Semi Dry Suits

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Both my wife and I have Aqualung Solafx 8/7s semi-drys. They are our first "wetsuits". We've dove them in 84 down to 43 deg water. Bit hot in the summer out of the water, but totally great once in. In the cold, I was good to about 48, but at 43 on my second dive of the day, I was cold, but mostly just hands and feet. I also wear a dive skin under it (as does she) and that makes getting it on easier (for a wetsuit). I also do the shopping bag thing for legs and arms and that makes it one more notch easier. It does have lots of float, so you'll need a good bit of lead, though with my steel 100 and pony, I only have 7lbs of extra lead, down from the 18 I started diving with. We're both diving the suits today, though different places - water in the high 40's low 50's regardless. I don't expect any issues. And they are about half the price of the cheapest Whites Fusion; you could buy 5 for the price of a DUI. I really don't expect to have to buy another wetsuit ever (say 20yrs). Maybe seems odd, but its pretty tough (cuts and bad abrasions not withstanding).

I have the same suite, but with about 100 dives on it. It's a wet suite, not a semi-dry. It has many features common to semi-dry, seals on the wrist and legs and a baffle on the zipper so sometimes it gets classified as semi-dry, but that is sales hype. The neoprene is water permeable, every dive I am totally wet. The stretchy neoprene fits well and keep from from sloshing, but you are wet. A properly fitting true semi-dry will keep some areas dryish, for a dive or so. I am not knocking the suit, its very comfortable and warm with the build in hood, until you hit some deep water. The stretchy neoprene crushes and its not nearly as warm. At that point (deep & cold) a dry suit becomes very appealing.

 

[BluewaterSail]

Something that I have always wondered about a semidry. When in my wetsuit, I just pee in the water when the mood strikes. With my drysuit, same thing, when connected to my she-p and p-valve. When in a semidry, it seems to me that your only choice is to hold it in, then upon exiting the water, drop your gear anywhere you can, while running to the toilet, simulataneously with desperatly trying to tug the suit off and praying that there isn't going to be a line at the rest rooms?

 

[TravisD]

People install p-valves in wetsuits, so should be doable in a semi-dry I'd imagine...

 

[Wingy]

Glad to find the reviews - just got the mares semi dry for $50 AUD - looking forward to it arriving.

 

[alewar]

I have the Scubapro Novascotia 6.5mm and with it you're essentially diving dry for under $400. It's a very nice constructed suit and lets almost no water in. The major issues I have with it is that it takes some time and strength to don and doff and below 10°C it starts to go outside the comfy zone. Nevertheless I've been in 5°C water with it and it wasn't that bad.

I'm still looking forward to get a dry suit though, mainly for the ease of donning and doffing.

 

[D-Rail]

Something that I have always wondered about a semidry. When in my wetsuit, I just pee in the water when the mood strikes. With my drysuit, same thing, when connected to my she-p and p-valve. When in a semidry, it seems to me that your only choice is to hold it in, then upon exiting the water, drop your gear anywhere you can, while running to the toilet, simulataneously with desperatly trying to tug the suit off and praying that there isn't going to be a line at the rest rooms?

Not only will you make the mad dash, but you need your dive buddy to get out of the water just as fast to unzip you. Just yesterday I was doing the dance on the shore, waiting for my wife to get out of the water to unzip the back of the Scubapro.

 

[oncor23]

I have the Waterproof Taurus Semi-Dry. I'm currently diving a drysuit as water temps are too cold for me to switch just yet. I use about 10-15 lbs (depending on undergarments) more weight with my drysuit compared to the semi-dry. Maybe that says the fit of the drysuit is not perfect...I did get it used...well used. I use about 4 lbs more weight with the Taurus compared to a Waterproof 7mm wetsuit. Of course, the semi-dry does need to be burped once in the water. I do that with the neck seal above water...I haven't tried to do that while underwater. I modified all the seals on the Taurus to fit my dimensions...otherwise they were too large and were leaking. Once modified, I took it down to 60 ft and was under for 70 minutes and came out dry...only condensation inside.

 

[johnboywalton]

Here is a pretty good list, and so little has changed that it's still up to date:

Best ?Semi-Dry? Wetsuits ? Dive Gear Reviews