dry suit recommendation?

Kokatat........... Everyone I know that uses one swears by it!!

Try doing a search on this site. This topic has been discussed several times.

All members of velocity sailing have Gill Front Entry models (DG4850). They are great! We have had no trouble at all with them, and they run about $500 each. I strongly recommend it!

http://www.kayakacademy.com/supernova.html

Try this link.

Bob

/Ad Police OFF!

So far, this Canadian American has never used any other drysuit besides my Palm USA Stikine Canyon breathable drysuit.(named after a Canadian canyon that goes from Canada to Alaska, go figure) I have been using this suit for a couple of years, with my friend and crew, Bill Mattson (On The Wire Ezine).

We have tested the suits in the trials of sailing in the Pacific Ocean in such places as Avila Beach, The Santa Cruz Channel, The San Miguel Passage, The Santa Barbara Channel, The Anacapa Passage, The Santa Barbara Channel, The Catalina Channel, and The Potato Patch. (That is The Potato Patch of The Santa Cruz Channel, and non other.)

We have tested these suits in a cold, fresh water spring on Santa Cruz Island that had water that was less than 49º fahrenheight. ( See Attachment )

The Palm USA Stikine Canyon Drysuit has never let either of us down in keeping us dry. Staying warm has been up to us, it has been our responsibility. All it took was to wear enough clothes inside of our drysuits.

I have been in water that was in the low 50's (F) with nothing more inside my Palm drysuit on than a pair of shorts and a T shirt, and I never became hypo-thermic. I did find the water to be very cold, but I made sure that I climbed up and out of the water, onto the capsized cat!

I must give a full endorsement for Palm USA drysuits by MTI Adventurewear.

Speaking of MTI Adventurewear, I must say that they have some pretty nice breathable paddling pants and spray tops. Again, I say, they are breathable; just like my Stikine Canyon drysuit.

Looking for a PFD? MTI Adventurewear and Palm USA also have a good assortment of choices.

Many friends of mine are using the Palm USA Sidewinder breathable Drysuit. They are just as happy with their suit as I am with mine.

This next season, I will be trying out one or two diffent options. I will try the new "Torrent" by Palm, and I will try the MTI Adventurewear breathable pants and spray tops.

GARY

one of the nice features of the drysuits that we use are the internal suspenders. I know its a pretty standard feature, but they really do make a world of difference.

Which product has the internal suspenders? I'm also in the market for a drysuit!
Bob

Goretex socks and a relief zipper a must. Why do you need suspenders? The trap harness and life jacket hold the suit close to your body. I have sailed hundreds of hours in a Kokatat and it never let me down.

PS Buy Goretex on any drywear or you will be sorry later.

Dave, you're right, but walking around in a model that doesn't have them when you're as skinny as I am (I Had to order an XL because of my height, I'm obviously not XL around) its nice to have something to hold the "britches" up while walking around without the harness on

Bob, it was the model that Trey indicated earlier in the thread.

Thanks!

Bob

Don't know how good this is, but good price looks like?
Know anyone small who needs a dry suit?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Dry-Suit-Hobie-... 97724QQcategoryZ1300QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Doug

Just got myself the Henri Lloyd goretex one, very well made and comfortable. Never tried others though ...

Whatever you do, take care of the seals. Although I've been fortunate to never have had a failure while in use, I've learned this the hard way. Wash the seals with soap (especially if you suspect you may have gotten sunblock on them) and use 303 protectant on them. I have just discovered that I have to have a third neck gasket put in my kokatat because it is melted from some sort of chemical reaction.

I have both a Kokatat and a Gull dry suit - both are breathable...the Kokatat is Goretex and the Gull is something else. I can tell you that the Kokatat is much more comfortable and has held up better (except for the seals which is my fault). My Gull is leaking slightly at the leg seams.

The Kokatat Tropos Super Nova paddling suit that Bob pointed to a couple of posts ago is compelling: good brand, good reviews, and half the price of GoreTex. The Tropos material is supposed to be almost as good as GoreTex. They call it a "semi-dry" suit because the neck seal is not designed for full immersion. Always wearing a PFD and sailing on a small lake like Lake Lanier, it seems unlikely that I would submerge my neck frequently. It is also supposed to be more comfortable on the neck. Is not having a true dry suit neck seal a huge problem on a reasonably small lake?

Hey Bob,

The Henri Lloyd suit has internal suspenders and big, heavy duty patches on the knees and butt. If you know others who are interested, you can get a group discount for purchasing three or more suits at once. I have done this several times (Kokatat, Stohlquist, and Henri-lloyd) and always get at least ten percent off and as much as 25%, depending on how many buyers I can group together. You should be able to do that easily! The first thing I recommend when getting your suit is to put it on and get under the shower with lightweight, long sleeved cotton underclothes to check for any leaks. Find them right away (even the ones claiming to check every suit before shipping have shipped leakers) so that there is no hassle for returns and so that you have a good suit when you need it!

Mike

That neck seal is important IMHO. I don't know how many times I have been sailing on cooler days in a semi-dry and get a wave to the chest. The water goes right down the neck of the suit. It's quite the jolt with that cold water.

When water DOES get in (through a neck or arm seal), can it be drained out if the drysuit has booties? I would hate to think that if I got dunked and water got in there that it (the water) would have no place to drain and I'd be slogging around with an extra 10 pounds of water for the next 8 hours...

I'm using a Gul Darmouth since the begining of the season and I have to say that it is a great drysuit. I've been a full day on a boat during the rain and I was warm and dry...

Great Product and I'm proposing them to my client here in Switzerland...

Regards,
Jr

I am considering the Palm Classic Drysuit with the socks, has anyone had any experience with these? They seem to be affordable - $349.00. I have been told to stay away from the Gortex due to the fact that it degrades over time with exposure to UV and wear on the fabric. Does anyone have any experience with this?

I would not buy a drysuit unless it was goretex. The first dry top and pants I bought were not goretex and I did not wear them very much because they were so hot. The goretex you can wear more because they are not so hot and breathe. The latex seals on all suits need care and do not like the sun. If you are just planning on using the drysuit a couple of times a year get the cheaper one.

"I have been told to stay away from the Gortex due to the fact that it degrades over time"

I tend to agree with that statement. Many of the hardcore paddlers are going with the multi-ply breathable nylon suits because they seem to hold up to the punishment better than the Gortex. There have been some improvements over the past few years with these laminated fabrics.
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Goretex is probably okay in fresh water. If it's used in salt water the salt will slowly wear the fabric and at about three years you'll experience a total drysuit failure.

I bought my first goretex Kokatat Drysuit in 1994 and used it in salt water until 2004, rinsing it off with fresh water after each use. I did have to replace the zipper twice by sending it to Kokatat for repair. The second time one of their repair people cut through the zipper and into the back of the suit. Kokatat sent me a brand new suit, relief zipper and gortex booties included. IMHO Kokatat rules. Get the goretex booties and relief zipper.

I have used my Kokatat for many years and in 2 Worrell's sometimes wearing the suit for 16 hours at a time. I have rinsed the suit off with fresh water put 303 on the seals kept the suit in my closet when not in use. I have never had a leak or had to repair anything. If you don't take care of your equipment it will not take care of you.