Is this a good idea? Does anyone have experience with this? What brand do you use?
I live in Central California where my drysuit is often too hot unless I’m in the water.
Thanks.
IR
Immersion Research makes a nice one. definitely the most comfortable option since you don’t have several layers across your stomach, but there are some downsides: when the top wears out, the skirt is useless (skirts generally last longer), and it’s great for surf or playboating, but i don’t like the idea of creeking or river-running with it. if you get pinned with something across the cockpit, you can’t swim out of the skirt tunnel.
No problem. A drytop mated to a skirt
may stay dry even if you swim for a bit. But I would prefer to rely on my roll.
If you use a drytop, I recommend that your skirt tunnel be a bit looser, so you’re not fighting it with torso rotation. Also if you find you have to roll down the top of the skirt to fit the drytop, trim off the top of the skirt accordingly.
dry deck, right?
Are you talking about mating a dry top to a skirt, or a single garment that covers your torso and also the deck of the boat (I think they’re called dry-decks).
Playboaters seem to like them. If you swim from time to time you’ll probably be more comfortable in a drytop and skirt, so that you don’t get a ton of water flushing through the top when you swim.
If you roll every time all day long, and if the deck really fits your boat perfectly, then they’re supposedly nice because they keep the cockpit drier.
Reed makes some similar
paddling equipment and tuiliks that might work for you. I’ve been considering this one - http://www.chillcheater.com/aqshop/catalogue.php?id=3083&page=