Which semi-dry is the warmest? (Hollis vs Waterproof vs ?)

[Storker]

Add a pee valve, you’ll solve the only real advantage the wetsuit has over a drysuit.

In cold water rec drysuit diving with a standard tank, you'd have to do a pretty shallow dive to get more than some 45-60 minutes out of one tank.

And if you can't hold it for an hour, you might want to reconsider your hydration procedures. It usually isn't necessary to hydrate in extremis if you dive in conditions warranting a drysuit. Just make sure to take a leak before suiting up, and you're probably going to be just fine without having to glue a condom to your junk.

This opinion is given by a person who suffers from some serious immersion diureses.

 

[Bubbles McGee]

I'm not familiar with them myself, but this guy was really happy with the Hollis.

 

[stuartv]

Hi! I am on my way to buy a semi-dry to dive in Scandinavian waters (the Baltics), ie pretty cold ones. Does any of you know which is the warmer one of the Hollis Neo Tek and the Waterproof SD4? To me they seem of similar quality, but I have not found any direct comparison which is warmest only that they both are warm and as no store here sell both brands it is difficult to ask… Or do you have any other recommendations for semi-dry that I have missed?


(Yes, I know I should get a drysuit which work all the year around. In principle I agree, and I have used and do use drysuit but I also want a semi-dry as I like it (and also as I sometimes like not to bring undergarments.)

Whichever one fits you the best. They're all good quality. Fit is key.

O3 being made to measure (I think?) would probably be a pretty safe bet. Otherwise, you need to try them on.

 

[stuartv]

I'd take one with pockets over one with no pockets.

Also, the Waterproof suits with the pocket that velcros on (the WPAD?) sucks. Eventually, they get to where they pull off by accident way too easily. One of my friends lost hers on the bottom on a NC dive.

 

[lexvil]

In cold water rec drysuit diving with a standard tank, you'd have to do a pretty shallow dive to get more than some 45-60 minutes out of one tank.

And if you can't hold it for an hour, you might want to reconsider your hydration procedures. It usually isn't necessary to hydrate in extremis if you dive in conditions warranting a drysuit. Just make sure to take a leak before suiting up, and you're probably going to be just fine without having to glue a condom to your junk.

This opinion is given by a person who suffers from some serious immersion diureses.

I don’t know what you consider a standard tank but we normally run 90 minutes at around 50 feet, any deeper and wetsuit compression really takes a toll.

I understand the fear of gluing a catheter to your junk, it’s really not that bad, removing it is another story. I enjoy the ability to stay fully hydrated because it helps avoid the cramps that used to hit me as a combination of dehydration and cold water, I’m also nearing 64 years old, you learn to adapt or you give up the game, 10 years ago I could have dove the same place in a 5mil.

 

[Storker]

I don’t know what you consider a standard tank but we normally run 90 minutes at around 50 feet, any deeper and wetsuit compression really takes a toll.

50' is about 15m. In a drysuit, my gas consumption is some 14-20 SLM (lower in a wetsuit). Even with 100 cu.ft of gas (metricaly a 15x200, 12x232 or 10x300) , you'd be hard pressed to get more than an hour out of a tank. Notwithstanding the fact that in drysuit country, you'd probably want to go deep to have decent vis.

 

[MikeSWE]

I have a thing for being comfortably warm during the SI...

You do what you want to do, but apparently it isn't what I'd want to do I still remember diving with mates who showed up in semi-drys. They used every trick in the book (incl. the Thermos bottle of warm water to pour down inside their suits AND the Thermos bottle with hot, sweet tea), but they were still pretty chilled during the SI. We who were dry were snug and warm. And this was late July.

See your point Though as I have dived quite a lot in a 2 piece 7 mm in Sweden so I feel quite comfortable. However, I will get good gloves. And if I get cold or decide to extend my season, then drysuit it will be!

 

[Saicho]

The rental Hollis neotek suits around here usually work for me in the 55-57F range though I have been very chilly in a brand new one at 53F. I recently got a ScubaPro Nova Scotia 7.5 semidry and think it’s going to be a good bit warmer - seals everywhere and plenty thick (though impossible to zip/unzip without assistance)

 

[MikeSWE]

The rental Hollis neotek suits around here usually work for me in the 55-57F range though I have been very chilly in a brand new one at 53F. I recently got a ScubaPro Nova Scotia 7.5 semidry and think it’s going to be a good bit warmer - seals everywhere and plenty thick (though impossible to zip/unzip without assistance)

Looking forward to hear if it is warmer - then I will go for that one rather than Hollis at least.

 

[EireDiver606]

The rental Hollis neotek suits around here usually work for me in the 55-57F range though I have been very chilly in a brand new one at 53F. I recently got a ScubaPro Nova Scotia 7.5 semidry and think it’s going to be a good bit warmer - seals everywhere and plenty thick (though impossible to zip/unzip without assistance)

A few divers in my club dive the Scubapro semi dry Nova Scotia and they seem to think it’s very good.