I have been diving for thirty years and had custom made 7mm suits in the past but they have cost a lot of money and only lasted so long as my body stayed the same shape which i figured is down and due to the amount of exercise i do ,Cycling to work every day often into strong head on winds in the winter time 55mph plus. I am originally from Yorkshire but live in the Shetland isles which is notorious for strong winds 90-120mph is common every winter and can be more and even through the summer months flat calm days are few between so Talc is a problem as it blows every where eyes etc) Cycling with a full military bergan full of diving kit from one destination to the next and doing four hours or more diving,Sailing,Farming,Body building,it all adds muscle or if i do less looses muscle which creates a different body shape so I have found that a Custom Open Cell suit only fits properly (like anything tailored to anyone's body) if your body stays the same shape.
There are many different types of semi dry suit out there on the market,some with integrated hoods,some not but they integrate with the suit so no water comes in. Personally i prefer to be able to change my hood when needed but my current Dui Merino hood off Fleabay for £12 serves me well . Some suits have zips down the back some diagonally across the chest of which my one does Mr X (this way you can pee)
The 5mm Semidry suit i wear is made of Super stretch neoprene so fits to my body shape wether i gain or loose weight and it so i am very dry when i take it off and easier to take off. No need for lube nor talc (another extra expense and hastle)
I can buy a Semidry cheap off Fleabay that someone has at the time thought about taking up diving but found it was not for them or some other reason they have packed diving in and by looking at the make of the suit online and the measurements i know if it is going to fit me properly.
The Semidry cost me £35 and if i can reduce down the cost of diving kit i get more back on my spearfishing catch otherwise i may aswell buy it from the Fish mongers. It does not make sense to me to shell out tons of money on kit and does not make good business sense either.
Personally i think that the 5mm Semidry suit with the 5mm over the top shortie option is better option for me (probably not better for everyone) as i don't feel the need for a 7mm two piece which would give you 14mm on your core 10mm is fine for me if needed which is probably due to living in a cooler environment for years. When diving last week on a one off salvage job to get twenty sheets of profile sheeting out of the bottom of the sea which had blown in over the winter i was diving in 42mph westerly wind (Real feel land temp 4oc) the depth was 15 meters as the stainless grappling hook had to be placed in the grooves of the sheeting so as to pull the sheets out of the sea at an angle, try pulling them upwards and there would be to much pressure. I did not feel the cold nor was i wet afterwards and that was without the 5mm shortie.
At the end of the day the Semidry suits my needs and requirements better so far and is the cheaper option but i would be interested in any views on the matter and as Mr X said people preferences vary we can learn from each other that is why we are all part of this forum.
There are many different types of semi dry suit out there on the market,some with integrated hoods,some not but they integrate with the suit so no water comes in. Personally i prefer to be able to change my hood when needed but my current Dui Merino hood off Fleabay for £12 serves me well . Some suits have zips down the back some diagonally across the chest of which my one does Mr X (this way you can pee)
The 5mm Semidry suit i wear is made of Super stretch neoprene so fits to my body shape wether i gain or loose weight and it so i am very dry when i take it off and easier to take off. No need for lube nor talc (another extra expense and hastle)
I can buy a Semidry cheap off Fleabay that someone has at the time thought about taking up diving but found it was not for them or some other reason they have packed diving in and by looking at the make of the suit online and the measurements i know if it is going to fit me properly.
The Semidry cost me £35 and if i can reduce down the cost of diving kit i get more back on my spearfishing catch otherwise i may aswell buy it from the Fish mongers. It does not make sense to me to shell out tons of money on kit and does not make good business sense either.
Personally i think that the 5mm Semidry suit with the 5mm over the top shortie option is better option for me (probably not better for everyone) as i don't feel the need for a 7mm two piece which would give you 14mm on your core 10mm is fine for me if needed which is probably due to living in a cooler environment for years. When diving last week on a one off salvage job to get twenty sheets of profile sheeting out of the bottom of the sea which had blown in over the winter i was diving in 42mph westerly wind (Real feel land temp 4oc) the depth was 15 meters as the stainless grappling hook had to be placed in the grooves of the sheeting so as to pull the sheets out of the sea at an angle, try pulling them upwards and there would be to much pressure. I did not feel the cold nor was i wet afterwards and that was without the 5mm shortie.
At the end of the day the Semidry suits my needs and requirements better so far and is the cheaper option but i would be interested in any views on the matter and as Mr X said people preferences vary we can learn from each other that is why we are all part of this forum.
