Custom drysuit
Everything the previous poster is true. Kokotat makes a great suit.
It’s not necessary to have one custom built. I too am too bulky for a regular size. I talked directly to Kokatat and they offered to make me a XXL suit with shortened sleeves and legs. The cost for the minor changes was pretty reasoanable When you start talking “custom”, they are going to start using lots of measurements and it will cost a lot for the custom fit. A drysuit isn’t meant as fashion statement. As I recall, they charged about $35 to use XL sleeves in my XXL suit.
Someone suggested the “Expediton” model (the one with the hood), but in most conditions, I would find the hood to be in the way. When the weather is lousy, I just wear a hat. The GMER suit is great.
Kokatat GMER
Had one for years and years. Love it. Must have the relief zipper and GoreTex booties.
See above re hood
My newest dry suit has one, and my husband’s has had one for a while. Like I said above, I usually have alternatives. But if it is there you’ll use it too. The current Kokatat hoods are Paclight material, so they need a cap under them for cold.
The overskirt has adherents and not, often strong opinions. I have dry and semi-dry suits with and without one. The ones with the overskirt keep more water out of the boat from a rolling session than those without, but there’s not enough diff to choose one over the other.
The biggest diff with the overskirt is that it produces a tighter band around the middle to get in and out of the suit. Some days I grab the one without the overskirt to avoid that.
err on the larger side
I’m 6’2" 185 and need to use an XL because of height. I knew someone my size who bought a large and it was a struggle to get the neck over his head to get in on or off. They’re all baggy which is what you want because you will be sitting down which takes mare material as well.
I know somebody selling a used XL Gortex Kokatat in CT.
Mens XL Kokatat Gore-Tex drysuit. Neck seal was replaced. One wrist seal needs replacement, make me an offer. 203-494-1551
Kokatat Warranty
To clarify a bit - the neck and wrist gaskets are wear and tear. Those are not warrantied, and some people (like me) find that their skin chemistry rots out gaskets faster than others. Putting talcum powder on just before and immediately after use, unscented preferred, has made a diff in how long the neck gasket lasts for me. I got the just-after advice from a dive shop - so that the talcum powder sucks up skin oils left behind.
The warranty that tends to lead to new suits is on the material, where Kokatat is actually enforcing the GoreTex warranty aggressively. That is lifetime as long as it appears that the problem is true delamination rather than pin-holing from folds in the material and general hard use. I’ve had suits age both ways - delamination is perferable because it kicks in the warranty, pinholing does not.
Kokatat also offers a limited warranty on their Tropos material, I am not sure what it is but maybe a year or a couple. Similar, if it shows unduly early delam they’ll replace the suit.
The take-away point here is that it is best to figure on sending a suit in to Kokatat for inspection and a wet test each year, because that’s where they’ll spot the need for a replacement. And fix up the seams along places like the booties that tend to go easily.
Other manufacturers tend to use their own material, one or another proprietary version of GoreTex, so their warranties will be entirely on their own product. How much this changes the strength of the warranty I don’t know - worth checking. Some have pretty good reputations.
I suspect that Kokatat can be aggressive on the GoreTex warranty is partly because they have the contract to make up the Coast Guard and military (like SEALS) dry suits. They put out a lot of suits which ultimately put money back into the GoerTexd’s accounts.
Custom Kokatat Large King
I bought a CUSTOM Kokatat Goretex Front Entry Dry Suit with the pee relief zipper, pockets, reflective stripes, suspenders, and inches taken off sleeves and inseam, plus small sized built in goretex dry socks. And custom colors, a mix of 2011 & 2012, Lichen & Plum.
Bought from Kayak Academy which has actually sent me an excellent loaner free for the 10 weeks I have to wait for my custom drysuit. Kayak Academy’s customer service has been fantastic. Expecting my custom drysuit at end of February.
I’m short and fat and the L-King was the right size for me to use, then shorten sleeves and legs. I’m kayaking on a Sit On Top in the dead of winter near Portland with a huge dog for water rescue training.
Not in agile shape so need the extra room to be able to get the thing on and pull that zipper shut, not easy. Obviously beginning exercise program to lose weight and buff up.
http://www.kayakacademy.com/pages/store/kokatat_sizing_men.html
Men’s & Unisex Sizing Chart for Kokatat Products
^^^ only place I’ve found with the L-King size!
warranty, sizing, customizations
Hi,
Been answering some of OP’s questions via e-mail as someone provided him with my e-mail.
Some questions are good to address here.
As for warranty:
Tropos - 2 year (used in the Supernova paddling suit)
T3 - LIFETIME WARRANTY - this is new on the T3, it now carries same warranty as Gore Tex against delamination. It is retroactive to ANY T3 suit, not just ones purchased this year when the warranty went into effect.
Gore-Tex - Lifetime warranty against delamination.
Ordering custom suits - can be done at ANY Kokatat dealer. If the retail store can’t figure it out, they will either talk to the rep or talk to Kokatat to figure out which is the best size. If needed, Kokatat will send out sizing suits to the retail store for trying on.
Buy local and support your local dealers - they are there to talk you through any concerns. They are also there to provide you with a loaner through the rep if needed. Each rep has a fleet of demo drysuits for both sales purposes and loaner purposes. So if your suit needs to go in to Kokatat for an uplanned repair, check with your local shop to arrange a loaner through the local rep.
Finally, custom suits are also warrantied against delamination.
And now on to suit styles - suits with tunnels are great because they keep water out of the boat. My boat is bone dry in the winter when wearing a drysuit. Water comes in to the boat over the skirt tube. When using a tunnel, it doesn’t.
The suits that have a tunnel are the Meridian and the Expedition. The differences between the Meridian and the Expedition are the Expedition offers arm pockets and a hood ALONG with reflective tape on BOTH lower arms and pockets along with reflective on the back of the hood. I love the hood and rarely use it on the water, mainly use it when I am getting ready to paddle or when I am taking a break.
Generalizations are that WW paddlers use the Meridian and Sea Kayakers use the Expedition. Canoeists usually just get the simpler GFER (which means Gore-Tex Front Entry) as they do not need a tunnel on their suit.
An Expedition suit can be used to paddle white water and many WW paddlers do use it. The trick is to stow the hood by rolling it and then cinching the “collar” down. That prevents scooping water with a big floppy hood. Neither WW paddlers or Sea Kayakers wear the hood with a helmet on.
Oh - custom suits take about 8-10 weeks to build.
Suz
Wet suit
Kokatat is a popular brand, but I got a Stolquist. I've used it two years and have been very happy with it. While I haven't had to use it yet, I understand their customer service is also excellent. I'm 6-2 and 275 lbs., and there's plenty of room inside my suit for extra layers of polyester base layer and fleece. Once you get it you'll have a couple other questions. The neck will be tight. Slide a flower pot into the neck from the inside to stretch it and let it set a few days. As for getting into it, if the zipper runs left hip to right shoulder, get into the legs, work as much air out as possible, pull the suit as high as possible and slip into the left arm. Then slide into the right arm. Reach behind your head and bring the neck down over your head and zip her up. The exact reverse gets you out. Try donning it at home the first couple times so there's someone there to call the rescue squad if you get caught half in and half out. LOL. Keep the zippers treated with zip-ease, and the neck and cuff gaskets wiped with 303. Try to avoid sun screen on the gaskets as much as possible.
Forgot about the pockets…
I love my newest dry suit most for two things, one of which I was reminded of by Suzanneh's post. It's the expedition model of Kokatat's suit.
The first is the pockets on the sleeve - two of them - for the little stuff that can get wet but you forgot to stash before you got all your stuff arranged just right in the day hatch. After I have gotten the otter box of emergency contact info, the medical kit, the hot tea jug, snacks, the extra gloves and hood(s), VHF radio and cag stowed so that I can still hear the radio if it goes on alert and I can pull out the cag without half the other stuff coming with it, I hate having to dig to the bottom of it all because I forgot to stick my health insurance card in the otter box.
The other thing is that it is radish red. After being followed by a bee several hundred yards offshore from an island and finally having to roll - slowly - for him to lose interest, I have sworn off yellow suits.
Suzanneh, thanks for the update re the Tropos 3 warranty. That's great news for the pants I got.
I’ve had a Kokatat Expedition for years
I’ve worn a Kokatat Expedition dry suit for 7-8 years. I’m one of the folk who got a new suit from Kokatat because of Gore-Tex delamination. I also have A Kokatat Super-Nova as back up and for warmer conditions.
As far as I am concerned front entry, pee-zip, Gore-Tex (or equivalent) booties are essential. Personally when I buy another dry suit it will again be a Kokatat Expedition.
I like the overskirt, and sleeve pocket. Mine is an older suit so only 1 sleeve pocket (which carries my inhaler and mini-first-aid kit). As an older suit the hood is also bulkier than on the newer suits. My hood has mostly lived rolled and cinched. I believe the overskirt helps keep water out of the cockpit even though I always use neoprene skirts with neoprene tunnels. I use my Expedition suit for both sea and ww kayaking.
I buy my Kokatat gear from dealers I know (here and in Maine). I send my suit back to Kokatat when it needs or seems to be close to needing new gaskets (about every 2 years). Some I know use the Kayak Academy which is also excellent.
Experience has made Kokatat the ‘gold standard.’
Dog
That is one seriously cool dog!
More thoughts re dryness
Just something I forgot to mention earlier - how water tight your setup is has a couple of factors, and only one is the clothing. (drysuit with tunnel or without) The other is how tight your skirt is. A skirt itself can be super-dry, which can also mean harder to pull off. Or it can be looser, maybe easier to remove with cold hands, but will let in water when getting kicked around by waves etc. I tend to prefer the looser option, am more comfortable with a little water sloshing around than worrying about getting it pulled off. But each has to come to their own comfort point on that one.
I’ll say it again here …
... if you have decided on a dry suit, fine. But if you paddle rivers with options for a quick exit from the water, a dry top + dry pants I find a lot more versatile. This year I bought my first dry suit, mainly for "open water" and for surf-ski paddling, where a 2-piece does not cut it. But I've only used it a handful of times and a lot more times I've used the dry top (without the dry pants in the fall, with them in the winter). An argument has been made that most drownings happen within a few feet of safety - these however (as a rule) did not involve folks with drywear of any kind. A swim in a 2-piece will likely result in a little water getting in your pants. For a 2-3 hour outing and back to your warm home, that is not an issue. Done that many times even in freezing waters and sub-freezing temps outside. For an extended trip - it could be a hassle or even dangerous... The convenience and versatility of a 2-piece is hard to beat for short outings near shore and when the air warms-up you can just wear the upper part (again, under the right safety situation, where the lack of a bottom will not be an issue).
One last point, if you tend to paddle hard, you will sweat a lot so you will be wet inside your dry suit. And the DWR layer will wear off quickly too, requiring either maintenance or resulting in diminished performance in spray/rain.
Maintenance of the DWR layer
EMS and probably other stores have a wash that maintains that decently. The trick is to use it often and early - like probably most people I waited longer than I should have to make that regular maintenance with my first suit.
I find that even a pretty decent 2 piece system is a lot more than a little wet. OK for some rolling, but too wet for a swim. Not saying that it doesn't work for you, but experience seems to vary a lot there until you get to the Kokatat bib thing, which comes not so far from a basic GoreTex dry suit in cost.
OP is mentions coastal
in addition to rivers.
btw, I don’t sweat too much even in the warmer California winter temps when pushing fairly hard. I find that quality wicking layers along with using a strong antiperspirant in a few key areas (mostly feet and waist) helps me a lot. I will also unzip anytime I land for a bit to let sweat evaporate.
Question
Hi Suz,
So, the 2012 catalog says T3 carries a lifetime warranty, but the new website still says 2 year warranty. Which is correct?
~wetzool
T3 warranty
Hi,
The T3 definitely carries the lifetime warranty. It was announced to the trade at the shows last year and it will be on the 2012 website whenever that gets updated. New 2012 product starts shipping Jan 15. Hopefully the website is updated by then.
Suz
Water Temps
Kocho - OP said he is in New England. You live in Maryland. What works for you probably won’t work in New England.
Suz
Your talking to a guy
who paddled rivers in northern new england all his life and rarely wore anything but wool. But this kayaking thing (and I’ll admit maybe my age) has me feeling insecure and risky when I am paddling in cold water, even flat water, often alone. I’m at the point that I just want to be warm and as safe as I can be. I’ve probably only got 10 years of cold weather paddling left, if that. I suppose it would be nice to have both a two piece and a full suit. I’m curious though - do you have a gore tex dry suit?
Dry suit seals
Celia said to use talcum powder, unscented preferred.
Great advice, but make sure it is the unscented stuff. The scented stuff such as baby powder) can destroy the latex seals.