Semidry wetsuit for warmer water?

[gearbow]

Hi I have been doing cenotes in the Yucatan. and have been pretty comfortable in a 3mm wetsuit but going to be doing some deco stops on next trip and thinking of getting a semidry that is still flexible for movement. Any suggestions?

 

[ucfdiver]

I just use a drysuit with only under armor for the undergarment. Keeps me warm for dives up to 4 hours in the cenotes.

 

[gearhound]

I'll answer your question directly.

A few of use the Hollis Neotek and quite like them. 4 hour dives with stages and still warm. They've taken a hell of a beating going through restrictions and have a few scars, but they're still going. And the thigh pockets are a bonus. I use a rash guard underneath as it makes it easier to don and doff. I've also used a Pinnacle Arctic 7mm and was quite toasty, but I like the front zip of the Neotek.

Another team member uses the Bare Elastek 7mm and he like the extra mobility.

 

[vinegarbiscuit]

I wore an ancient Mares semi-dry and liked it. But if I were in the market for a new suit and wasn't a woman (the suits are unisex and I no longer buy exposure protection that is not specifically cut for the female form), I would definitely go for the Hollis Neotek. I love the pockets, and the price is pretty damn good.

 

[ProfessorxJosh]

I use a Hollis Neotek and I like it lot. My dives get up to 80 minutes with some deco and I'm always warm. It start to chill slightly on a second dive if I had a short surface interval. Id email Ed at Cave Adventurers. He will likely cut you a good deal on a Neotek. I have also heard the Bare semi dry is really nice and for the price it would make a great suit. However there is no substitute for a dry suit. The neoprene drysuits are pretty much like wetsuits from what I hear.

 

[tbone1004]

I'd buy a thermalution long before I'd buy a semitry for what you're doing, if you're comfortable in the 3mm, you just need the extra heat on deco, so leave a hood with your deco bottle or tuck it in the small of your back, and then flip the vest on at deco.

Biggest issue with thick wetsuits is the flexibility loss you'll encounter and the heated vests will be much more versatile for you.

 

[Hetland]

To me, a 7mm semi-dry restricts movement more than a drysuit.

 

[OMANDIVER]

I bought an Aqualung Comfort 7mm semi dry foe cave diving, it is very flexible for reaching valves in BM if that's the kind of thing you need to do.

 

[PfcAJ]

semi-dry: combing the worst parts of a wetsuit with the worst parts of a drysuit.

 

[Bennno]

Just get a normal 7mm that fits you well and add a hooded vest if you fell you need it. The dry zippers on the semi suits are what's restricting movement.
I would never use a drysuit when I don't need it. There is always the change of getting wet in the suit, you have to use a p-valve that also might fail and you really don't want to be in a wet drysuit doing deco. You also have to pay more attention to the drysuit while you can chuck the wet suit in a box until the next day.