Dry suit or not? Is it just the $$$

Just got the NRS extreme today
feels really big after the Stohlquist B-Pod. Definitely room to maneuver the zipper around eliminating the need for the relief zip. Has a nice drawstring cord so while it may hang a bit big on me i am happy to have it.

The latex gaskets feel really comfortable too. that was a surprise!



Paul

Congratulations!
I feel like MC Hammer in mine but it’s very comfortable.



Like you said… no relief zipper necessary.

top & pants…
Drytop + Splash-Pants…



$.01

got a large kokotat goretex dry bib
with relief zipper and latex booties as well as an x large (runs small) patagonia dry top that will make its way to ebay or the classifieds now. Not sure what to ask for them. Both in great shape.

NRS might be too big? Maybe it just feels that way as the Stohlquist (size large) is comfortable but wouldn’t allow much layering under it? this one I could probably wear a down jacket and be ok. Using the drawstring, I have about two inches of material that hangs over the waist? But if I went to a large, I probably would not have the luxury of not needing a relief zipper?

Oh well…I am not doing a fashion show anyway…



Paul

I like my B-Pod
last weekend a friend and I did a day trip on lake superior air temp around 34 and water temp around 36 .we talked about inviting some friends that only had dry or splash tops with farmer johns but decided that the risk would be way to great if they were to get wet.heres some pics-



http://s227.photobucket.com/albums/dd37/ZimBob_photos/jan%205%20lake%20superior/?action=view&current=IMGP0399.jpg



have fun and be safe,

Bob



btw i also have a full wet suit that i like to use for working on skills when that water is a bit cold but air is nice

It’s nice to see you treat your friends
so well. Friends don’t let friends drive in 36 degree water along sheer cliffs with a dry top and wet suit combo. Awesome pics! Where exactly were you?

Daggers of death on the ‘ice caves’…
…are pretty ‘cool’. Wouldn’t want to go in there if it was the ocean with any swell present.

how about…
How about those that are fitness paddling?



I never paddle for touring-- so I am fully aerobic and generating tons of heat even in winter.



Does anyone wear a drysuit whilst fitness paddling?



Also I paddle a ski so there is mininal exposure to the water beacuse of the easy remounting.



Thoughts?

If you paddle in cold water…

– Last Updated: Jan-10-08 7:55 PM EST –

...(60deg and below) and don't have a 'zodiac following you around' (some way to immediately get out of the water and get warmed up), then the standard is to dress for the water temp.

Tragically, a surfskier was lost a couple of months ago locally. Got separated from his boat. His friend lost his boat as well (no drysuite to my knowledge) but was able to swim to shore and alert authorities to the situation. The guy (even more tragically, he was an ER doc with a beautiful young family) still in the water (now dark) was wearing a drysuit, but reports were that he'd essentially had no insulation under it. CG had a copter and three boats looking for him. Long story short...he died, unfortunately, after several hours of 47 deg water. A common thread in many stories like this is no one had a marine handheld VHF radio...but that's another issue.

Even if you are within what you think is swimming distance to shore, consider the possibilities of an offshore wind pushing you out to sea and if you do swim to shore, what then? Do you have a way to immediately warm up, in winter? A nearby home to warm up in and call for help?

It's a tough question because you don't want to get all your inner layers under a drysuit sopping wet and there's no doubt that if you go the whole drysuit route it won't insulate as well if you do swim because the insulation garments are wet from sweat, but it'll still insulate many times better, I'm sure, than if you didn't have it. Combined with a submersible VHF radio worn in your PFD pocket, you have a much higher probability of living if something goes wrong. JMO.

A large side issue to these types of safety discussions is that the whole industry is going to be facing government regulation in the way of certifications and licensing much like SCUBA is now if we don't regulate ourselves. This has already started to happen...and maybe that's not such a bad thing, though there's pros and cons.

Regulations…

– Last Updated: Jan-10-08 8:05 PM EST –

no way, at least not with the average joe. Heck, there is a MA law law in place that says PFD wear is mandatory from spring to fall. Where is the enforcement? When the person falls in, gets cold shock and drowns, which happens every spring and fall.

There is a lot of coastline. Love to see how they would enforce whatever. Worse comes to worse... Officer, I have a wetsuit on and not a drysuit because I am surfer. Drysuit is for those "kayakers." Are they going to force winter surfers to wear drysuits? There is not as many winter surfers but enough and spread out to make enforcement tough.

sing

Potential renegrade surf paddler and outlaw.

Regulation and enforcement…
…are two very different things.

Right You Are.
“regulation without enforcement” is just “feel good” legislation.



sing


Very true.
And there’s alot of that.

I’ve nothing against good wetsuits…
…just to be clear here, sing. The guy just asked about drysuits, so I limited the discussion to drysuits.

No. I Just Reacting To “Regulations.”

– Last Updated: Jan-10-08 8:31 PM EST –

I think folks should use whatever immersion gear to protect themselves that makes the most "sense" for their needs. In most cases, the "safest" and "with least thought" would be a drysuit.

Drysuit is not the "only" viable option but if "regulations" get enacted, especially if seakayakers were giving the major input, drysuit would be made the ONLY option. (But, then I would evade it with my claim to being a "surfer" because I doubt I would ever use my drysuits again.)

sing

The PFD is the sweatiest thing
It blocks breathable fabrics from breathing.



A drysuit without PFD over it loses a big wet patch. The areas under the gaskets will still get sweat condensing there, but they are quite small by comparison.



Not that I’m telling you to use or not use the PFD. I don’t always wear it, which is how I learned the above.

Thanks for photo zimbob, now I know
what I’ll look like in the B-Pod that I ordered yesterday. Maybe I’ll eventually end up with some additional gear, but that wouldn’t be the end of the world – at least that’s something to do during the winter months while I wait for the ice to melt.

b-pod
one thing I would like to bring up is that before I bought my suit i tried on different sizes at canoecopia and found out that the xxl fit me nice except the neck seal was too big so they installed the large size bpod seal for an additional $30 , I think that is why some people have leaks around the neck ,really stohlquists fault ,to me that seems like an important measurement to publish or ask when some one is ordering .the company that did the install was trx-kca sewing in Alamosa Co . TRX@stolhquist.com just in case .





Bob

Question
Does a drysuit provide and flotation?Seems like it would.

Turtle

Disadvantages of drysuit
Drysuit has a lot of advantages that have been discussed extensively on this thread. I’ve paddling with the wetsuit/drytop combo in various conditions and reasonably happy with it. I’m trying to compile a list of potential disadvantages of drysuit which may help persuade me to defer the investment.



Here is the list of the top off my head.


  1. If a drysuit leaks (which is not uncommon), you are much worse off than with a wetsuit


  2. A drysuit is much more likely to fail at the wrong time than a wetsuit (e.g. zippers stuck, rubber gaskets crack, etc)


  3. There is ongoing maintenance cost associated with a drysuit (e.g. the rubber gaskets need to be replaced every 4-6 months even if you take good care of them)


  4. The drysuit is baggy and may be uncomfortable for very snug fitting cockpit (which is the case for both my whitewater and sea kayak)


  5. It is difficult to get a perfect fit for your neck and wrist because the gaskets only come in a few sizes. Too tight, it will cut your blood circulation and make your face red or your hands numb. Too loose, sand will get in when you surf at the beach. (I was told that it is not a good idea to cut the gasket that is too tight because it will reduce the strength and durability of the gasket)


  6. The drysuit may give you the false sense of security to go out in conditions unsafe for your skill level


  7. The drysuit may make you think it is OK to wet exit in case of a capsize, rather than putting in the effort to learn AND bombproof your combat rolls



    Please feel free to comment or add to the list. Thanks!