My first impressions of the XCEL Thermoflex 9/7/6 Wetsuit. Freezing Water Test.

I plan on Sniping for gold this winter, and to extend my watersports activity into the colder weather. I purchased a Size Large Xcel Thermoflex hooded 9/7/6 wetsuit and test it out in freezing cold water.
It kept me plenty warm, and my recommendation is that with better sealing gloves and boots, this would keep your nice and comfortable in any temperature of water for quite a long time.
I still need to dial in how much lead to wear to make myself neutrally buoyant, so I'll be working out the details before I am ready to get serious and look for some underwater gold!
Thanks for watching!

[@VendettaProspecting]

Really really well made video and very good explanation brother

[@brucehodge2492]

Been watching your channel for nearly a year and like how you create a great story by including gold mining, boating, camping, and beautiful country in your adventures. Looking forward to your future videos. I put a very thin layer of 3M Marine 5200 slow cure formula (fast cure doesn't work as well) on my neoprene glove fingers and on the knees of my suit to protect from abrasion in the rocks. Also use it to repair holes in my gloves by hand sewing the hole closed and covering it with 5200. It is a great adhesive and very abrasion resistant. Must use a very thin layer otherwise your fingers become difficult to bend after it cures. Good luck Prospecting and Mining.

[@UtmostOutdoors]

Thanks Bruce! And thanks for the tip! I imagine gloves could get expensive if you don't protect and repair them along the way... I can't guarantee every video will be a hit as I experiment with new content over the winter, but hopefully most of them are entertaining and at the very least help me improve my editing skills for next season!

[@gorillagoldhunters]

Right on! Looks like a nice suite! I run a bare 7mm , and Cressi 3mm , 7mm bare boots, n 5mm Cressi gloves. I can dive through minus 10/15 C !

[@andreasvandersal9837]

I love the hoodie

[@UtmostOutdoors]

Yeah, having it built in is great!

[@andreasvandersal9837]

@@UtmostOutdoors amen

[@goldentroutprospecting1821]

Your always 2 steps ahead of me. I was thinking of this very thing. I found a good creek for the gold ,just have to get the claim and then I’m good to go. I’ll let you know if that happens and we can team up.

[@UtmostOutdoors]

Get er done bud! Nothing better than having a good spot setup to go search for gold! Let me know once you've got a place to prospect!

[@slackwaterplacer]

That's looked like it was a blast!!😂⚒🤣

[@UtmostOutdoors]

Good fun! Crazy to think of an icy river as a place to play instead of a way to get hypothermia... I love it! I want more...

[@lewvan743]

That spot looks like the bottom of the whitewater run on the Elbow. I've parked my kayak in that cave. Theres a huge bedrock slide upstream of that would give you some good ground to hunt on. could reach if your got some good hiking skills. Running the falls and paddling down is best way, and a heck of a lot of fun. I ww kayaked for over 10 years now and been prospecting for coming on 5. Oh the spots you can get into in bc with a ww kayak. But diggin is what i do more of now, and watching your videos got my lazy ass off the red deer and onto the north sask to the good stuff. If you see a 12ft jon boat with a thai longtail cruising up the river that will be me!

[@UtmostOutdoors]

Nice! I paddled off elbow falls when I was 16 or 17 in a wave sport EZ! Would be cool to do the run this winter in a wetsuit! So many cool ways to explore! Send me some pictures of your mining rig one day!

[@jonathanheinz2376]

I can't have a nap in zero-degree water? I'll wait for the lithium-ion battery heated Xcel 9/7/6 model.

[@UtmostOutdoors]

Hey buddy! If you want to nap in zero-degrees water, I'll get you a hot water system built! Let's go swimming sometime this winter!

[@brucehodge2492]

Try putting on a full body inner suit for additional warmth. Sharkskin or Bare are both good brands. I dredge for gold with a 6" dredge near Nome Alaska, however, live in Michigan.

[@UtmostOutdoors]

I'll look into it! Do you run hot water on your 6"?

[@brucehodge2492]

@@UtmostOutdoors Yes, the warm water hose from the dredge enters the suit at the zipper near one shoulder and before I put the neck dam over my head. The hose connects to a "T" with two smaller tubes. One tube goes to the middle of my lower back (Kidney area) and the other to my front middle stomach. The tubing is between the inner suit and outer suit. The zipper closes against the hose.

[@UtmostOutdoors]

@@brucehodge2492 Cool. I guess for just sniping I likely won't have hot water as I won't have an engine for now... I'm obsessed with bering sea gold, under the ice, and gold rush white water. Would be cool to travel to nome to dive for someone one day!

[@genofromrenoprospector6940]

Thanks for the video but you didn't say how much weight you used. I just got a xcell wetsuit 7/5 for snipping gold. Hope it keeps me warm. 🇺🇸🗽😎⛏👍

[@UtmostOutdoors]

I'm not actually sure exactly how much weight I had. I'm assuming it was around 30lbs. Once I get a chance to get in the water again, I'll take note!

[@Pheonix19765]

Awesome video!! How deep was the river?

[@UtmostOutdoors]

Thanks! In that spot the river was only about 6 feet deep that time of year.

[@paulwheeler4893]

✌👍

[@kiwistevenz]

Did the zipper actually let much water in ?

[@UtmostOutdoors]

The zipper let a bit of water in at first, but as soon as that water warmed up it felt pretty sealed up. I would say the seal is almost as good as my surf specific wetsuit, but this thicker suit lining allows more water to migrate around the suit initially until it all gets that tiny bit wet. Oh, and the integrated hood works amazingly, no water ever flushed down my back or neck.

[@streetGospel1979]

Temp of water in Fahrenheit? 🥶

[@UtmostOutdoors]

The water was probably around 35 to 40 Fahrenheit.

[@mikesauer7775]

Sample bottle of baby soap is supposed to be priceless to stop fogging of lenses. Or spit.

[@UtmostOutdoors]

I'll try it out.

[@williamdon3442]

What’s that smell….. I love it. I love it Lt Frank Dreben police squad

[@bartbley1269]

Team up with pioneer Pauly ?

[@UtmostOutdoors]

That would be cool!