Gore-tex drysuit = Kokatat only
It used to be Kokatat and Stohlquist for Gore-tex suits but now it’s only Kokatat. I have a Stohlquist that I bought in January 2003 and it’s still good. The fit is slightly less baggy than the analogous Kokatat version, which is one reason I liked it. Also, Stohlquist is in Colorado (like me) and I thought that could be advantageous (drive it there instead of mailing) if I needed repairs.
Unfortunately, since Stohlquist stopped doing Gore-tex suits they also will not repair them. When I got a small tear in mine they referred me to Rainy Pass in Seattle. I found a local authorized Gore-tex repair person instead.
But the next suit will be a Kokatat one, because I am sold on Gore-tex’s breathability and waterproofness. I found out a long time ago in bicycling that it was the ONLY fabric that could live up to the claim. There’s no way around the fact that the PFD and sprayskirt tunnel will block evaporation but on the whole the suit stays comfortably dry.
Whether
"exclusive by default" or a “contract,” whatever, my point was that Kokatat is the only one using Goretex, but that’s no longer a reason to choose one over the other because the technology is no longer Gore’s, alone. Palm uses a UK-made version of Gore-tex and Stohlquist yet another.
My reason for posting is that people are forever assuming that Kokatat as the only suit with a breathable membrane that is guaranteed, which simply isn’t true. As I said, there are other options.
Goretex Warranty?
The only advantage I could think of is Goretex’ lifetime warranty but I’m wondering what happens if the suit is no longer produced or if the Stohlquist went out of business? Could you send the suit to Goretex for service? (doubtful)
OK, who else has a warranty…
…that’s anywhere close to what Gore-Tex products come with? All the other fabrics/garments I’ve check out have very limited warranties, typically only a year or two. Frankly, that’s crap and is shows that the manufacturers have no faith in the durability of the fabric. If the manufacturers won’t stand behind their products, why should I risk my safety (or life) on them?
If there is no replacement…
…from the original manufacturer, Gore will replace it with a comparable garment from another manufacturer.
comparable - goretext garment?
That sounds pretty good especially if it means comparable Goretex garment as Kokatat seems to be the only one making them.
Warranty repair or not?
My repair was for a nonwarranty tear (it caught a sharp metal corner). Since it was not a factory defect or fabric defect, I knew before I called Stohlquist that I would have to pay for the repair. What I had hoped was that they would perform the repair, at my expense. But apparently they will no longer do any Gore-tex repair work, period.
I would think in a case like this that Gore-tex would NOT cover repair or replacement since it is due to user error. However, the suit is also wearing thin at the midsection where the elastic waist gathers. The inner laminate facing is abraded from normal torso movement, probably heading for delamination. I will try to get this covered under warranty but won't be surprised if it gets kicked out. If Gore-tex covered the cost of my original price ($700), I'd be satisfied to simply pay the additional $300 or so for a new Kokatat Gore-tex drysuit.
Wear and tear isn’t covered…
…which is the case with virtually any warranty. If you tear it or simply wear it out, it’s not a warranty issue. What IS covered are defects in the material, the most common of which is delamination. If the fabric fails in that manner, it’s covered. Stohlquist should still stand behind any defects in workmanship, but on an older garment that can be difficult to prove. It sounds like they’re no longer certified to do repairs on Gore-Tex, which is why they would have referred you to Rainy Pass.
You’re right, it does sound good
I’m not sure how they handle it, but I suspect that it’s just like what happened with the Marmot jacket that I’m having replaced; they just issue you a credit for the original price of the suit that’s defective. That should cover the majority of the cost of a new suit, if not all of it.
Any drysuit can choke your neck
A friend lent his and the suit was shreded by a man who could not get it off so he hacked it into pieces. I spent big bucks on kokatat and hated the choking of the neck and wrists. Now I use a $95 nrs wetsuit. Not as warm but I like going to the gym in winter. Drysuits are a total pain to wash everyday. I hang the wetsuit in the shower. Do not let the water out of tub and shower with it by your feet then hang it in the shower. TRY IT ON. Some can be special made to fit your long or short legs.
And anyone can trim seals…
...so they're perfectly comfortable. All it takes is a really sharp pair of scissors or a utility knife and a plastic bottle. Oh, yeah, you'll need 10-15 minutes, depending on how many seals you need to trim and how many times you test fit them. I guess that's all just too much for some people.
It cracks me up every time I hear of someone who gave up on dry garments simply because they couldn't figure out that they can trim the seals to fit. As for the guy who hacked his way out of a dry suit, he sounds too stupid to be allowed on the water...or to reproduce.
Never happened
Gore requires that all manufacturers using their fabric supply examples of their garments for testing in their lab, to make sure they meet Gore's waterproofness standard. If a garment doesn't pass, the manufacturer has to correct the design or manufacturing process or Gore won't let them make it with Gore-Tex. Gore never required that they manufacture everyone's garments, which if you think about it, would be absolutely impossible given the volume of Gore-Tex products produced.
Gortex warranty and $$
I can only assume that the lifetime warranty is included in the price, otherwise Kokatat would be out of business. I wonder if Kokatat gets a reimbursement from Gore on any delams? NRS is surly doing their homework with great quality too and with the E-Vent fabric which out-breathes Gortex and used by the Army. I believe the difference for the same type of suit is around $350 less for a NRS E-vent. For many people that’s a lot of money. Drysuits are a tiny part of Gortex product sales and 99.999% of Gortex rain apparel is never coming back for warranty and they know it.
Anyhow, Kokatat are good people and nobody backs a product like they do with the Gortex stuff. Plus you can call up and talk to people who actually make and repair the suits.
And when replacing a neck gasket
go to a store that carries different sizes, try them on and pick the size that fits. That way it’s comfortable and you don’t even have to spend the 10 minutes that it takes to cut it 
Bob
No big deal to dry a drysuit
I always rinse mine inside and out while showering, then hang it up to dry. It dries much faster than a full wetsuit does and does not require turning inside-out to complete the drying (like a full wetsuit does).
Gaskets get trimmed as necessary, using sharp scissors. Easy.
Best Drysuit
Have not done any extreme kayaking or canoeing in the Arctic or Antarctic, but every single individual I have talked to that does a lot of paddling in bad conditions in extreme environments has chosen to use either the Kokatat Expedition Drysuit or the Kokatat GMER Drysuit for their adventures. I don’t have one because I just don’t have $1,100. to $1,200. to put out on a drysuit I wouldn’t wear on a regular basis.
Being a paddler from California doing limited paddling in the Pacific Ocean or Washington & British Columbian lakes and rivers I can’t justify “the best” in drysuits for my own use.
A good compromise drysuit which fits most peoples needs but won’t take an arm or leg to purchase is the NRS Extreme Drysuit at half the price of the Kokatat, but with many of the same features. It is made from three layer Triton fabric and has cordura reinforcements. Priced around $500.
NRS Mission Drysuit?
The NRS Mission Drysuit with eVent, is one I am considering vs. Kokatat. It is definitely too new to know the longevity history. Please-please-please, there are already enough posts and discussions on Goretex vs. eVent so not for discussion here. What I wonder is if the overall quality of the stitching, sizing proportions, and zipper quality on the NRS garment compare to Kokakat. I'll have to call NRS since the website does NOT mention the warranty time on this suit. If not lifetime, I will not pursue it.
Socks
Can’t go with the Latex socks on the NRS suit. Love my Kokatat.
Not only Kokatat using Gore Tex
It’s not true that Kokatat are the only ones manufacturing dry suits in Gore Tex. Ursuk (www.ursuk.com) and Muusto are also using Gore Tex and a lot of paddlers use them even though they are a little bit more oriented towards sailing.
A friend of mine is running a kayak shop here in Stockholm and he sells Stohlquist. I myself use a Kokatat Expedition but I borrowed a Stohlquist BPOD (almost new) for my son last weekend. When rinsing after use and hanging it to dry I discovered small tears in the “ultra stretchy neoprene” neckseal they use. When returning it we checked his other 5 suits that he has for rental. None of them have been out more than 4 times. ALL of them had small cracks in the neck neoprene neckseal.
Seams the seam attaching it to the suit itself is “eating through” the soft neoprene of the neckseal. He was quite worried since he has sold quite a lot of BPODS and was going to talk to Stohlquist about it.
Anyone else here owning the new BPOD with the ultrasoft neoprene neckseal that has experienced the same?
/Rickard
The new Peak UK
The new Peak UK drysuits are really great quality for your money. I have the orange model and find it very comfortable, easy to get in and out.