Pinnacle Stealth Semi Dry Suit

Author's product rating:   

Durability	Good
How does it compare to similar products?	Good
Value for money	Good

Advantages:	Warm and comfortable
Disadvantages:	Not easy to get on

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

As the warmer weather approaches and the waters around the English coast begin to heat up a little bit I sometimes wonder if the temperature will perhaps rise enough for me to dispense with my bulky dry suit and all the thermal gear and be able to slip into my Pinnacle Stealth semi dry suit, when I say slip what I actually mean is to squeeze, curse and contort my body into said suit as the only main criticism I have of this suit is that it is not the easiest to get into. Not that I can really complain as it did not cost me anything to buy as I was given it by a friend who had stopped diving and could not get anyone to buy it from him.

First off for those non divers let me explain the differences between the three types of diving suits. A dry suit is the one most commonly used in the UK where it is very cold in the water most of the year especially the deeper you go, a dry suit does just what it says on the tin, it provides an outer layer designed to keep your body dry, the only bits that should get wet are your head and hands, in order to keep you warm then you wear thermal gear underneath it. At the other end of the scale is the wetsuit, worn by surfers and divers in much warmer climes such as the Caribbean or Red Sea. This suit allows water to enter through it and provides some insulation and also protection from stings and scrapes. In between these two is the semi dry, it is ideal for diving in some Mediterranean waters where it can get cold at depth however at the surface you do not want all of the insulation you wear with a dry suit, also those who feel the cold will often choose a semi dry even in tropical waters especially for longer dives, small amounts of water enters the suit however it often becomes trapped and warmed through the body heat, the seals at wrist, ankle and neck are more water tight to ensure this happens.

Lesson over so how does the Pinnacle Stealth perform. This is a 7mm one piece semi dry with a woven Merino wool material on the inside which provides excellent insulation and is very comfortable next to the skin. As I said before this is not the easiest suit to get into, neither is it that easy to get out of and you definitely need the help of your dive buddy especially when getting out of it. The reason it is so awkward is that entry is through the neck seal and thus s rather tight, once in there is a fitted hood and a bib front that comes over the head and secures down with two Velcro and two press – studs, the material of the bib is quite rigid and feels like you are wearing thin body armour but it is not noticeable once in the water. Other features include Kevlar knee pads and protection at the shoulders for extra strength and pre bent arms which make it a lot more comfortable and easy to manoeuvre in when you first start wearing it. One of the things I particularly like about this suit is that the wrist seals are very comfortable and the inner seals are well made.

There two things that I really like about this suit that makes the problems with getting into it worth the effort. The first is the fact that it really does do a good job of keeping you dry, some water does get in but this is kept to an absolute minimum and I found the performance to be consistent no matter what my body position is in the water. Secondly it has some great insulation and does an excellent job of keeping you warm, I have used it a couple of times in this country and enjoyed forty minute dives with a maximum depth of thirty metres and I was very comfortable and only noticed the cold in the last five minutes of the dive and even then I was well on my way to shallower warmer waters.
In the water I find it easy to manoeuvre and even with weight belt and twin sets on my back the suit is thick enough to mean that I do not feel uncomfortable. This is definitely a comfortable suit to wear and there is no rubbing against my skin due to the Merino wool lining on the inside.

I would recommend this suit however you definitely have to get one that is a good fit and also they are not the easiest to come by in dive shops over here, the one I have originally came from New Zealand where the company is based and new you are looking at about £295. The only colour option is black.

Thanks for reading and rating my review.