I have just bought a Kokatat GMER drysuit and except for trouble getting in and out of it, it’s great. Can anyone tell me the best way to get in and out of this suit?
Drysuit entry/exit
Yeah, it’s always a bit acrobatic for me as well. One thing that helps is to put some talcum powder or cornstarch on the inside of the latex gaskets… they’ll slip on easier. Put your legs in first, then the arms, then pull the top over your head. That last part is where I struggle a bit as my suit barely comes up high enough. Be sure to pull the suit as high up your body as possible before attempting to put it over your head. Exit is the reverse sequence. Don’t forget to burp it once you’re in!
Enjoy!
good advice so far
Carlson has done you proud. One minor addition is that you should use you hands to open up hte gasket fron the outside rather than just expanding it with your head.
What is murder to get into your first season becomes much easier. Enjoy
I usually enist help getting the pants
off. (How is that for an opening) It is a whole lot easier for someone to grab the bottom of a leg and pull than for me to do it.
Drysuit
Water-based lubricants really make entry and exit a lot easier
The way…
I do it this way with my Kokatat with booties:
- legs
- right arm
- head
- left arm
I am pretty skinny at 5’11" and only 138lbs. So I have a lot of room and lots of air to squeeze out. Reverse the order when taking off.
The only difficult part is getting my head out while taking it off.
…so I’m not the only one?
Thank gawd for this message board. All the things that I struggle with as a reletive newbie to sea kayaking and I assume I’m a bit dense… I’m smart enough to hide the camera while suiting up, though!
I’m with Ken on this except I think it’s left arm first, then head & right arm. Whatever works I guess. I’d avoid powders unless you know for sure that there free of oils that might shorten the life of the gaskets & kill the waterproofing on the suit.
Simplest entry=
– Last Updated: Apr-25-04 2:29 AM EST –
being born in it. There is no simple exit.
I usually find it harder to get off
than on because I’m tired after a day of paddling. I have wicked thoughts of cutting the d*mn thing off sometimes!
Peice of cake.
I like to cover my entire body in Crisco and slide right in…Sometimes I just cover myself in Crisco and go for a walk.
still trying !!
we’ve got this really cute woman in our group who’s drysuit i’ve been trying to get into for a long time - none of these replys seem to help =:-/
Ask her if she needs help with
her zippers. Offer your assistance in getting her feet out of that d*mn thing! Tell her you’ll give her some air while her head is still stuck in the drysuit if she needs it! Blow up your air mattress for her to lie on when she’s trying to get her feet out of it.
Why don’t you switch
to citronella-then you’d come in handy when camping with your family and friends!
Still laughing! Jill, the picture is
great! Half the time , the puller winds up on their butt.
thank you !
i have listed your suggestions, and shall proceed with renewed determination !!