Semi-dry??

[Rick Inman]

I'm looking to by an exposure suit to dive the Northwest (the Sound, Lakes, etc) and came across the following:

"7mm ARCTIC HOODED FULLSUIT

The 7mm arctic hooded Fullsit is a semi-dry wetsuit with a cross over chest zipper and attached hood. "


So, what is a SEMI-DRY wetsuit? Isn't semi-dry-wet an oxymoron? If I use it should I hunt jumbo shrimp?

Seriously, what is a semi-dry wet suit?
Thansk!

 

[Bob3]

The manufacturer (who makes it, by the way?) is just playing the next round of word games, it's still a wetsuit.
Water infiltration is kept to a minimum though, they have "pseudo-seals" in the arms & legs, and the zipper has a smooth skin-on-skin mating area.
As long as it otherwise fits properly, they can often be the warmest you can find in a wetsuit, depending on how deep you're going. The "super stretch" materials have greater compressability & will be squashed down more with depth than a good Rubatex material.
With the prices on drysuits coming down, you probably shouldn't pay a whole lot more than $250 - $300 for a "semi-dry".

 

[Soggy]

Rick Inman once bubbled...
I'm looking to by an exposure suit to dive the Northwest (the Sound, Lakes, etc) and came across the following:

"7mm ARCTIC HOODED FULLSUIT

The 7mm arctic hooded Fullsit is a semi-dry wetsuit with a cross over chest zipper and attached hood. "


So, what is a SIMI-DRY wetsuit? Isn't simi-dry-wet an oxymoron? If I use it should I hunt jumbo shrimp?

Seriously, what is a simi-dry wet suit?
Thansk!

Like he said...semi-dry is a wetsuit with seals. I have a Bare 7mm Semi-Dry and stay reasonably comfortable in it in cold water. However...if you are in the PNW, I'd suggest you go straight to a drysuit. You will, eventually, so you might as well do it now. 50 degree water is cold in even the best wetsuit. 40s is even worse.

 

[nk5]

I dove with the Mares Isotherm in 40 degree water once, I was quite comfortable for the fist half hour. I decided not to do a second dive that day. I prefer the semi-dry to two piece farmer john since it tends to keep you a little warmer with less bulk.
I agree with Bob, a semi-dry is not worth more than $300. You can get the Mares from ebay or LP for less than that.
If you are diving in cold waters often, you should invest in a drysuit, even if you get a used one.

ut:

 

[Alfred.E]

I have a 7mm Bare one piece semi-dry that keeps me pretty warm but would invest in a dry if you plan on doing much in the way of cold water. So I guess it depends how you handle the cold and what yor budget is..

 

[SubMariner]

Semi-dry is like "being a little bit pregnant".

You're STILL wet!

If you are looking for good exposure protection in cooler waters, save your pennies and go for a drysuit. A good shell suit serve you well in a variety of temperatures AND keep you dry & comfy throughout the year.

Just my $0.02's worth,

~SubMariner~

 

[Big-t-2538]

Soggy once bubbled...

50 degree water is cold in even the best wetsuit. 40s is even worse.

That's because you dan't have enough body fat to keep warm....but then again, I've never been dry so...take my words for what they're worth

 

[Soggy]

Big-t-2538 once bubbled...
That's because you dan't have enough body fat to keep warm....but then again, I've never been dry so...take my words for what they're worth

Very true. I've never *really* been dry, either...despite wearing a "dry"suit. All that will change in the coming month, though...woohoo!

 

[Big-t-2538]

So I've heard....I hope you didn't pay too muhc for that suit...

 

[astrofunk]

I dive an 8/7/6 Xcel semi-dry (i.e. "semi-wet"). It's certainly much warmer than the 2-piece rentals I formerly used. To be sure, that's partly because the rentals were crap, and partly because the seals on the semi-dry are actually worth something.

A few details to help you make your decision: I spent about $400, so I suppose I could have had a dry suit for not too much more. In the Xcel, I'm comfortable down to about 55 degrees F; if the water temperature is much lower, I get cold after about 20 minutes. And of course, a good fit is really key. The seals won't do you any good if there are big pockets of water sloshing around inside the suit.