TESTCENTRE
Master and commander
SEAC Master Dry 7mm
COMPANY : DIVING DISTRIBUTION PRICE : £ 605 EMAIL : INFO @ DIVINGDISTRIBUTION . COM WEB : WWW . SEACSUB . COM
Despite its name , SEAC ’ s Master Dry is not actually a drysuit but a 7mm neoprene semi-dry . It could quite easily be mistaken for a drysuit and as I discovered , it can offer excellent thermal protection more akin to a dry than to a conventional steamer wetsuit .
The theory we ’ re all familiar with is that a wetsuit allows a flow of water to enter the suit via the neck , wrists and ankles , where it ’ s warmed by the body . A semi-dry , such as this stylish offering from SEAC , further slows water ingress with the addition of close-fitting seals in these critical areas . The very supple ExtraFlex neoprene , with its nylon lining , feels much less than its 7mm thickness and as a result is easy to both don and doff . The suit is very nicely designed with a colour scheme of black with grey panels either side of the torso , underarms , knees and seat . With what looks like a nod to the old Cousteau-style yellow seams , the Master Dry has thinner highlights of the same colour . There ’ s reinforcement to the chest , back , knees , shoulders and backside with a doublecone cuff system at the ankle and wrist . The neck has a soft neoprene collar , designed to turn inward just like a drysuit .
The horizontal , plastic dry zip ensures there ’ s no ingress across the shoulders and this in turn is protected via a selfclosing flap of neoprene . Once ensconced in the suit you ’ ll feel it become almost a second ( although slightly warmer and thicker ) skin .
Unlike many of today ’ s divers who start with a drysuit from day one , I spent many a season in similar attire and still much
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