TESTCENTRE
Semi-dry
Manufactured from a combination of neoprene , nylon and spandex this black / silver trim semi-dry is extremely flexible , belying its chunky 7mm thickness . Featuring pre-formed arms and legs , triple-glued and stitched seams , plus further reinforcement at the crotch and knee , it looks a robust outfit .
In addition to its thickness , the real key to a decent semi-dry is the length and quality of its inner seals . With six inches at the wrist and a good seven at the ankle , this provided plenty to roll back in on itself , just as you ' d do with a drysuit neck seal .
At first , I did feel that the neck seal could have done with another inch or two of its smooth-skin neoprene to allow a little more to play with , but in actual use it functioned very well . No complaints there .
The external neoprene neck-warmer also offered the perfect home for the hood which stayed firmly in place thanks to a pair of Velcro fastenings either side . The lightweight , plastic rear-entry dry zipper was just the job to prevent any water ingress during use .
As a one-piece suit with only the shoulder zip to contend with , it was an absolute doddle to put on . An inner Ti-Ax Thermacote titanium lining further enhanced both comfort and thermal retention .
Summer suits for British seas
7mm Rear Entry Semi-Dry Wetsuit
COMPANY : NORTHERN DIVER PRICE : £ 383 TEL : 01257 254444 WEB : WWW . NDIVER . COM
5.5 / 6.5 Semi-Tech Wetsuit
COMPANY : NORTHERN DIVER PRICE : £ 278 TEL : 01257 254444 WEB : WWW . NDIVER . COM
Neoprene wetsuits have provided divers with exposure protection since wetsuits became popular in the mid-1950s . An inexpensive synthetic rubber which contains minute bubbles of nitrogen , the material offers excellent insulation qualities .
The thin layer of water sandwiched between skin and suit is the key that allows this type of garment to be used across a range of temperatures . Fundamentally , there are two types of neoprene suit : the wetsuit and the semi-dry wetsuit . Ordinarily , a wetsuit allows a greater amount of flushing through its neck , wrist and ankle seals , while a semi-dry typically features inner seals which slow the flushing for better thermal efficiency .
Northern Diver sent the Test Centre an example of both styles of their latest wetsuit , so we pitted them against each other , in a wetsuit versus semi-dry head-to-head . The venue was the coast of Cornwall , and first up was ND ' s 7mm Rear Entry Semi-Dry .
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