I am going to buy a dry suit this week. I have selected the Kokatat GME Gore-Tex Meridian Dry Suit with Relief Zipper, GoreTex Dry Socks, GMER from Kayak Academy.
Who has one and what are the pros and cons. Should I upgrade to the one with hood and suspenders? Anyone 6’2" / 180-185 pounds? What size did you buy?
I am beating this horse to death but a grand is a grand and this is a very important decision.
Dry suit sizing
I’m 6’ 185 pounds and wear a Kokatat Large Expedition Dry Suit. I think it might be best to see if someone near you has a Kokatat Dry or Semi-Dry (e.g. Super Nova) in L and/or XL you can try.
I’ve never found th hood to be useful, though the most recent suits have a Pac-Lite hood which seems more practical than the triple layer bulky hood of my suit.
I do find the sleeve pocket useful and the current expedition suit has 2. At the time I got mine it was cheaper to order the Expedition suit to get the features I wanted (including over-skirt, booties, sleeve pocket…) then add them as extras to the next suit down. (that was about 5-6 years ago)
Dry Suit
Kokotat makes a great suit. I have one and love it.
The relief zipper is a must.
Mine does’t have a hood, and it would be in the way most of the time. If it’s really nasty, a hat is a much handier accessory.
Stuff you get with the upgrade
The longer I paddle the more I agree with those who could go one way or the other on the overskirt. I don’t think it’s a deal breaker, but the other stuff you get may be.
The hood is made of PacLite GoreTex, and is a lot easier to manage than the older and stiffer one. I kinda like how it lies a bit bundled around the bottom of my neck on a cooler day, and I like having something I can pull up and down on the fly come more marginal weather. I’d have lived without it if it didn’t come on the last suit I got, but having had it I’d keep one now.
The really valuable part you get on the upgrade to Expedition version is both sleeve plus the chest pocket, at least for me. I suppose I could remember to stash all the little things like car key (the part that can get wet), health insurance ID, snack bars and a few bucks as I am loading up the boat. But I almost always forget something, and the pockets give me an easy oops spot to put it.
size
I’m 6’0, 180#, and I wear a Kokatat GFE Large. It fits me perfectly, with no tightness even with layers, and no excess material. I’m not sure it would fit me if I were 2 inches taller though. Sounds like you’re a bit in-between and might be too slim for an XL but too tall for an L. Does Kayak Acadamy offer a Large Suit with slightly longer legs?
L vs Custom
I’m your same general size: 6’2" and 185 lbs. I have a GMER Large.
The width, arms, and legs are absoutely fine. I sometimes wish I had an extra inch or two in torso length, just to make it a little easier to get off.
Kokatat puts medium booties on the large suit, but somehow my size 13 feet still fit in them, but snugly.
If I had it to do again and if I were paying full price, I’d get the same suit, but special order a slightly longer torso and large booties. That said, I’ve done OK for four years in an off-the-rack version.