Wetsuit/Semi-Dry Wet Suit Question

[Hot Dog]

I have been diving dry for years. I recently have started cave training. In high flow caves I find my dry suit (DUI TLS) floods in the neck and wrist seals (when pulling and gliding). Hence I am looking for a WARM wet suit. The reason i dive dry is due to getting cold. I have read about so called semi dry wet suits by Mares and Henderson. Also, i have read about a wet suit and underneath a hooded vest. I have a 7/5 wet suit and want to see if the hooded vest should do it or is the semi dry the warmest way to go.

Thanks so much for helping me out.

 

[scubadiver888]

I dive wet with a 7mm full and a 7mm tunic over top. Previously I used a rental 7mm farmer john. The rental suit fit okay but wasn't great. The new wetsuit fits beautifully and I find it a LOT warmer. I have been on dives in 45F warmer with everyone else in drysuits. At the end of the dive, based on comments from other divers, I was no colder than the other divers. The place I get cold is once I'm back on the boat if the air temps are low and the day is overcast. All the drysuit divers would roll the suit down to the waist and use their suspenders between dives. I was inside the wheel house hugging the stack.

Bottom line, if the suit fits well and you get minimum water flow through the suit you should be dry in the water. A semi-dry, in theory, should be good.

 

[ajduplessis]

Semi dry will help a lot, but I still believe a good hoodie will make a huge difference.