Looking for a good semi-dry wetsuit!

[Ronan Markey]

I am a newbie to scuba diving and I am pool training at present. I will be diving off the North-West coast of Ireland hopefully.

I have looked at some semi-dry's like;

Scubapro Pacific, Stek and Scotia
Cressi Lontra II and Logica
Beaver Icelandic Ultra and 2000
Oceanic Shadow
Mares Thermic and Evolution


I am bit confused. need a good suit that is warm and that I can use in moderate climates, two-piece...! Can anyone help! any advice is good advice.. Also, are zips at wrist cuffs and ankle seals a good idea!
Cheers Ro.

[PeteM]

I am a newbie to scuba diving and I am pool training at present. I will be diving off the North-West coast of Ireland hopefully.

I have looked at some semi-dry's like;

Scubapro Pacific, Stek and Scotia
Cressi Lontra II and Logica
Beaver Icelandic Ultra and 2000
Oceanic Shadow
Mares Thermic and Evolution


I am bit confused. need a good suit that is warm and that I can use in moderate climates, two-piece...! Can anyone help! any advice is good advice.. Also, are zips at wrist cuffs and ankle seals a good idea!
Cheers Ro.

If you are going to be diving off the coast of Ireland then its likely you will end up in a dry suit, therefore its a good idea not to spend too much on a semi so you don't loose it wehn you sell it on. I would therefore advise buying a second hand one if you can, or if you can strech to it then get a dry.

However I had a Mares Icelandic that was very good. General tips:-

-Go for a two piece 7mm anything else is likely to be cold out of the summer
-It needs to fit well to work, any gaps will make you cold
-To me zips at the wrists are just another area to flush cold water through so I would not get them
-The titanium coatings some manufactures talk about is just marketing.
-Don't be tempted by a cheap sailing suit, the foam is a lot bigger and it compresses more so no good underwater
-The secret of staying warm in a semi dry is to stay warm before getting in the water. Wrap up well, wear a hat and gloves even if its warm out. By the time you start to feel cold its too late your core temprature has started to fall and you will be cold in the dive.

HTH

Pete

[Chris Tibble]

I am a newbie to scuba diving and I am pool training at present. I will be diving off the North-West coast of Ireland hopefully.

I have looked at some semi-dry's like;

Scubapro Pacific, Stek and Scotia
Cressi Lontra II and Logica
Beaver Icelandic Ultra and 2000
Oceanic Shadow
Mares Thermic and Evolution


I am bit confused. need a good suit that is warm and that I can use in moderate climates, two-piece...! Can anyone help! any advice is good advice.. Also, are zips at wrist cuffs and ankle seals a good idea!
Cheers Ro.

A semi-dry is a false economy, you'll only have to sell it and lose a bunch of money on it.

Buy a drysuit and then you won't be a shivering wreck during the surface interval or the trip back in the boat.

Any money says that your instructor will be in a drysuit... That means that you should be too!

You can pick up a drysuit for not much more than a top notch semi, so buy one and reap the benefits.

Chris

[terryh]

A semi-dry is a false economy, you'll only have to sell it and lose a bunch of money on it.


What a load of .......

While it is true that for UK diving a drysuit is the dogs
danglies, I would advise any newbie NOT to buy one.

Why?
From my stats of training divers over the last 8 years.

Out of every 10........
a) 1x will not complete the course.
b) 3x will complete the course, but decide that diving isnt for
them or it's actually dawned on them that this lark costs
money so you will never see them.
c) 2x will start UK and after the first overseas holiday, never
dive here again, becoming warm water divers.
d) The last 4x will get a drysuit and become good UK divers.

So the question is are you a, b, c or d?
Unless you are one of the 4x in d) then a drysuit is ?500 down
the pan. Whilst a cheap semi will always get used, even if it's just on holiday.

As a for the price comparison. The cheap drys are just that,
cheap. Not worth having. Minimum spend has got to be ?450.
While a 2x piece semi (branded 7+7) can be got for as little as
?120.

Not anti-drysuit, just anti-drysuit until what direction
has been decided and that takes time.

TerryH

[John Bantin]

Spot on Terry H . I agree entirely.
Drysuit diving adds an extra degree of difficulty to learning just when there is plenty to take on board, and let?s face it, everyone will go diving on holiday (in warmer water) at some time, even the most ardent club diver, so the semidry will not be wasted if a drysuit is bought later.

So I suggest the questioner gets a 7mm one-piece that fits properly and a second layer in the form of a vest to go over the top. And don?t forget the hood!

[david lisk]

Terry, "What a load of ......."

Why this response to someone elses point of view, try listening and taking account of varing viewpoints and advice. No one knows it all!

Having actually dived off the North-West coast of Ireland I would recommend a dry suit.

A very important factor (and not on Terry's list) is quite a number of potential divers are put off diving in UK and Irish waters because it is too cold in anything but a dry suit.

As for Johns point 'Drysuit diving adding an extra degree of difficulty to learning just when there is plenty to take on board' I just do not believe this is the case if you have a good instructor.

In my club we give everyone dry-suit training as part of the ocean diver training programme.

Do not forget you can hire drysuits to save on cost if you are unsure diving is for you.

David

[terryh]

Why this response to someone elses point of view, try listening and taking account of varing viewpoints and advice. No one knows it all!


Well it was a response to this (IMO) inacurate statement,
"A semi-dry is a false economy, you'll only have to sell it
and lose a bunch of money on it."

But as you've open the floodgates .......

Having actually dived off the North-West coast of Ireland I would recommend a dry suit.


Err, so tell me WTF that has to do with learning to dive in the
UK?

A very important factor (and not on Terry's list) is quite a number of potential divers are put off diving in UK and Irish waters because it is too cold in anything but a dry suit.


Right & Wrong. Quite a few are put off, but dont blame the
suit. Blame the school. If you push a student through a course
in adverse winter conditions, in ill-fitting hire semis
(or even wetsuits) to maximise profits, what do you expect!!!
A well made, well fitting semi. With good boots, hood & gloves will work well. Like all dive kit, if it doesnt fit, it doesnt
work!

As for Johns point 'Drysuit diving adding an extra degree of difficulty to learning just when there is plenty to take on board' I just do not believe this is the case if you have a good instructor.


It has nothing whatsover to do with the skillbase of the
Instructor. While it is entirely possible to teach any grade
with a drysuit, a new student will struggle with an:
a)Extra buoyancy source and b) The need for an extra hand to
press the buttons.
All the valuable time wasted getting the balance right could,
would be better spent geting basic buoyancy right on a single
BCD.

In my club we give everyone dry-suit training as part of the ocean diver training programme.


Your choice. We don't, because we want to spend time on basic
dive skills. Those that go onto drysuits later get a stand
alone course.

Do not forget you can hire drysuits to save on cost if you are unsure diving is for you.


Or you can buy a semi take and if you do sell it, the most you
loose is the hire cost (about 50 quid at mosts).

TerryH

[david lisk]

Terry,

Well it was a response to this (IMO) inacurate statement,
"A semi-dry is a false economy, you'll only have to sell it
and lose a bunch of money on it."

Only inacurate from your point of view, which is my point and lost on you. Someone elses point of view does not justify the response you gave namely "What a load of ......."
----------------

:=Having actually dived off the North-West coast of Ireland I would recommend a dry suit.

Err, so tell me WTF that has to do with learning to dive in the :=UK?

Did I miss something the origonal questionner stated "I will be diving off the North-West coast of Ireland hopefully." Part of my reply mentioned Irish waters and UK. Since Northern Ireland (which is part of the UK) is beside Southern Ireland which consists of, along with other counties, the North West coast of 'Ireland' ie. County Donegal, then similar conditions apply in this part of the country.

Further to this again you cannot conduct your self with good argument but must add (WTF on to the forum), probably because you have lost the argument,
-----------------

:=A very important factor (and not on Terry's list) is quite a number of potential divers are put off diving in UK and Irish waters because it is too cold in anything but a dry suit.

Right & Wrong.

Seems to me you think I am correct and incorrect at the same time.
------------------------


:=As for Johns point 'Drysuit diving adding an extra degree of difficulty to learning just when there is plenty to take on board' I just do not believe this is the case if you have a good instructor.


It has nothing whatsover to do with the skillbase of the
Instructor. While it is entirely possible to teach any grade
with a drysuit, a new student will struggle with an:
a)Extra buoyancy source and b) The need for an extra hand to
press the buttons.
All the valuable time wasted getting the balance right could,
would be better spent geting basic buoyancy right on a single
BCD.

I disagree, I have taught many students in the use of dry suits as part of the club/ocean diver course. Where is the extra buoyancy source you write of and the need for an extra hand,(I can only assume that all those who you know and use a drysuit have a 3rd hand to 'press the buttons'). As I am sure you know you only use one source of buoyancy at a time underwater, in this case, your drysuit (unless you are a deep technical diver.) The BCD is used for surface buoyancy only or an emergency.

Regards

David

[terryh]

David, my point was (and still is) that neither you or I know
what is best for ANY one individual. We base our opinions (and
it is just that an opinion) on our own personal experinces
during our diving "career".

If I say South Coast UK does that automatcily = Drysuit.
What if I said South Coast Uk Summer is that again a Drysuit.
What of the odd weekend in July/August, again a drysuit?

What if this newbie (remember the original post was from
somebody who had done NO UK OW diving) doesnt like UK UW?
What if he decides to only do the warm-water Red Sea stuff?

The reason I advocate semis first is that it gives the cheapest
entry to the water and allows you to get it wrong as the suit
is versatile enough to be used in other countries.

Worse comes to the worse then the most they would loose is say
?50 and that's the cost of hiring one for 5x dives anyway.

TerryH

[tony dwyer]

Right & Wrong. Quite a few are put off, but dont blame the
suit. Blame the school. If you push a student through a course
in adverse winter conditions, in ill-fitting hire semis
(or even wetsuits) to maximise profits, what do you expect!!!
A well made, well fitting semi. With good boots, hood & gloves will work well. Like all dive kit, if it doesnt fit, it doesnt
work!


Right on the button.

Trainee with two first open water dives in Gildenburgh Water last Sunday, wearing a well fitted 7mm two piece semi.

Was he happy?

He was all smiles and enthusiasm.

Did he enjoy his two dives

Lots - he saw a FISH!

Was he cold? - Water Temp 5c

No.

[Scubagirl]

Ronan,

My advice is beg, borrow or whatever, a dry suit for diving off North West coast of Ireland. You want to stay warm in the water and as important out of it. A dry suit does this best.

Quite often you can pick up a second hand drysuit and if diving is really not for you you can resell at no loss.

Don't let these guys make you think learning, as part of your training, to use a dry suit is really difficult, its not!

Carol

[tony dwyer]

Ronan,

My advice is beg, borrow or whatever, a dry suit for diving off North West coast of Ireland. You want to stay warm in the water and as important out of it. A dry suit does this best.

Quite often you can pick up a second hand drysuit and if diving is really not for you you can resell at no loss.

Don't let these guys make you think learning, as part of your training, to use a dry suit is really difficult, its not!

Carol

Of course it's not difficult. After all I managed to learn how to use one and have been doing so safely for many years.

The important thing is, you can't teach yourself how to manage a dry suit. You have to be taught by someone who's appropriately qualified. If you do beg, borrow or even buy a suit, get taught how to use it. Do some sheltered diving and become proficient at buoyancy control and descent/ascent management before venturing out into the open sea.
Further, practice all the skills that you will need. For example, try managing an SMB and a DSMB (not at the same time) while managing the dry suit. Not as easy as it seems for someone without the appropriate skill. If you are a photographer, try taking pics while using a dry suit. I've seen budding under water 'David Bailey's' come unstuck. Clue:- Some piccy merchants hold their breath while taking a shot. I know I do.

My own preference for diving in and around the British Isles is a dry suit. But I did quite a few years in a semi-dry with no permanent adverse effects. Even diving in mid-winter in Stoney Cold in the deep and dark.

I repeat my support of Terry's earlier comment. A semi-dry suit that fits correctly is OK. I would even go as far to say that such a suit is better than a badly fitting dry suit. I've seen an awful lot of those over the years.

regards

Tony

[terryh]

Ronan,

My advice is beg, borrow or whatever, a dry suit for diving off North West coast of Ireland. You want to stay warm in the water and as important out of it. A dry suit does this best.

Quite often you can pick up a second hand drysuit and if diving is really not for you you can resell at no loss.

Don't let these guys make you think learning, as part of your training, to use a dry suit is really difficult, its not!

Carol

Who said anything about learning to use a drysuit!!!!!
My reasons for not going dry at the start, is that you dont
know what this guy is going to end up doing.

If he can beg or borrow a dry-bag (THAT FITS) all well and
good. But chances are he wont get a good fit with that and
S/H one and he would be better off with a well-fitting new
semi.

I can only go on my experience as a DO/TO of a busy student
club with a high turnover, but after three years of decent UK
diving over half of our lot are still in semis.

TerryH

[Scubagirl]

Who said anything about learning to use a drysuit!!!!!

You did Terry!!!!can you not remember.

"While it is entirely possible to teach any grade
with a drysuit, a new student will struggle with an:
a)Extra buoyancy source and b) The need for an extra hand to
press the buttons.
All the valuable time wasted getting the balance right could,
would be better spent geting basic buoyancy right on a single
BCD." (There was a reply pointing out the the inaccuracies of this statement)

As did John Bantin "Drysuit diving adds an extra degree of difficulty to learning just when there is plenty to take on board"

I said "Don't let these guys make you think learning, as part of your training, to use a dry suit is really difficult, its not!"

Carol

[terryh]

:=Who said anything about learning to use a drysuit!!!!!

You did Terry!!!!can you not remember.

"While it is entirely possible to teach any grade
with a drysuit, a new student will struggle with an:
a)Extra buoyancy source and b) The need for an extra hand to
press the buttons.
All the valuable time wasted getting the balance right could,
would be better spent geting basic buoyancy right on a single
BCD." (There was a reply pointing out the the inaccuracies of this statement)

As did John Bantin "Drysuit diving adds an extra degree of difficulty to learning just when there is plenty to take on board"

I said "Don't let these guys make you think learning, as part of your training, to use a dry suit is really difficult, its not!"


That's what comes of replying to posts at 3 in the morning!!

Ok let me rephrase that. While I do strongly believe that
a drysuit does add to the task loading of a students first
attempts at buoyancy, my main reason is as I said, you, I or
even the student have no idea how he is going to progress.

If you want proof of that (not that it's needed), just take a
look at any number of classifieds. There are an awful lot of
adverts for nearly new drysuits (and full kit) all being sold
by newbies who have changed there mind about UK diving.

And before you say it, this is only a good source of cheap
drysuits - IF IT FITS.

PS:
>All the valuable time wasted getting the balance right could,
>would be better spent geting basic buoyancy right on a single
>BCD.
>>(There was a reply pointing out the the inaccuracies of this
>>statement) Which in itself was inacuarte.

Carol, the reply was itself plainly inacurate. If it was as
easy, there would be no need for extra sections in OD and
dedicated drysuit courses.

TerryH

[david lisk]

There is a point missed in all these arguments.

I was wondering what age Ronan, who asked the question is, as age, along with other factors, can have implications regarding the selection of a suit for individuals.

Terry, it would appear is the "DO/TO of a busy student club with a high turnover". All this semi-dry lark is ok for young students who never feel the cold. When I was a student I probably would have gone diving in UK waters in my swimming costume and thought nothing of it!!!

In my club we have trained divers in the 40+ range over the past few years, I was 40+ when I started diving. Nothing would have dragged me into the waters around Northern Ireland without a dry suit and the same goes for similarly aged divers in my club. You need to look at the individual. I do not believe you can make a general statement advising only purchasing a semi-dry when starting diving.

You need to look at age, weight, fitness, susceptibility to cold conditions etc. before advising on selection of dive suit be it wet, semi-dry, dry, to purchase (new or SH), hire or borrow.

So if you are young fit and tough perhaps a semi-dry is for you(rather you than me), if not, you might want to think a bit longer.

David.

[tony dwyer]

There is a point missed in all these arguments.

I was wondering what age Ronan, who asked the question is, as age, along with other factors, can have implications regarding the selection of a suit for individuals.

Terry, it would appear is the "DO/TO of a busy student club with a high turnover". All this semi-dry lark is ok for young students who never feel the cold. When I was a student I probably would have gone diving in UK waters in my swimming costume and thought nothing of it!!!

In my club we have trained divers in the 40+ range over the past few years, I was 40+ when I started diving. Nothing would have dragged me into the waters around Northern Ireland without a dry suit and the same goes for similarly aged divers in my club. You need to look at the individual. I do not believe you can make a general statement advising only purchasing a semi-dry when starting diving.

You need to look at age, weight, fitness, susceptibility to cold conditions etc. before advising on selection of dive suit be it wet, semi-dry, dry, to purchase (new or SH), hire or borrow.

So if you are young fit and tough perhaps a semi-dry is for you(rather you than me), if not, you might want to think a bit longer.

David.


See my previous post regarding trainee's first open water dives last Sunday in Gildenburg. Daniel is 46!
We have another relatively new club member (two years), Simon is 43 and dives very regularly in cold water, he has tried a dry suit (one of mine) and is sticking with his semi-dry thank you very much.
Paul is a new Dive Leader, racking up his experience, he's also 46. Guess what, he uses a semi-dry. He was in Gildenburg last Sunday too.
Frank is 47 and has been a member of Basildon branch for over 10 years. He's still using his original semi-dry on his frequent dives.

I'm 55 and regularly conduct Rescue Diver courses in Swanage Bay. In the summer, I'm usually to be found wearing a 3mm wet suit while splashing around in the sea and falling off my Zodiac. I even dive wearing it on occasion, when the weather's a little clement. Mind you, it's energetic stuff and I can get quite warm.

Not all us old gits are freezy pops!

regards

Tony

[terryh]

:=There is a point missed in all these arguments.
:=
:=I was wondering what age Ronan, who asked the question is, as age, along with other factors, can have implications regarding the selection of a suit for individuals.
:=
:=Terry, it would appear is the "DO/TO of a busy student club with a high turnover". All this semi-dry lark is ok for young students who never feel the cold. When I was a student I probably would have gone diving in UK waters in my swimming costume and thought nothing of it!!!
:=
:=In my club we have trained divers in the 40+ range over the past few years, I was 40+ when I started diving. Nothing would have dragged me into the waters around Northern Ireland without a dry suit and the same goes for similarly aged divers in my club. You need to look at the individual. I do not believe you can make a general statement advising only purchasing a semi-dry when starting diving.
:=
:=You need to look at age, weight, fitness, susceptibility to cold conditions etc. before advising on selection of dive suit be it wet, semi-dry, dry, to purchase (new or SH), hire or borrow.
:=
:=So if you are young fit and tough perhaps a semi-dry is for you(rather you than me), if not, you might want to think a bit longer.
:=
:=David.
:=

See my previous post regarding trainee's first open water dives last Sunday in Gildenburg. Daniel is 46!
We have another relatively new club member (two years), Simon is 43 and dives very regularly in cold water, he has tried a dry suit (one of mine) and is sticking with his semi-dry thank you very much.
Paul is a new Dive Leader, racking up his experience, he's also 46. Guess what, he uses a semi-dry. He was in Gildenburg last Sunday too.
Frank is 47 and has been a member of Basildon branch for over 10 years. He's still using his original semi-dry on his frequent dives.

I'm 55 and regularly conduct Rescue Diver courses in Swanage Bay. In the summer, I'm usually to be found wearing a 3mm wet suit while splashing around in the sea and falling off my Zodiac. I even dive wearing it on occasion, when the weather's a little clement. Mind you, it's energetic stuff and I can get quite warm.

Not all us old gits are freezy pops!

regards


Yep have to add to that. I started diving in my early 30's
and got my first MTM semi when I was 35. I didnt buy a drysuit
until I was 40.

Although a student club we have a 30% alumni/existing diver base that ranges from 20-50 and dont forget we have mature
students. One of our mature newbies of 48 got his Oceanic
Shadow two weeks ago and was very pleased with its performance
at 6 degrees in Horsea.

Age is rarely the issue as the older you get the more body fat
you get (I know, I have way too much of the stuff). More of a factor is a good hood. You would be amazed at the problems
us folicly challenged old gits have in both cold and hot
climes.

Bottom line as always is fit/right thickness.

TerryH

[david lisk]

:=Not all us old gits are freezy pops!

There's no chance of me getting a SDC 'Iron Man' sticker in my qual book then!

David

[terryh]

:=:=Not all us old gits are freezy pops!

There's no chance of me getting a SDC 'Iron Man' sticker in my qual book then!

David

Might get an ironing man sticker.

<a href="http://www.extremeironing.com/index.php" >http://www.extremeironing.com/index.php</a>

TerryH

[John Bantin]

I suggest that whatever route the original questioner takes, it is essential to get a suit that fits.
I have done many dives off the UK coast in a well-fitting semi-dry. The discomfort only comes when trying to put it back on for the second dive of the day.
I have just done a dive in Stoney Cove (6 degrees) in Joe Painter?s?s drysuit, with an ill-fitting neck seal, and was wetter than I would have been in a semi-dry. One day later and my undersuit is still damp.
So get a suit that fits you and do not hang around in a wet semi-dry or a wet undersuit after diving.

[tony dwyer]

I suggest that whatever route the original questioner takes, it is essential to get a suit that fits.
I have done many dives off the UK coast in a well-fitting semi-dry. The discomfort only comes when trying to put it back on for the second dive of the day.
I have just done a dive in Stoney Cove (6 degrees) in Joe Painter?s?s drysuit, with an ill-fitting neck seal, and was wetter than I would have been in a semi-dry. One day later and my undersuit is still damp.
So get a suit that fits you and do not hang around in a wet semi-dry or a wet undersuit after diving.

I'm not surprised you got wet. Joe's neck is much thicker than yours. Well it was the last time I saw him. How'd you get into the suit. Did you fold yourself in half?

regards

Tony

[John Bantin]

It made for a good story and no doubt you will get the chance to read it at a later date!

[neil Carter]

Hi Ronan,

To try to answer your original query, I started diving, aged 47 something over twelve years ago. First two piece semi-dry, left over from snorkelling days, was overcooked in a tumble dryer (don't ever try THAT at home!!), second two piece semi-dry, was partly replaced by old Avon black condom NATO issue dry suit, and then by TOTR Dui with all the bells and whistles, but still always wore two piece semi-dry by choice from Easter to November.

Then, on dive trip to Spain in 1997, wandered into local dive shop, as you do, for reel or SMB or whatever, and came out with my finest dive purchase ever, a Mares "IsoTherm" single piece 6mm (yes that is 6mm) semi-dry, with rolled and zipped wrist and ankle seals, plus a typical across the shoulders dry suit style zip, and have never worn a dry suit from that day to this.

Why do I choose to wear a semi-dry? Because it's as near as I can get to feeling completely "at one" and a natural part of this alien environment which almost, but not quite, becomes a diver's natural environment, (although my dive buddies might not quite agree!!!) In a dry suit I feel encumbered and isolated from the water, in a semi-dry I can, almost, become part of it.

I wear my semi-dry summer and winter, for 100% UK diving, although in places it's now becoming a little threadbare, and if Mares still produced the range, I'd buy another one tomorrow. In fact, I'm sure I've seen pictures of Diver Magazine's John Bantin also suitably clad in an Isotherm, presumably by choice as he was reviewing some other piece of kit at the time. I have to say that the bright cherry red "suited" him rather well!!!

I've never been cold in the water, on occasion at Stoney with winter water temperatures, while I've remained comfortable, my two buddies in their Dui dry suits, and multi tog undersuits have become really cold. The downside is, and it's a serious downside, that they coukd unzip straight into fleece and waterproof, while as a semi-dry diver, I have to strip down to skin first, not good,(and not a pretty sight either!!) The other downside is that between dives in the winter, particularly on a fast moving RIB, or with a long SI, in a semi-dry, you could well get chilled, and this also is not good.

So the moral is that it is not absolutely essential to dive in a dry suit, although the perceived wisdom is that you're not an "experienced" diver unless you do. Luckily I've been diving long enough not to worry about whether my protective suit is PC or not. So yes,there are (a few) experienced divers making a conscious choice to dive semi-dry, year in and year out, but as with your other replies, it is critical to buy the best quality you can afford, and to make sure that whatever you do buy, it is a good fit, otherwise whether semi-dry, or dry, you won't stay warm, and if it's a bad fitting dry suit, you probably won't stay dry either.

Although the Isotherm is no longer available, there are other single layer zip sealed semi-drys out there, as well as some good two piece suits. My significant other has a dry suit, but also wears a semi-dry other than in the depths of winter, and hers is a combination of ScubaPro single and two piece which she can adjust according to the time of year and the water temperature.

Unfortunately, as in all things, you pays yer money, and yer makes yer choice.

Stay warm - Dive safe.

Neil Carter

ISIS Divers.

[John Bantin]

. In fact, I'm sure I've seen pictures of Diver Magazine's John Bantin also suitably clad in an Isotherm, presumably by choice as he was reviewing some other piece of kit at the time. I have to say that the bright cherry red "suited" him rather well!!!

That suit was made-to-measure for me by the people in the R&D department at Mares. It fitted me like a second skin. I was happy to wear it when all around me were wearing drysuits and on one notable occasion, during the making of an underwater sequence of a film, I stayed in it for more than seven hours. How?s that for bladder control? - and at my age too!
When it finally wore out, I mentioned it to the boss at Mares and, guess what? They sent me the other one they had made for me at the same time! Lucky me!

But it all comes down to fit. So many people wear suits that patently do not fit them properly, so whenever someone asks me which suit they should buy, wet or dry, I say - Get one that fits!

[neil carter]

snip
That suit was made-to-measure for me by the people in the R&D department at Mares. It fitted me like a second skin. I was happy to wear it when all around me were wearing drysuits and on one notable occasion, during the making of an underwater sequence of a film, I stayed in it for more than seven hours.
snip
When it finally wore out, I mentioned it to the boss at Mares and, guess what? They sent me the other one they had made for me at the same time! Lucky me!

OK John, Lucky you indeed. You obviously have an inside track to Mares, I tried the direct approach and they, although very helpful, simply referred me to their current day production, which, IMVHO, is not even in the same league as the Isotherm. I wonder why it is when a manufacture produces a truly outstanding product, the R & D people have to mess with it in the name of uptodate improvement, (aka progress !!!) and take one step forwards, for three steps back???


So if you could work the Mares oracle, I'd cheerfully pay for another made to measure Isotherm, more than worth it's weight in ?uros.
Alternatively, if your Mares influence is waning ;~)) perhaps you could recommend a single layer semi-dry from some other manufacturers 2004 ranges that is at least 90% as good as the original Isotherm.

Many thanks

Neil.

[John Bantin]

Try this:-

[neil carter]

Hi John,

Thanks for that, obviously you were fairly impressed. On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate it against the Isotherm.

Neil

[Steffan Kruis]

Hi Ronan
I use a Cressi Logica three piece, 7mm suit, 5mm shortie plus 5mm hood/gloves/boots. I have dived in water temps from 7c to 30c just by changing the combination of suit parts and never felt cold. I am a very slim 173cm with hardly any body fat, yet can do a fairly relaxed 50min dive at 20mtrs in Capernwray in December with water temp of 7c and do another dive later in the day and still be warm as toast when I get out. The kind of people who will try and push you into a dry suit are either old, fat/unfit or both. Remember only fat freezes/only the old feel the cold. Try a logica, yuo wont be disapointed!
Safe Diving, Steffan &gt;)))*&gt;