Dry suit

relief zipper

– Last Updated: Mar-22-14 7:18 PM EST –

I've been thinking about the Hydrus 3L also. Wonder if the customer service is just as good with this one vice the Gore-Tex suits. Would def go with the feet and zipper. I would try them on but leaning towards the front entry. Good points, thanks for your input.

Kokatat
I have heard about Kokatat customer service and was advised to spend the extra cash because you get what you pay for. Sounds like you have good success with Kokatat. Agree with ya with the zipper placement. I’m leaning towards front entry but think I will give them a try. Thanks for your input.

front entry

– Last Updated: Mar-22-14 7:34 PM EST –

I'm with ya. Leaning toward front entry zipper. I'm not as flexible as I once was plus shoulders aren't good. I can see myself getting stuck somewhere and not be able to get the suit off LOL. Thanks for your input.

Kokatat provides great support for all
of their products. They don’t short change on a lower priced product, from my experience anyway.

Awkward
Agree with ya on the technique. I don’t have the flex any more so I’m leaning toward a front entry. That seems to be the way everybody is going. I will try both out however. Thanks for your input.

Kaya
Thanks for the recommendation. This will be fun to research.

Immersion research is BEYOND great
Like many have said, you get what you pay for. With Immersion Research you get great value and lifetime warranty against defects. I had the old back entry suit and it served me very well for years until I got tired of reaching the back zipper. The new Arch Rival suit with front entry zipper is a game changer. It’s as tough as nails. I upgraded mine with fabrics socks and it’s perfect. Highly recommend immersion Research and they also have fantastic customer service. Very personal and responsive.

Dry suit suggestions - general
Get something with a proven lifetime warranty - usually means the materiel and zippers. If you use the suit hard you’ll likely end up taking advantage of it.



Front versus rear - I have never owned a rear entry suit per se, but do have one suit with a drop seat. I had exactly the issue cited by guideboatguy, getting a purchase to start the unzip myself, and had to be unzipped out of the thing more than once. And that was well before I hit Social Security age. Got my primary suit with a lowered p-zip.



As others have said, booties. They become a maintenance point and themselves. They are scrunched into shoes/booties and folds aren’t great for laminate materials. But even leaking a bit, with wool socks underneath you stay warmer than with no booties.



Extra tunnel to mate with skirt - I have with and without. Really can’t cite any diff between the two in terms of that. Suit without a tunnel is easier to get in and out of.



You may have a body chemistry that eats latex gaskets no matter what kind of care you take. I have that issue on my neck gasket despite forgoing creams etc when paddling. It is not a reflection on the suit, just might mean that you’ll want to get a backup suit to have around with a less dry neoprene neck. You can either send a suit in somewhere for a new gasket or, for most of them, get a repair kit to do it at home. But it is worth finding out what your repair options are.



A pocket or two can be handy, for the small stuff that is waterproof and you forgot to stash anywhere before being fully suited up and ready to launch. Not a reason to skip a suit, but if two equal suits are different in this respect you’ll like the pocket.

General
Good input. Thought the tunnel was a no brainer but you make lots of sense. Do I really need one, not going over falls or WW. Also I like the easier part. Think I’m going with front entry. Had one knee replaced, soon the other and had both shoulders rebuilt where the DR said he can’t do any more, next time will be replacements. Don’t have the flexibility/ strength I use to have and always in pain. At this point, would like to keep things simple but want reliable gear. I’m a pocket dude also :-)Thanks for your suggestions.

BEYOND
I like IR, saw the video for the Arch Rival. Good input, thank you.

Rent one to see what you prefer
Some shops in the Puget Sound area will rent you a Kokatat Gore-tex drysuit at reasonable cost. It will probably have a front zip. Try it on, go for a paddle, and see how you like the zipper placement.



I first owned a Stohlquist Gore-tex suit, back when they made them. The suit was pretty good but the long-term customer support went away after they stopped using Gore-tex. The suit was leaking in several areas along the sealed seams and the waist’s gathered area had abrasion inside, revealing the Gore membrane under the former lining. I was willing to pay for repairs but Stohlquist just told me to take it elsewhere for servicing.



Instead, I bought a new Kokatat GMER suit with relief zip (lowered front one for women, a special order), Gore-tex booties, and skirt tunnel. My first suit lacked these features, and I was OK with it but, WOW, having the relief zip is definitely better. The booties help keep feet warmer and drier, and the tunnel reduces water intrusion when capsized. For not that much more money, it’s worth getting these options, especially since you will be in cold water year-'round.

Rent.
Good advice. Didn’t know they rented dry suits. Agree with ya on the booties and relief zipper. I have received a lot of great comments. Thank you.

You’ll need larger boots also
When you use a drysuit with fabric foot covers, you need to upsize your paddling shoe by a size.



Just a heads-up.

Rear zipper
While I personally prefer a front zipper, there are some that prefer the rear zipper. Here is a you tube that I just saw that showed how one guy gets in/out.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGj2m5nn_mI

Wow $1100 for a dry suit .
I think I was into kayaking for several years before I even spent that much money on a boat.

Icon
Celia,

Here is the women’s Icon. Personally I LOVE the colors in this suit and the paneling on the leg. Really looks great.





http://kokatat.com/products/dry-suits/gore-texr-icon-dry-suit-women.html



There is a men’s one in the new denim colors too.



Suz

Where you paddle, personal tolerance
Paddling year round in the northeast or interior northern part of the country makes that money worth finding pretty quick - air temps in the 20’s, wind chill lower than that and water temps in the high 30’s.



It is a also personal tolerance. I am cold when some I paddle with are OK in wet wear. By my late 50’s what bit of fat I had was not enough to be warm without also being dry.



Both of these considerations come around regularly in discussions about why people opt for dry suits. It’d be interesting to live in a place where these temperatures weren’t an issue, but many of us don’t.



As to the cost - you are buying the warranty as well as the suit. Both my husband and I have had our Kokatat suits replaced on full because of delam. So that is really about a grand spent just once, for approximately a decade of suits for my husband and a good five years for me. (My first suit didn’t really fit right and pin-holed instead.) At about $100 per year, my husband is not unhappy with the price.

Colors are nice
I like anything that is not yellow - after I finally had to roll to lose a bee that followed me offshore I’ll take anything that isn’t (yellow). I like pink/purple these days a lot. Though I have gotten terribly attached to the pockets in the Expedition.



But the women’s colors are thus far not in play for me. The shoulders have been an issue in the Women’s sizing that otherwise matches me, even if I was in love with the drop seat. Despite appearances, I am proportionally broader there than the apparent model. No matter - as long as I keep my posterior in check, I am a perfect fit for the unisex small. And getting that one part back where it should is good for me…



Anyway, I just mailed my suit in yesterday for a checkup. It’ll come back in some color that isn’t yellow.

I think this is a bit of an issue
with young people getting into sea kayaking.



They see outlays like this and there is no way most people under 30 can think about spending the kind of money older established people don’t even blink at.



I think we need to remind people that you can paddle safely in 45 F water in a wet suit that costs $180. (have done so comfortably where original poster is thinking of paddling)



On Facebook recently Sean Morley had a discussion about why seakayaking is dying out, and I think this is one of the reasons.

I’d get the tunnel
Its helps ease the “purging” process (getting air out of the suit), and it makes for a cleaner interface with your spray skirt.