Submited By: Evan C. on 02/04/2011
Verified Buyer
This suit is a strong value. The seams are solid, the neoprene is very elastic and high quality, making for good fit, comfort and ease of donning and doffing. I am 5'8" with 32" inseam and the XL seems just a little bit tall for me, but not so much that I would bother exchanging the suit. If I ordered another, I might get the XL-Short.
I think calling this suit a "semi-dry" may be a stretch, but it's a very good 7mm wetsuit for the money. There are latex strips/gaskets inside the suit at the wrists and ankles, which do serve to reduce the amount of water flowing through. After diving the Aqualung SolAfx semi-dry, I was expecting this ScubaMax suit to have the internal neck and shoulders pullover that really keeps the water from leaking in from the top through the hood and neck. The ScubaMax does not have that and I think it makes a noticeable difference in a semi-dry. The zipper across teh chest has a nice, neoprene backing behind it, which cuts down on leakage and also puts some material between your chest and the zipper. There are zippers at the bottom of the legs to make it easier to get the suit on and off. I found that the zippers did not stay zipped through the whole dive. The rubber shin and knee guards are tough and seem well attached to the suit.
I am using this suit mainly for lake diving in Arizona, where the water temps in the winter are in the low 50s. I was a bit chilly after 3 dives and I am not someone who gets cold easily. Then again, we had cold air temps for our surface intervals, which did not allow for warming up between dives.
All in all, it's better than a base model 7mm wetsuit and probably less expensive. It does not have a lining so it's a no-frills suit. If you are comparing it against a much more expensive 7/8mm SemiDry like the Aqualung or Xcel suits, I think you will find that the inner pullover makes a difference and may well be worth the extra money, especially if you chill easily. Same goes for a suit with a merino or similar lining. If you were in the market for a solid but not fancy 7mm jumpsuit with hood, I don't think you can beat this for value. You will not be disappointed with the quality of materials or construction. The $500 semi-dry may have a nice lining and do a better job of sealing out water, but you will be getting much more than you pay for in this ScubaMax suit.
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