Semi-dry or Superstretch...???

[ICY ICE]

Looking to get a wetsuit to dive colder water

I'm also looking a full 7mm suit that is "super stretch". I'm not sure which would keep me warm and be very comfortable.

If you have experience with both or either sound off and let me know what you think.

Thanks,
Jeremy

Jeremy,

"cold water" what temperature? what part of the world are you diving?

I'm out of SoCal and I use a 7mm Henderson hyperstretch and it keep me warm up to 55 degrees water.

 

[Quero]

I do have to agree with the doffing at least. I can't seem to find an easy way to get the suit off my feet... any suggestions?

I wore dive socks inside my boots with a semi-dry to dive the chilly Galapagos waters a few months ago. Kept my feet not only warmer, but made getting the semi-dry off my feet much easier. Even with socks on, the cuff seal at the ankle worked just fine.

 

[Jonny_Rocket]

Exactly how dry do the semidrys keep you... specifically the Mares and the Pinnacle? I dive a 6.5mm full suit, and 36* is a little bit cold for any signifigant amount of time. I'm thinking about trying to pick a semidry up at BTS.

 

[chazdonaldson]

Jeremy:

Having been in the water in both a hyperstretch farmer john and a "semi-dry" suit, I MUCH prefer the semi-dry. I have a BARE 7mm Arctic Hooded fullsuit, and it is the warmest dive I have ever had, occasionally warmer than my drysuit. The BARE suit is one piece with the hood attached, so there are not many places for water to enter, and the seals in the wrists, legs, and around the face are really well made and functional. Hyperstretch is a great suit for comfort and ease of dressing and removal, but not exactly the warmest suits, and the Hyperstretch neoprene suits are (IMHO)less sturdy than comparable neoprene suits, and more likely to fray, pill and generally look worn out. I dive in the Pacific NW, so the average water I see is 50-55 degrees, and I have NO complaints about my BARE semi-dry suit.

 

[pgdive]

If you are leaning towards a semi-dry, one suit to look at is the new Pinnacle Aquatics Extreme. It is has the same attached hood configuration as the Polar with a few significant changes. It is 8mm thick through the torso, there is Kevlar on the lower leg and most importatly the zipper across the front is a dry suit zipper rather than the the wetsuit zipper on the Polar. It is however a bit more $$ than the Polar.

Paul

 

[Jonny_Rocket]

Where can I find one, and how much?

 

[ChrisA]

Exactly how dry do the semidrys keep you... specifically the Mares and the Pinnacle? I dive a 6.5mm full suit, and 36* is a little bit cold for any signifigant amount of time. I'm thinking about trying to pick a semidry up at BTS.

A "semidry" suit does not keep you dry at all. Water gets completely under the suit. "Semidry is really a bad term and is misleading. That is not to say the suits are bad. Generlly they are very good and typically have some high end features to restrict the movement of water in and out of the suit by using better wrist, ankle and neck seals and a better or smaller ziper and maybe a cover for it.

If you can find a "standard wetsuit that fits you perfectly water will not circulate. Fit is everything. If it fits it will be warm. To big and water can get in and flush out the warm water alreadyinside.

 

[JKSteger]

This is just as an "update" post. I have abandoned the Semi-dry or hyperstretch and I'm going to just get a drysuit.

Jeremy