Review: Typhoon Lighweight Undersuit

Complementing the Multisport Pro drysuit I was given to test and review, and often sold bundled with it, was the Typhoon Lightweight Undersuit. I’d already bought a couple of these from a local chandler a few weeks before and they had been in regular use since then.

Described by Typhoon as being “made from a thermofibre fabric with a double action front zip and ankle and thumb loops, this suit is ideal for surface use or warm water diving under a drysuit, it has a TOG rating of 1.” It sounds like a useful base layer for our purposes.

I’m a great user of fleeces, either as tops, lightweight jackets or as trousers after coming out of the bath in winter. As such I’d pressed most of them into service beneath drysuits, cags and trousers in the past. The thermal properties were always suitable but I did find that, being separates, after moving around for a while I would have an exposed gap that would start to cool down over time. For this reason I’d started to look at one piece undersuits and the Typhoon was deemed suitable for a few reasons.



Firstly, the suit is made of a fairly thin material. Bulky clothing can be uncomfortable when paddling and if using multiple layers thin ones are more convenient as a few layers can be put together to build up to the required amount for the conditions. With regards to kayak fishing use I use one for summer evenings, two (one on top of the other) for most of the rest of the year and in the depths of winter I often add a further fleece top and trousers (my third Typhoon undersuit not having enough stretch to fit over the other two, all of them being the same size). For playing in the surf, where I am exerting lots of effort, I find one to be sufficient all year round – this is also more suitable in terms of the additional flexibility needed to control the kayak. Another advantage is that the material doesn’t lose its insulating properties when damp and doesn’t sag greatly when wet – this is important if you spring a leak or sweat profusely from a hard paddle.



To don the undersuit, the zip, which runs the length of the front, is undone and it is pulled on, feet first with the arms being put on last. Loops fit under the feet to keep it from pulling up when climbing into other clothing and thumb loops are also attached to keep the sleeves in position too. The neck has a rounded collar which doesn’t interfere with other items of clothing and is comfortable in use. The cut is sufficiently loose under the arms to be comfortable while paddling or stretching while retaining a snug fit elsewhere which stops it riding up the limbs if the foot/thumb loops have been pushed aside. Not having cold kidneys after an hour seated in the kayak is the benefit of all of this!





The zip itself is designed to add versatility to the suit. It has two sliders which allow the suit to be opened from the top, near the throat or from the bottom over the abdomen. There is, however, room for improvement here. With convenience zips becoming more common on surface drysuits there is a need to have layers beneath it that can take advantage of this and unfortunately the Typhoon undersuit is just a few inches too short to make this a comfortable option. It IS possible to root around and partake in all manner of contortions to be able to utilize the relief zip for it’s main purpose but it is certainly neither easy not comfortable. Of course this can be rectified by unpicking and restitching around the seam closer to the affected area – which is probably safer and carries a lower risk of injury than an extended zip – but for those of us buying ‘off the peg’ it is a consideration.



These undersuits have proved hard-wearing, comfortable and practical in the eighteen months or so that I have been wearing them and I have found them to be the ideal base layer/s to use. While neither the coolest nor warmest options available they fill their own level very well.