Scuba Gear Question

I am thinking about purcahseing a Mares Isotherm Semidry suit and was
wondering how warm they are.

Semidry are a waste of money. Either buy a wetsuit or a drysuit. A Drysuit
is definitely the way to go for coldwaterdiving.

Thierry
"Renee Roul" <rtroul@warp.nf.net> schreef in bericht
news:wJ8cb.14657$Ej.2100452@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...
> I am thinking about purcahseing a Mares Isotherm Semidry suit and was
> wondering how warm they are.
>
>
>

How do you know that the poster wants to go coldwaterdiving?

I was at Babbacombe at the weekend and was warm as toast in an Oceanic
Shadow Titanium. It will probably also be just perfect for spring/early
summer temperatures in the Med.

"Thierry Decoussemaeker" <nospam@hetemail.be> wrote in message
news:BQacb.1699$e86.67872827@hestia.telenet-ops.be...
> Semidry are a waste of money. Either buy a wetsuit or a drysuit. A Drysuit
> is definitely the way to go for coldwaterdiving.
>
> Thierry
> "Renee Roul" <rtroul@warp.nf.net> schreef in bericht
> news:wJ8cb.14657$Ej.2100452@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...
> > I am thinking about purcahseing a Mares Isotherm Semidry suit and was
> > wondering how warm they are.
> >
> >
> >
>
>

Neil,

For the price you price you pay for a Mares Isotherm Semidry you can get a
cheap trilam drysuit.
A wetsuit will also do fine for spring/early summer temperatures in the Med,
so why spend the extra money on a semidry????

When I started diving at home in April 2002 (after 14 dives in Tropical
waters) I bought myself two wetsuits (we regulary do two dives a day here
and I hate putting on a wet wetsuit) and laughed with the drysuit divers in
summer. In November it was getting cold in my wetsuit though and as I would
miss the diving to much in winter, I bought myself a (cordura) drysuit.
I was still convinced to dive wet during summer though. Out of 60 dives last
summer I did exactly 3 dives in a wetsuit (one to try it on in our local
quarry, one in salt water and one again in the local quary to rince it) I
wasn't cold in my wetsuit but I found out that all the prejudices
wetsuit-divers have about drysuits are rubbish!

Thierry

On Wed, 24 Sep 2003 14:52:06 +0000, Thierry Decoussemaeker wrote:

> A wetsuit will also do fine for spring/early summer temperatures in the Med,
> so why spend the extra money on a semidry????

I've dived Spain at Easter a couple of times. The water was 15C. Wouldn't
want to do that in a wetsuit. Found the drysuit perfect though and I
wasn't the only one wearing one.

Jason

--
http://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/ for Aussie diving reports including
the wrecks of the SS Yongala, Lady Bowen and the HMAS Swan

>I
>wasn't cold in my wetsuit but I found out that all the prejudices
>wetsuit-divers have about drysuits are rubbish!

What prejudices are you referring to? Personally I find wetsuit diving a hell
of a lot less fuss than drysuit diving and I use a lot less air with a wetsuit
due to the (much) smaller amount of weight I need. In water above 18c or so
I'd err on the side of a wetsuit 90% of the time. I have no problem with using
a drysuit, I just find that in warm water a wetsuit offers an easier option.

In response to the original posters question, why do you want a semidry? Is it
because you'll be diving in cold water or do you just feel the cold generally?
If it's the latter then I'd recommend a custom made wetsuit, mine keeps me nice
and warm and I used to get cold in 24c!

Rob F.

On Wed, 24 Sep 2003 15:29:33 +0000, Rob Forey -- The Man With No Nails
wrote:

> What prejudices are you referring to? Personally I find wetsuit diving
> a hell of a lot less fuss than drysuit diving and I use a lot less air
> with a wetsuit due to the (much) smaller amount of weight I need. In
> water above 18c or so I'd err on the side of a wetsuit 90% of the time.
> I have no problem with using a drysuit, I just find that in warm water a
> wetsuit offers an easier option.

Why do you use more air if you've got more weight? I don't see how the two
are related.

Personally I find that I need more weight with a 7mm two piece wetsuit
than I do with a drysuit, because your torso is covered by 14mm of
neoprene in the wetsuit, so you're more buoyant.

Jason

--
http://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/ for Aussie diving reports including
the Coral Sea, Ningaloo reef, the Solitaries and Byron Bay

On Wed, 24 Sep 2003 15:29:33 +0000, Rob Forey -- The Man With No Nails
wrote:

> What prejudices are you referring to? Personally I find wetsuit diving
> a hell of a lot less fuss than drysuit diving and I use a lot less air
> with a wetsuit due to the (much) smaller amount of weight I need. In
> water above 18c or so I'd err on the side of a wetsuit 90% of the time.
> I have no problem with using a drysuit, I just find that in warm water a
> wetsuit offers an easier option.

Rob,

Are you by coincidence using a neopreen drysuit?

/Thierry

>Rob,
>
>Are you by coincidence using a neopreen drysuit?
>
>/Thierry

Nope, I use a cordura membrane suit with a weezle extreme underneath. I find
it a lot more hassle to use than my 5mm wetsuit and am always amazed at the
ease of wetsuit diving when I go on my hols.

Rob F.

>Why do you use more air if you've got more weight? I don't see how the two
>are related.

More weight means I need more air in my drysuit. The fact that when I dive a
drysuit I use a *lot* more weight means a fairly substantial increase in the
amount of air I need for buoyancy compared to a wetsuit. I also find that
having to drag around more weight underwater increases my air consumption as I
get knackered a lot quicker (yes, I'm that unfit). Put the two together and I
find my air consumption is worse when diving a drysuit than a wetsuit.

Rob F.