Help in wearing Semi Dry Wetsuit?

[projekts]

Just bought a mares isotherm semi dry wetsuit off ebay, and item arrived today
just wondering if it is normal to ask for help in wearing the semi dry wetsuit.
i guess i could try to force myself in, but am worried that i might not be able to take it off by myself, especially the super tight neck/collar area.
what do you guys think?

 

[miketsp]

If this is a well fitting 7mm semi dry then there are definitely some tricks to using it otherwise you'll be too tired to dive after the work of donning it.

The first trick is to turn it almost inside out leaving about 6" at the ends of the legs and arms folded over. Then I use 2 smallish strong plastic bags. I put one on each foot and push them into the leg openings pulling the fold. You will then be able to just roll the suit up your legs and body with an absolute minimum of effort until you get to the height of the base of your sternum.
Transfer the 2 bags to your hands and push them through the still folded arm openings. Then just stick out both arms and the top part of the suit will roll into place. Finally head into the collar and work it down with both hands. If I'm not wet I do sometimes use the plastic bag over the top of my head - always guaranteed to produce a few smiles on the dive boat - but it really extends the life of my latex neck seal.
The combination of the strategic use of plastic bags and the rolling techniques reduces the effort to a fraction of what it would be.
You'll need a buddy anyway to close (and open) your zipper if it's the rear entry dry-suit type.

Assuming you have a buddy to unzip you, the real trick to taking it off once you get your head out of the upper part is to work the suit down a few inches around your torso before folding the suit over at the shoulders and then rolling it off.

 

[projekts]

thanks miketsp for the tips
will try the plastic bag trick soon, but i shall wait until i have someone by my side before deciding to try again.
I don't want to get stuck home alone with a semi dry wetsuit and can't so anything about it.

 

[willgr1]

it's tricky the first few times, but after a while it wears and becomes much easier to get into. I just pull mine down to the crotch and pull it onto my legs, then put the vest on and zipper it up and adjust the bottom half from there. From there I pull the top half up to my shoulders, put both arms through, adjust/rotate the arms as necessary, then shove my head through. You'll always need someone to zipper it up in the back afterwards.

It is quite a bit harder to get on wet, so I always hang it up inside out or leave the arms inside out if i'm on surface interval.

 

[snowflake4727]

I have a Henderson Semi dry, and that is difficult to don also. I found that if I turn it inside out down to the calves and roll it up and stretch it at the same time. To not wear myself out I take my time. I get the lower half on then set my other gear up and put the rest on when I am ready to get in the water.
The toughest part is the feet.
Mine is so well fitting and dry that I have gotten squeeze in an uncomfortable place.

 

[projekts]

the suit is rear entry kind, and it's designed in such that the main zip runs across from elbow to elbow, instead of the spine area...
the plastic bag trick works like magic, but only until i wear the bottom part...
man, i was trying so damn hard to pull the top part over after i had put on the bottom part...
not to mention the rubber seal pressing my face, nose, ears when i was in an almost immobilized position.
really quite a pain to wear that...
the thought of having to wear such a suit is deterring me from going for dives in colder water...

 

[miketsp]

the suit is rear entry kind, and it's designed in such that the main zip runs across from elbow to elbow, instead of the spine area...
the plastic bag trick works like magic, but only until i wear the bottom part...
man, i was trying so damn hard to pull the top part over after i had put on the bottom part...
not to mention the rubber seal pressing my face, nose, ears when i was in an almost immobilized position.
really quite a pain to wear that...
the thought of having to wear such a suit is deterring me from going for dives in colder water...

Don't give up, the better the fit the warmer you'll stay - less water circulation.
The first 20 or so dives I did in my 7mm semi-dry made me feel like a robot and quite nauseous on the boat due to the claustrophobic sensation especially around the neck seals. Gradually the suit streched in the right places and I got accustomed to it. Now it feels great and I can stay down below the thermocline when all my buddies want to do is stay above it nearer the warmer water at the surface.
Just don't forget that rolling is much less effort than pulling & work on your technique.

 

[thomo]

Hi projekts, I have a ocean-tec 7mm and found that if you buy some lycra socks that the suit is easier to get into I also have an undergarment and yes it may be a bit tight when you are out of the water but this feeling goes once you get in the water and it takes longer to get cold unless you go with a drysuit.

 

[Torisen]

Not sure how helpful this will be, but my wife and I have the Camaro Stingray 7mm suits like these:
Camaro Stingray 7mm Mens Semi Dry Front Zipper Suit and they're awesome. With a 7mm hood tucked under and 5mm boots and gloves we're comfy down to the high 40's Fahrenheit (we dive the Puget sound in the northwest). Donning is easy, SI is no problem, we just unzip or take our arms out and let it hang at the waist, doffing isn't too bad except for the right shoulder is hard to get out from under by yourself when wet. Dry it's ok, but after a dive if I'm solo, I use a tie down to hook it and pull it off.

We got ours from the company at an expo for about what Leisurepro has them for, it was between 500-600 for two, I don't remember the exact price.

Probably doesn't help with your problems though, sorry!

 

[namabiru]

I've just purchased a semi dry of sorts too (the Pinnacle Arctic, which technically isn't a semi dry but does have semi dry seals). The first time I put it on, or tried to, it really sucked.

However, once I put on my lycra suit, it was heaps easier the second time. So maybe get yourself a lycra suit. They don't cost all that much, really. I haven't tried the rolling yet, but will do so with the lycra to see what happens.

Not to hijack, though, but does anyone have a rear zip and dive solo? I was able to zip most of the way on my own, but the problem is that rear neoprene cover just inside the zipper. Has anyone found a good way to get that folded right so you can zip yourself up no problem?