsuit to feel slightly snugger than usual - that is normal and is part of why the combination works.
- Under a drysuit: the thermal layer works alongside (not instead of) whatever undergarment system you already use for that suit, adding warmth in the areas where you feel the cold first - torso, and forearms and lower legs if you are layering full-length pieces.
- Extremities matter too: hands, feet and head lose heat fast underwater. Thermal gloves, socks and a hood or beanie layered under your existing gloves, boots and hood add warmth exactly where divers usually feel cold first.
Chillproof or T2 Titanium for layering?
Both ranges layer well, but they are built for slightly different jobs, which is worth understanding before you buy. We cover the differences properly in Chillproof vs T2 Titanium, but as a rule of thumb: think about how cold your water actually gets and how much of that warmth you need to come from the layer versus the suit itself, then match the range to that.
Getting the fit right when you layer
A few practical points that make or break layering:
- Snug, not tight. The thermal layer should sit close to your skin without restricting movement or circulation. If your wetsuit suddenly feels genuinely too small once you add a layer, you may need to check the sizing rather than force it.
- Smooth, not bunched. Fabric that bunches under a wetsuit can create pressure points on a long dive. Take a moment when you kit up to smooth everything out.
- Zips and seals. On a drysuit especially, make sure added layers do not interfere with neck and wrist seals. If in doubt, do a shallow test dive before committing to a full day in new layering.
Where a thicker suit is still the better call
We would rather be straight about this: if you are diving genuinely cold water regularly, at some point a thicker wetsuit or a proper drysuit is the right tool, and no amount of layering fully replaces that. Layering extends the range of the suit you already have - it does not turn a 3mm suit into a drysuit. For a full, honest comparison of where thermal layers win and where neoprene still wins, see Sharkskin vs a neoprene wetsuit.
Who this suits
Layering makes the most sense if you dive a range of conditions on the same suit, if you are chasing a bit more warmth without buying new exposure protection, or if you run a dive centre and want one wetsuit fleet to comfortably cover a wider temperature range with a thermal layer added underneath for the colder days.
Not sure whether Chillproof or T2 Titanium fits your water temperature and the way you dive? The full range is here, and our care and warranty guide covers looking after layered gear so it keeps performing season after season. If you want a hand picking the right combination, just get in touch.