Worth of a Semi-Dry Suit

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Some say yes some will say no. Personally I like mine but don't use it much since I got my dry suit. Do a search and you will find many threads just like this one.
 
Around here go dry! Everyone that dives a lot around here, dives dry. Those that don't, wish they were dry. There are a few people that won't dive anything except a wetsuit, but they are far and few between.

FWIW I have a Pinnacle Polar Semi-dry in my collection. Brrrrr...I much prefer to stay toasty warm in my drysuit.
 
I've checked the other threads, but I'm wondering if a 7mm semi-dry would be more comfortable (e.g. less bulky) than a dry suit? Of course, the reason that I haven't dived here is because I hate being in cold water. I live a block from the beach and even during summer the water is freezing.

Also, the decent dry suit seem to be around $1200 while the nice semi-dry is $500.

Don't you also get wet...at least a little, in a dry suit?

Thanks!
 
I got a nice used name brand dry suit for $450 from the classifieds here. We got my wife a nice new name brand suit, on closeout, from Dive Tank for $600.

It's true they aren't super fancy or custom fitted, but we are diving warm for little more than the cost of a new fancy semi-dry.
 
Where are you guys find those sub-$1000 new dry suits? I've been checking online and most of them are more than a $1000. I got my wetsuit from ScubaToys and they have a semi-dry for $500 and the dry for about $1200.
 
Check https://www.divetank.com/gear/. They have some sub-$1000 suits listed on the site, but the note on the top of the page says they also have unlisted specials which you have to call in for. Richard, the Dive Tank Guy, was very pleasant to deal with when we got one of the closeout D6 Pro suits for my wife.

There is also a user here, I Bob3, who used to sell Viking drysuits for something like $600. Don't know if he still does.

Don't forget that you will need to factor in undergarments. The less insulation your suit has, the more the undies must have. If you go Dive Tank, sometimes they have free or cheap fleece to go with the suit specials. That, with a wicking base layer, may be enough for your comfort level but you will just have to try it. I decided that I didn't like the 2-piece garments as they can pull apart around your waist... I tried this $75 Tilos 1-piece and love it so far.

http://www.divesports.com/mall/tilos_ws_L600drysuiundies.asp

I use this with a 4mm compressed neoprene drysuit in Seattle, lowest temp I tried so far was 46F, no problems at all. If I had a no-insulation "bag" suit it probably wouldn't be warm enough. Hey, some people dive with sweats on, so you can start cheap on the undies and see how it goes.

Oh, if you really hate cold, you may want to invest in a dry glove system. I find that even in 46F water, wet gloves are just fine. Dry gloves can be a pain to put on though you have more dexterity.

> Don't you also get wet...at least a little, in a dry suit?

If everything goes right, no, but you'll probably need some practice to get there. For example, the seal around your neck may not keep all the water out if you move your head around too enthusiastically. And the air dump valve could let water in if you don't put a little air the suit in to offset the squeeze of water pressure... or if you press it to release air when there isn't any in the suit, water's definitely coming in.

I'm still learning how to use my suit properly--it's EQUIPMENT, not just a garment--and I usually end up with a damp arm under my exhaust valve. On a bad day my feet might get wet. Even so--it's very comfortable, a couple cups of water is no big deal. The bottom line is that cold water is not a factor, I just don't even think about it. And that's great.

Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
All my "wet suits" are semi-dry since they are skin-2-sides, and yes they are much warmer than a wet suit of the same thickness, though not as warm as a dry suit.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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