Strike wrote:

> Mate!  When my last sleek and figure hugging wet-suit gave up the ghost,
> Tricky loaned me, (on a semi-permanent basis) one of his Neptune semi-drys.
> It's one of those with a rear-entry zip across the shoulders.  A feature
> that makes it considerably bulkier than the traditional jacket-style
> wet-suit top - including the wearing of a Farmer John beneath.  Also Tricky
> is broader across the shoulders than I am.  The reason that, (well!
> Certainly yesterday when we froze our nuts off) I also wear the
> polartec-lined lycra.

I can relate to that, Roger (not on this list, Strike knows him) has
the same suit and I need to "zip him up" as it were, in spite of the
surfer style long tag (which I actually consider to be an entanglement
hazard, especially since it doesn't seem to work anyway). So I zip him
up (and try to stow that approx 3 ft "stringy bit").

> (Personally, I can't see the point of rear entry suits.  Quite apart from
> adding to the suit's shoulder span, it's a bugger to zip up and unzip
> without help.  I'd much rather a front entry with diagonal zip down and
> across the torso - but I never look a gift horse in the mouth!)  :-)

As above, but consider my suit (Sonar). Yes, it is *really* figure
hugging. Yes, it is well made (mine was tailor made) but ... but.

I allowed myself to be persuaded by a colleague, he had one and
thought it was "wonnerful". I should know, by now, that just because
someone else has something doesn't make it the best thing since sliced bread.

It is "front loading". By which I mean that there is a zip at each
elbow which you need to draw up to your throat. Having done that (or
rather because the wretched thing is SO difficult to draw up that I
need another to do it for me, and the force required can engender a
fair whack across the chin if something slips, the zips then routinely
slip back somewhat  during the dive.

My own decision on this suit is still "out to lunch". If they'd made
the zip go straight across, elbow to elbow I'd recommend it
unreservedly. I don't know, maybe that was an impossible engineering task.

> I'm no zealot, but the DIR configuration does - it seems to me - lend itself
> to the broad spectrum of diving, not just cave diving.  (Which - having had
> some nasty experiences in confined U/W spaces - isn't something that I ever
> intend to do!) :-)))

I know what you're saying. You know that I'm a fan. I made comment on
this in my reply to Lee.

> FWIW, I also feel that too much emphasis is placed on the equipment
> configuration aspects of the system - and too little thought given to the
> other equally important aspects of DIR that, when taken as a whole, gives
> the system its credibility.  :-)

Again, I agree whole heartedly. Acknowledgement: I'm saying "do as I
say, not as I do" here.

Ah well.

Cheers,

Christian