super low cost drysuit

Come to Maine Canoe Symposium
Bob will be there.



The target market is those paddlers who should be wearing one but can’t afford it… ie the thousand who paddle in Maine in whitewater season, which is in March.



Using Old Town canoes and often standing… immersion is always a possibility.

The manufacturer replies
I’m Bob Holtzman, the president/founder of Mythic Gear. Nice to see this discussion, which addresses a lot of the issues that I considered when launching the company and developing specs for our first drysuit models.



Mythic’s suits do indeed represent a compromoise – one that we feel is reasonable for many, but not all, paddlers. We’re trying to meet the needs (and budgets) of most paddlers, not the top 5% who place unusual demands on their gear and can afford the very best. So we think our suits will be of most interest to recreational kayakers, sea kayakers, canoeists, rafters, SUP’ers, and perhaps a few whitewater kayakers who are really strapped.



We’re using breathable fabric, but not GoreTex. All seams are taped inside, and they’re nicely waterproof. We didn’t compromise on gaskets or zippers, but we did skip the overcuffs. Overcuffs do offer protection against mechanical hazards, and that’s probably of greatest importance to serious whitewater kayakers. Since our suits have no overskirt, that’s clearly not their main target. (A WW kayaker might do OK with a tight-fitting spray skirt, however.)



As for the UV protection offered by overcuffs: the amount of time your suit spends outdoors is really pretty limited, and a few hours a month won’t have much effect. Most UV protection consists of keeping it in a dark closet when it’s not in use.



We offer a one-year warranty, which we feel is sufficient for any hidden defects to be revealed, but saves paddlers a lot of money compared to the lifetime warranty of some other suits.



I use this metaphor: most drysuits are the equivalent of top-end luxury cars – really nice, but offering so many features and enhancements that they’re unaffordable to most people. Mythic has the equivalent of a well-made economy car: maybe not quite as nice, but it gets the job done competently at an affordable price.



Will be glad to take your calls and answer your questions personally. Thanks for your interest.

Bob forgot to mention that he
IS a paddler.



Bob will you have suits for people to examine at the 2014 Maine Canoe Symposium?

Thank You!
Excellent idea! When someone mentioned that high-dollar drysuits are made to last 10-15 years I thought “Whoa, some of us sea kayakers don’t expect to be physically ABLE that far down the road.”



Best of luck.

the problem is when it fails …
The problem with a dry suit that starts leaking through a seam or the fabric gets saturated, is that you discover the problem when you are out in cold water, in rough conditions this could be a very big if not fatal problem. I watched a couple of people have drysuit failures while surfing in cold water, it did cause a fair amount of distress.



For a while you could purchase military surplus drysuits ( I think canadian air force?) they worked well for a while but tended to give out all at once.

Bigger Sizes

– Last Updated: Jan-23-14 1:10 AM EST –

Any chance of larger sizes? Your size chart seems to stop a bit on the small side. I have about a 52" chest before I layer and a size 12-13 foot, it would seem that nothing you make would fit me.

Also, is your company coming to Paddlesport in New Jersey this year?

Being 74" tall,
looks like I’m outta luck (for now anyway).

Responding to questions
Mythic drysuits will be available for inspection and sale at the Maine Canoe Symposium. Typically, we’ll be selling only online, but MCS represents an exception, since I will be running the “store” for the benefit of the other vendors.



Regarding sizes: we’ll be keeping a careful eye on fit and size preferences. If the demand is there (and we think it will be), we’ll introduce a size XXL in the near future. XXXL and XS are also possibilities.

answers
Shadyclip-- no plans to be in new jersey this year. regarding sIze, see my answer from earlier today. sorry to disappoint. hopefully we will grow big enough fast enough to satisfy these requests.

QWS 2014 in Michigan ?
Would love to see one at the

Quiet Water Symposium in Michigan this year



http://www.quietwatersymposium.org/

thanks and kudos

– Last Updated: Jan-22-14 8:40 PM EST –

Kudos for posting. Thanks for the mission, there's a demand for a drysuit that doesn't cost as much as a good used kayak. The paddling community needs more facilitation, not less.

I remember when people were skeptical about four cylinder engines also!

guinea pig
So any incentive for the first P-netter guinea pig?



Maybe free shipping?



I’d be willing to give one a try and put it to the test and write an honest review.



I used to have a Stohlquist Drysuit and felt so restrictive in it that I sold it and opted for a dry top and dry pants. But I will admit without the added security and confidence of staying dry that a dry suit offers when I roll my canoe, I find I tend to paddle more conservatively in the winter without it. So $225 seems reasonable to get back in the mix of things.

no discounts for guinea pigs
Hey Windwalker – you’re tough! We have the USA’s cheapest drysuit and you want to beat us up on shipping even before they’re available? (I’m still smiling; no harm in asking.)

We’ve already begun selling suits, and I expect we’ll get some user reviews here soon after we ship them to customers. (We anticipate that we’ll begin shipping in under a month.) And as soon as we can, we’ll get a few samples out to the magazines for reviews.

HeeHee
I almost posted something last night along those lines, but bit my tongue instead. “Yeah, that’s an amazing price for what seems like it might be a good product. I’d love to own one, but only if you do ME a favor first.”

Lol
I’m glad you’re still smiling. I am too.



It’s always worth a shot.



Thanks, Mike

sales
Do you have many pre-sold? I am planning to order one as a birthday present to my self next month. Will I be able to receive it for early April paddling?



The real question, do you have a fairly large inventory? I have thought of upgrading from the wet suit for a few years.

hey
My gore-tex jacket is about 11 years old, I’d expect my dryisuit age as gracefully as I do ><



PS. Even I continue to get those hard-to-pronounce chronical conditions, of thich I managed two in 5 years, I still expect to wear out my Kokatat suit before I die, otherwise I’d be pissed as HELL! :smiley:

Did it
Procrastination is for chickens, I sent in my order. I will post a review when it comes, and after the first time out.



Harry

Nice
I sent an e-mail with a few questions yesterday and didn’t hear back yet. I guess they are busy filling orders.



Let us know how it works out.



Mike

New Stolquist for $250
The other year I picked up a new base model breathable Stolquist suit on closeout for $250 at my local paddle shop in Portland. It didn’t have a relief zipper and only ankle gaskets, but full cuffs and a beefy zipper. That was a rare find, but I’d be curious about this new company. Exposed latex would probably see limited sun exposure and I bet the casual flat water paddler wouldn’t easily tear it. I guess the long term performance of the fabric and seams would be my main concern.