Try it and see
for dry suit?
I don’t know dive gear well but it seems to me that kind of hood is meant to be tucked into a wet-suit.
I would think it would still give you a
layer of water between you and the hood and that should insulate you. The best thing to do is try it and see if it works and then if and when you need it you will know that it works. I would not tuck it into you dry suit as that would let it leak. IMO
Maybe
I have the Henderson Hyperstretch 7/5 hood that just goes down to the base of the neck. I suspect the shoulder pads may be overkill and would add to the general bulk .
I like my hood,very warm,minimizes cold shock well. I don’t like to wear it for prolonged periods as it’s rather constricting on my head but it’s easy to peel back or take on and off without struggling with a zipper.
The diveshop where I bought it had full bodied wetsuits in hyperstretch. Has anyone paddled with one of these?How restricting would it be?
Bert
I use a similar Henderson
– Last Updated: Nov-16-07 7:07 AM EST –
In winter. I think it's the 5mm but maybe a 7 - slightly different but overall the same idea. The face is intended to be cut back as needed and it is quite warm and it has an extension that goes down over the neck, Not sure if it is intended to mate with a diving drysuit but probably.
But no, I don't try to mate it. I think that'd increase the strain on my neck gasket, and my neck as well at that thickness. I just tuck it down under the outer panel of my drysuit with the velcor collar. (I have the one with the overskirt and all)
I agree with another reply up top - I'd skip the one that you list the link to because of the large extensions over the shoulder. Fine for a diver with the tanks and all, but I think for paddling I'd go with pne of Henderson's hoods that had just the extension down the neck a ways. You could tuck in and/or trim the neck part.
If you can get to a scuba shop, they'll have Henderson's catalogue with a good description and outline of each of their hoods. They have a lot.
Finally took the plunge (pun intended)
Convinced my wife it would make a great Christmas present - especially since it was on sale. I’ve worn a good wetsuit for the past few seasons, and found that it worked fine as long as I kept paddling. Once I stopped (lunch, shuttle), I’d get cold fast. I also found that it was nearly impossible to keep my feet warm. No matter how many layers of neoprene socks I wore, cold water was always flushing in. Tough to keep your feet dry kneeling in a canoe. Drysuit and some wool socks should solve that problem.
Alright Erik 
– Last Updated: Nov-18-07 7:36 AM EST –
Does that mean you'll be e-mailing me all winter asking "where we paddling this weekend?" Man, I hope so. No substitute for a dry suit, at least for our style of paddling/poling.
20 minutes after donning my drysuit for the first time, I flipped into a hole with the water at 42 degrees. First thought "I'm warm". Second thought "I'm dry." Third thought "yeeha, bring it on!!"
I hope so…
By the way, what are you doing the weekend between Christmas and New Years.
looking for ice shelves
– Last Updated: Nov-18-07 8:18 AM EST –
If they're small or non-existent, let's paddle! That IS what you're referring to? It's not an offer to share in your "mega-bazillions" lottery winnings,by doing that South American WW trip, is it?
found that better pic.
– Last Updated: Nov-18-07 8:46 AM EST –
of Wade. Yeah,RBLturtle and Eck., you'll like your NRS Extremes :-)
http://www.npmb.com/cms2/e107_plugins/coppermine_menu/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=-1&pos=82
If I ever win a mega-bazillion
I’ll invite you and Aaron along on the South American WW trip. Don’t hold your breath though. I don’t by lottery tickets.
Heard the weatherman yesterday predict a warm winter. Now if we could only get some rain.
it’s that south african
lottery!! You don’t have to buy tickets; just respond to the e-mail :-0. Looking at Wades picture, maybe you can invite him too
drysuit
This has been very informative to me. I have been asking questions along these lines. I am in a slup financially right now, so I’ve been wearing some boot/chest waders that I already had. They are about 20 years old and have insulated boots. I wear them with a belt around my waist, and synthetic underwear, along with a synthetic shirt. I wear a rainsuit coat over that. I get along OK. I stay warm. Wehn things get better financially, I want something that would be more safe. I thought about a wet suit, but if it isn’t wet, it would be cold. Does anyone know of a wet suit that is made for using while not wet to keep warm? How does the Farmer John wetsuits work?
Eckilson “took the plunge”
– Last Updated: Nov-18-07 10:13 AM EST –
He wears a real nice farmer john and I think his post "took the plunge" addresses your question well. I used to dress similar to the way you are, and as long as I wasn't swimming, I was okay. Paddled in fear some runs last winter. The day I thought I killed Aaron and myself (big river/big unexpected drop that fortunately we both handled) is the day I ordered the NRS Extremes.All the stuff you're wearing now will just drag you down if you capsize.
Seeing as you primarily fish, I don't imagine you're doing the high level of exertion that whitewater or sea-kayaker paddlers are, and would probably be real happy with a less expensive non-breathable dry or semi-dry suit.
Here's a semi-dry breathable suit. main issue making it a "semi-dry" is the neck gasket I believe. These are more comfortable on the neck, but will allow a little water in if you're submerged.
http://www.rei.com/product/722283
Farmer John
I ws thinking the Farmer John was made for this in mind, but I really hadn’t asked. I was wondering if they made any type of wetsuit that would keep you warm, without having to be wet. I had the idea that they could coat the outside with something to do that, and you could wear clothes on the outside of it to keep you warm. The wet suit would be used to keep you warm if you fell out of your boat. I have done a little researh on the waders, and they will not pull you down because the density of the water is the same inside and outside. The thing is that it would not be esy to get back into the yak with all that water inside them. I am hoping if it ever happens that the belt I wear around my wiast would hold water out long emnugh for me to get back insside. I live in eastern NC and fish the salt tidal marshes on the coast.
all I know
is my 2mm shorty gets me so hot I can’t stand it. Good for diving but too hot for paddling.
re. NRS drysuits; old/new
looking over NRS sale for dry suits I notice the old style is heavier 410denier fabric and the newer one is 220denier. Is the latter like Kokotats new drysuits?
Curios about sizing, I’ve got a large Kokotat which is fine for my fat gut and long arms but a bit long in the legs. The NRS appears to be sized smaller, any experience on sizing differences or the fabric weights mentioned. Much appreciated thread.
Hard to go wrong with NRS
I bought an NRS Inversion drysuit early this spring. Finally replacing my 10+ year old Kokatat. I used it a few times and was disappointed that I was still pretty damp at the end of the day. Maybe I’m sweating more?
Used it twice this fall and got even wetter. The last time I poured several oz of H2O out of the booties. OK that’s not sweat.
I emailed NRS and they said to send it back for “evaluation” so they could decide if they would try to repair or replace it.
So I packed it up and sent it back hoping the evaluation wouldn’t take too long. It’s drysuit season after all.
Well the US mail must have been quick because two days before I thought they’d get it I got a call from a nice young woman at NRS. She said the suit showed no sign of abuse and if I was getting wet they would just replace it. Got the new one Wednesday, ran the Winni Saturday and I was nice and dry.
Total paddling time missed due to a defective suit? One weekend. Heck it didn’t even rain that week so I paddled flatwater any way. Didn’t really miss anything.
Tommy
Happy NRS customer.
that is good to hear
my Kokotat became leaky in essentially two seasons of average use, like the Goretex delaminated in the groin area. Kokotat made good on it but I really would like to see some stats on breathable dry suit returns.
I’m 6’2"
210 pounds. My extra large NRS extreme fits fine, a lot of extra room everwhere in fact, tightest area is inner legs, as they’re going over a Perception saddle. Aaron has a large NRS Extreme. He’s 5’9", 165 pounds, says his suit fits fine and sees another year in it anyway. I’ll be posting some video showing why it’s good to be wearing a drysuit when it’s 35 degrees and you think you know how to play :-).