Semi-Dry Thermal Packages — The Step Between Wetsuit and Drysuit

A standard wetsuit lets water flush through continuously, and your body spends the dive reheating fresh cold water. A semi-dry doesn't stop water entering entirely — nothing short of a drysuit does — but it seals well enough at the wrists, ankles, and neck that the water which gets in largely stays in and stays warm.

That difference is significant in genuinely cold water. A semi-dry extends usable wetsuit diving below where a 7mm suit becomes uncomfortable, without the training requirement, seal maintenance, and buoyancy management a drysuit brings. At DiveCatalog.com we carry semi-dry packages from Bare and Hollis as an authorized dealer for both.

The Semi-Dry Package Range

• Bare Velocity Ultra 2.0 8/7mm — men's, with hood, gloves, and boots. Bare's premium cold-water construction with sealed cuffs and a dry zipper system.
• Hollis Neotek — with hood, gloves, and boots. Hollis's semi-dry built for demanding cold-water and technical use.

What Makes a Suit Semi-Dry

• Sealed wrist and ankle cuffs — usually smooth-skin neoprene sealing directly against the skin rather than an open hem, which is where most flushing starts
• Sealed neck — a close-fitting collar, often smooth-skin, reducing the flush that occurs when you look around
• Watertight or heavily baffled zipper — the back or shoulder zip is the other major entry point on a standard wetsuit
• Greater thickness — typically 7–8mm through the core

The result is a suit that fills once at the start of the dive and then largely holds that water, letting your body actually get ahead of it.

Semi-Dry or Drysuit?

A semi-dry makes sense if you dive cold water occasionally, want to avoid a drysuit course, or want a simpler system with nothing to service. You'll still get wet, and you'll still lose insulation to neoprene compression at depth.

A drysuit makes sense if you dive cold water regularly, need long bottom times, or dive below roughly 10°C. You stay dry, insulation comes from undergarments you can adjust, and performance doesn't degrade with depth. It requires a specialty course, adds a second buoyancy system to manage, and needs seals replaced periodically.

Fit Is Non-Negotiable Here

Everything a semi-dry does depends on its seals. A suit that's slightly too large won't seal at the wrists and neck, and at that point you've bought a heavy, expensive wetsuit that performs like a standard one. Fit matters more on a semi-dry than on any other wetsuit.

Send us your chest, waist, hip, height, and weight measurements before ordering and we'll check them against the specific model. It's worth the extra step at this thickness.

Why Buy Semi-Dry Packages from DiveCatalog.com?

• Authorized dealer for Bare and Hollis — genuine products, full manufacturer warranty
• Complete cold-water systems — hood, gloves, and boots matched to the suit
• Expert sizing advice — essential on a semi-dry; send us your measurements and we'll confirm
• Fast shipping — in-stock items ship within one business day
• Easy returns — if sizing isn't right, exchanges are straightforward
• Rewards program — earn points on every purchase

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I stay completely dry in a semi-dry?

No. Water still enters, particularly during entry. The difference is that it doesn't keep cycling through — the seals hold it in place so your body can warm it and keep it warm. Only a drysuit keeps you dry.

How much colder can I go than a 7mm wetsuit?

Meaningfully, though the exact figure depends on the diver and dive length. A semi-dry extends comfortable diving several degrees below where a standard 7mm becomes limiting, and more importantly extends how long you stay comfortable at a given temperature.

Do I need training for a semi-dry?

No. It's a wetsuit and dives like one — no additional certification required, unlike a drysuit. Do redo your weight check, since a thicker suit is more buoyant than what you're used to.

Are semi-dry suits harder to put on?

Yes, noticeably. The seals that make them work also make them tighter to get through. A rash guard underneath helps considerably, as do plastic bags over hands and feet when working through the cuffs.

Browse the semi-dry collection above, or see 7mm+ Packages and all Thermal Packages.