I"ve used both
A properly fitting latex neck gasket is actually more comfortable than a neo neck. The neo neck will let in mucho water unless it’s torqued down to head popping levels… and that defeats the whole point of a drysuit.
Gore-Tex Works
I get in arguments with my paddle partner on the merits of the Kokatat Gore-Tex gear versus the fact he does not want to cough up the extra few hundred for it and chooses inferior off brand dry gear.
Last week’s paddle featured 50F water temps and 80F air temps. My partner was complaining about overheating the whole time while I was extremely comfortable. This was my first cold water/warm air paddle in my Kokatat GMER, and it delivered in spades.
Upon landing, this uninformed person asked me why I was dressed like that on such a warm day, I told him to jump in the water and find out why. He declined.
Mythic drysuit
http://www.paddling.net/message/showThread.html?fid=advice&tid=1695923
http://www.mythicdrysuits.com/
after this weekend I’ll pass on a couple
more thoughts. A lot of ww runs in the spring when the water is cold and higher. This is primo ww season. Over the weekend I paddled twice and saw 6 swims. Most of those people were pretty happy with full drysuits and one had just a dry top and wore fleece pants and paid the price and got pretty cold. I go cheap on paddling gear but look for good protection- occasionally the clymb runs specials, rei spring sale, look used, and even a semi dry can work. Its also vital to put good insulation under the suit. Walmart for polypro long johns, fleece pajamas. The cold water protection is more important than what boat your paddling- that’s my two cents.