Hi All,

I am just in the process of resurrecting by diving gear and it didn?t take long to establish that my old Namron two piece semi-drysuit had shrunk, and... I have to admit, I belive I have also put on a couple of pounds.  So I am now shopping for a replacement suit for cave diving.

The Namron was prone to wearing through at the knees and elbows but despite this it served me well for many years of quality underwater potholing.

Does anyone have any good recommendations for a replacement?  Are Namron still OK?

MT

Hi Madtoes,

I'm a bit of a fan for a semi, drysuits seem to be just too much faff. Besides, I like being cold! I've bought a couple of new suits in the last few years. I'd had an old Beaver, which I thought had been pretty good, so got another one. Crap is the best word to descibe it. Not so clever design changes, by people who presumably don't go diving in this part of the world, meant I was getting cold in about half the time as the old suit would allow. Combined with the leg seals pulling apart, and rapid wear and tear compared to the old suit means it now hangs in the shed where I curse it every time I walk past. I then bought a Mares, I think. Also not too sure of the model. But it's superb. I was doing 2 hr dives in Wales at -15m and surfacing warm, except for the beaver sock covered feet. The hood zip also tends to undo itself to the neck, but that shouldn't be hard to sort with a clip or something. It's a much more supple neoprene as well, which makes it more comfortable to wear. It won't be long lasting, but I think it was only ?150 of the peg, worth every penny. When I find out what suit it was, I'll let you know. Don't know nuffing about Namron

I use a Northern Diver two piece semi dry the build in hood and zip flaps are also a good feature, the suit seems to do the job.

Andrew

Mike, Andrew,

Thanks for the feedback.  Mares or ND...

I had one of the older ND drysuits and it served me well, but the later reputation of ND is not so good these days.  I digress, we are talking about Semi's.

I think dry suits and semi's each have thier place.  But I must say that, thinking back, I achived more in the way of good dives in my semi-dry than the drysuit which was perhaps too comfortable...

Mike keep me posted on which suit it was

M

Mike - somewhere else on this forum there's a thread on neoprene socks. I started it because I was fed up of the rubbish that a lot of shops sell these days. In the end I turned the clock back 30 years and made my own, with seams that don't have designed in leakage and a bigger than normal overlap with the wetsuit legs. They're much better than several pairs I've bought in recent years.

I also need a new semidry - which I've been putting off because I know that much of what's on offer is rubbish. Why you should have to put up with a zip which won't stay closed at the chin baffles me. I can understand problems of wear at knees and elbows etc - but seams coming apart is a very poor do. I'm seriously considering making my own complete suit.

I also have sizing problems, being quite tall. If anyone knows a place that does decent off the peg suits for tall people it'd be good to know about them.

Warmbac used to do a one piece semi-dry (designed by the late Ian Rolland) - I've had four of these over the years (two eventually wore out, one was stolen and the last is still going).  Absolutely excellent suits though you need to wear a seperate hood (or better still the hood attached sleeveless vest also done by Warmbac).  I spoke to Richard Warman (Kermit) recently and he would be prepared to make specials for people (i.e. turn his standard caving wetsuits into semi-drys by the addition of seals.

Alternatively I have a two piece Hydrotech suit which I have used to 70 m in the UK.  Stoney Cove often sell ex-school suits which can be picked up at bargain prices.

The other option is to wear two wetsuits.  I did a lot of my pre-drysuit diving wearing a thin surfing suit under my wetsuit.  With a hood attached vest I had three layers of neoprene over my trunk and two layers on my legs.  I believe that Geoff Crossley did the same (before me).

Just been looking at the Celtic Diving website - they are in Pembrokeshire and make wetsuits, semidries and drysuits. The info on their site seems to imply that they'll make more or less what you want.

Has anyone used their suits? It'd be great to get some comments before investing!

Pitlamp said:

Just been looking at the Celtic Diving website - they are in Pembrokeshire and make wetsuits, semidries and drysuits. The info on their site seems to imply that they'll make more or less what you want.

Has anyone used their suits? It'd be great to get some comments before investing!

Click to expand...

I particularly like the Mr Blobby suit http://www.celticdiving.co.uk/semi-dry.htm 

Thanks Peter - but really I was hoping for constructive comments.

Mind you, you have a point!

I was looking at Beaver suits the other day. They are't very expensive but someone said they don't last as long. Even so they may be cost effective. Again, it'd be grerat to get some comments, either for or against.

peterdevlin said:

I particularly like the Mr Blobby suit http://www.celticdiving.co.uk/semi-dry.htm   

Click to expand...

Go on Pitlamp, you know you want to!

[God, I'd just love to see Russell's face when he saw you in that!)

Nick.

nickwilliams said:

peterdevlin said:

I particularly like the Mr Blobby suit http://www.celticdiving.co.uk/semi-dry.htm   

Click to expand...

Go on Pitlamp, you know you want to!

[God, I'd just love to see Russell's face when he saw you in that!)

Nick.

Click to expand...

Or worse still in a beaver suit!

peterdevlin said:

Pitlamp said:

Just been looking at the Celtic Diving website - they are in Pembrokeshire and make wetsuits, semidries and drysuits. The info on their site seems to imply that they'll make more or less what you want.

Has anyone used their suits? It'd be great to get some comments before investing!

Click to expand...

I particularly like the Mr Blobby suit http://www.celticdiving.co.uk/semi-dry.htm 

Click to expand...

Sorry to go off topic, but Peter if you get one I will carry your bottles everytime you dive in it 

Steady on Nick - if you're not careful I'll tell the story to the world of when you dabbled in cave diving!

andymorgan said:

peterdevlin said:

Pitlamp said:

Just been looking at the Celtic Diving website - they are in Pembrokeshire and make wetsuits, semidries and drysuits. The info on their site seems to imply that they'll make more or less what you want.

Has anyone used their suits? It'd be great to get some comments before investing!

Click to expand...

I particularly like the Mr Blobby suit http://www.celticdiving.co.uk/semi-dry.htm   

Click to expand...

Sorry to go off topic, but Peter if you get one I will carry your bottles everytime you dive in it 

Click to expand...

Chuckle ..... when are u planning on being back in Blighty?

Finally got round to checking the the good suit. It's a Mares Thermic, purchased 2 years ago for ?135. For me, the hood zip comes undone either because I have a big head, (maybe), or the cut is just too small for intelligent people. It felt tight whilst trying it on. Once the mouth piece is in, it's just too much pressure on an already taught zip. A thing I like about it, compared to the new beaver, is the old stlye for the jacket. It's a un-doable jock strap. This I think is a good set up when there is a bit of a trip to the site. When Pete Bolt and I were digging Swildons 12, we would roll the undersuit down to the waist and just do up the lower part of the jacket zip to hold it in place. It would still be a bloody hot trip to sump 2, but from there, we proceeded wearing it as normal. With the step-in hotpants stlye of the new beaver, you can't do this. Also, I found having the double layer of neoprene around your thighs, whilst it may have been warmer, just made caving harder work every time you lifted your leg. On a recent trip, I was knackered by sump 4. Or maybe thats just age! (of me, not the suit)

peterdevlin said:

Pitlamp said:

Just been looking at the Celtic Diving website - they are in Pembrokeshire and make wetsuits, semidries and drysuits. The info on their site seems to imply that they'll make more or less what you want.

Has anyone used their suits? It'd be great to get some comments before investing!

Click to expand...

I particularly like the Mr Blobby suit http://www.celticdiving.co.uk/semi-dry.htm   

Click to expand...

I rather like the Superman suit.  Very colourful. 

I was thinking of hiring a boat for exploring the sea caves of West Wales.  At ?300+ a day I had better get a letter off to Father Christmas straight away.

I too am in desperate need for a new 7mm semi-dry.
Having had no luck finding a suitable 'off the peg traditional style' (2 piece - long johns, jacket with cruch strap and hood attached - both with front zips) I have been looking at a custom made jobbie from Robin Hood Watersports, for around about the same price. http://www.roho.co.uk/acatalog/Robin_Hood_WS_RoHo_Diving_Drysuits_9.html

A bit closer to us northern folk than Pembroke as well.

Has anyone had experience of a made to measure wetsuit from this company?


Simon.

If I didn't get my 'old' Mares 7mm I was gonna go for one of these

ICELANDIC 2000 - http://www.beaversports.co.uk/

?170

Hi All,

Just to let you know that I bought a SemiDry from Decathlon.  It's a 7mm full peice suit with hood.  AND it has a drysuit zip, if it had an inflation and dump valve, you could call it a drysuit. 

OK it's not the ideal 2 peice cave usable type,  but it was ?150 with 50% off in the sale.  Yes 75 notes

Even Pitlamp might suggest it was was a bargain...

M

I presume you got at least three for that total extortionate price . . . ?!

Seriously though - I plumped for an Icelandic 2000 from Beaver and it's not bad at all.