Hello,Im about to purchase a kokatat expedition drysuit.Im looking for any feedback either positive or negative about this suit for those here who may have one.Im wondering about the fit,is the sizing chart accurate?Any comments or suggestions would be great.
Thanks,Greg
if you call Kokatat thay can help
with sizing better than anyone here probably could.
Get ahold of a
Kokatat rep and try on dry suit in various sizes along with all the combination/combinations of under layering you plan to use; plus with the footwear you’re going to be using. I contacted him in advance, and Nick, my regional Kokatat rep spent much time with me at Paddlefest 2005 (Old Forge, NY area) - he even brought along his custom suit for me to try.
I’m 200 lbs, 5 ft 7 in, tall and built like a fire plug. Thought that I might need a XXL, with custom shortened arms and legs. For my GOORE-TEX front entry, with relief zipper and GORE-TEX booties, XL is plenty big even with a fleece bunny suit on underneath, but not too big when using lighter under layers.
For the money you’re going to spend, get ahold of a Kokatat rep or try on different sized suits in a shop if at all possible.
By the way, Lake Ontario rocks!
Mike
thanks mike
hi mike …yer the exact same size as me …so know i know which size to get …thanx. i will prolly be in O F in may fer paddlefest if weather is agreeable.
PS: btw…neil young said sumthin on raido about a lawsuit against sum guy in NY about stealing his lyrics …wasn’t you was it ??? …lol
thanks for advice
hi mike,your advice was very accurate.i made the trek in to try a few suits on today,was quite surprised the size chart didnt compare to what i really needed to put on.if you consider a large chances are xlarge will be the fit.are there any tricks for putting the suits on with ease?
suits run small
I have a couple of expeditions and I’m 6 foot and 175 and ordered a Xlarge this time because the large is snug and it makes for a struggle to get the out of the neck gasket.
6’ 180 lbs
I have an XL drysuit. It’s a good fit with stuff on underneath. Just hate getting in and out of the damn thing.
Andy
In between sizes …
go for the larger size always. You have to get that zipper over your head. Bigger is better. I’m 6’1’, 185 lbs and use an XXL.
No, no, no…
Bigger isn’t better… in drysuits at least.
If a suit is bigger than necessary, then the body has more air space that it needs to heat up. Most people will be more comfortable in a well fitting drysuit that is sized to allow for tops a couple of layers.
What happens when you look at two measurments only - height and weight, you neglect one import measurement - TORSO LENGTH. A good way to view the Kokatat sizing charts is to look where you fall within the ranges.
Example - if you are high on the weight, low on inseam length and high on the ranges for height, that would indicate that you have a long torso and that you may need to size up to get in more easily. Alternatively, perhaps the size that would fit best would be the one where most of your measurements fit and instead get an inch or two longer in the torso.
Suz
Sizing is tricky
Talk to George at The Kayak Academy. He knows Kokatat well. http://www.kayakacademy.com/
He will ask you for measurements of all parts of your body. Well, not quite ALL of them…
most retailers
can also do this. Easy to do with a tape measure. Not rocket science!
Suz
Another vote for George
I recently purchased a suit from George @ Kayak Academy. Good guy and very helpful. I didn’t fit in the size that the chart indicated. I couldn’t even get both arms in the XL. I’m 5’ 10", 205#'s. I ended up w/a customized XXL (large socks, not XL, cut 3" off the legs and 2" off the sleeves). Money well spent.
While my suit was being made George was kind enough to give me a loaner (a regular XXL) - there was enough extra material to make a dry top! It was great having the free loaner suit but it’s even nicer having my own suit that fits properly now.
Good luck.
Tony
Hood on expedition suit
Unless you really need a hood, its a real
pain for rolling and filling up with water.
I’d pass on the hood unless really needed.
Go for a merdian and also save some money.
Try one on
I’m 6’, 180 and have a Large Kokatat Expedition Dry Suit and a Large Super Nova.
The Kokatat rep I ordered my suits through had me try on suits to determine size.
Don’t settle for anything but the best
My experience was similar to Flyflinger’s. George got my measurements and sent me a Medium until my specially made suit came. The loaner was useful, but too long in the legs and arms. The custom suit is so perfect I regret taking it off. For the amount of money these things cost, don’t engage in guessing.
new hood vs old hood
The Expedtion came out with a new hood this year. So Jay may be comparing against the old style hood. New hood is made of Gore Tex Pac-Lite and is soft flexible and multiple adjustments to dial in fit. It also will roll up and can be tucked away and tabbed to stay put. BUT in addition to all that and the fleece mesh combo in front to protect the mouth area, there are drains so that the collar area can drain through if you scoop water when rolling or water splashes in.
The new hood is really phenomenal. The old hood was made of XCR material and was very stiff and didn’t function in the same way at all.
Suz
new hood v old hood
I’ve almost never used the hood on my Expedition suit. Even rolled it is bulky.
I’m wondering if the next time I send my suit into Kokatat for servicing if it might be worth asking about having them replace my old hood with the new version?
Yep - you can
Jim,
You can check. Not sure if it is possible though as there is more to the change than just swapping the hood. The new collar area is totally different and so I would wonder if they would have to rework that whole area and therefore a bigger and more costly job.
Maybe they can make a new hood to the old pattern though and just simply replace that. Definitely a question for customer service and definitely best to do in the summer when the repairs area isn’t quite as busy.
Best,
Suz
Most retailers
don’t even come close to knowing what George knows! I’m speaking from experience.
Put the hood
under the PFD unless you anticipate needing it.