Spend the $$$$…
…for a Kokatat Goretex with a pee zipper.
caveat
sing surfs throughout the winter in the NE in a wetsuit
"Booties are better …"
What does “better” mean? I know a lot of people (most?) prefer them, but what makes them better? Comfort? Convenience? A dry foot? Certainly not cost. I prefer ankle gaskets because they are less subject to leaks. Neoprene socks, neoprene boots, and you’re good to go.
For what it’s worth, I prefer a stick shift and manual roll down windows in a car.
Great Information
All this is great info. I was leaning towards the Kokatat Goretex as I have read man good reviews.
I’m in need or at least a large (6’, 185 pounds) and plan to paddle all year long. At least until I chicken out in the single digit weather!
Single Digits…
ain’t gonna being a drysuit or wetsuit that saves your butt, it’ll be your skills and your endurance (unless you’re relying on skilled buddies). Especially if you’re talking single digits and in anything but flat water.
sing
Gear is never a substitute for skills
Good gear provides to elbow room to exercise the skills you have in a safer manner.
Just preparing
Single digit weather does not happen too often but I plan to paddle year round (less often in the winter obviously). A dry suit is a necessity in the winter as it will save half of your butt but skills are definitely needed to save the other.
I’m very educated in the world of aquatics (competitive swimmer, lifeguard, swim instructor, Olympic level coach, etc.) and as I’m just getting into kayaking, I’m trying to educate myself within this arena and gather all the information possible. Seems like I’ll probably be getting a Kokatat dry suit and will need to check them out locally before committing to anything.
Welcome
to kayaking. A Goretex drysuit really is the only way to go unless you are surfing (wetsuit is great for that.) You will not “sweat out” the drysuit, you will be comfortable in the winter temps we get up here. There are several of us who kayak all winter off the coast of RI. Check out www.ricka.org
Already a member
I joined Ricka about a month ago and plan to take part in numerous events this year. Looking forward to it.
Three Possibles Here
Our first suits were Kokatat SuperNovas. Mine had the neoprene neck gasket replaced by Kokatat under warranty, but the two year coverage had expired by the time the feet started leaking in season three. The inner membrane is starting to break down after four seasons of use, shedding snow-flake like little puffs of dust when the suit is stored for longish periods. To be fair, tho, my wife’s, purchased at the same time, has been fine. The SN is good bet if you’re on a tight budget, and far better from a safety viewpoint than the farmer john wetsuits they replaced.
My wife now has a Stohlquist B-Pod, and loves it. Hit a great deal on it - 1/2 of retail - but the neck was just too tight. Called Stohlquist to ask the cost of getting it replaced - since the suit was new, no charge, beyond the shipping back to us. It’s a great piece of gear, tough and very comfortable, and customer service couldn’t have been better - strongly recommended.
I now have two Reed ChillCheater suits - both bought used - love the fabric, the fit, the GlideSkin neck and wrist seals - but both have leaked where the sprayskirt tunnel is stitched to the suit’s chest…nothing serious, but it’ll wet your undershirt if you spend a lot of time in the water. Sent one back to Reed this past winter - again, great customer service - only drawback is that they’re in the UK, so it takes time. Rates were most reasonable. The two ChillCheaters, and the cost of the repairs and shipping, came to about 1/2 retail on a Kokatat Goretex. Recommended.
recommend Kayak Academy
I live on the east coast and got my drysuit online (or rather by phone) from George Gronseth at Kayak Academy
http://www.kayakacademy.com/
I got a Kokatat GMER with booties, and I love it.I wear it from Oct to mid-June. Best gear I’ve ever bought. I had a hard time bringing myself to spend so much money but it was well worth it.
Gronseth was extremely helpful in advising on size etc. I am 5’ 11" and 165 lbs and ended up trying a Medium but exchanging for a Large. Service was fast. A friend needed a custom size and that was also very fast and efficient. Very knowledgeable and pleasant people to work with.
Kayak Academy Used Suits
If the budget is tight, the Kayak Academty can sometimes save you hundedrs of $$$$ on lightly used Kokatat suits…
That’s how I got mine.
Wish I had done it years before I did.
Gear and skills never a substitute
for judgment…
Kokatat
Goretex, booties, relief zip.
For all the reasons mentioned.
Take care of yours (incl. the booties) and it will take care of you. George Gronseth for example gives 3 detailed pages of how on wear and care.
Skills & judgement matter, certainly, but it’s logical to start w. gear that you can count on.
Kokatat is legendary for replacing a whole suit with a little delamination, even if the customer just requested repair. And Goretex was first and foremost in the outdoor industry w. a lifetime fabric warranty on waterproof, breathable fabric.
Kokatat’s factory in Arcata CA is the only drysuit maker in the world which meets the rigorous testing & fabrication required by Goretex.
Other breathable waterproof fabrics may yet prove out (I own & enjoy drytops - a Palm Sidewinder in XP150 for example & the shortsleeved Flashburn by Bomber Gear) but Goretex has a much longer proven track record.
Kokatat is the reigning champion in drysuits and the choice of, conservatively, 75% of the seakayakers at symposiums in the upper Midwest.
I am not affiliated w. them or Kayak Academy, just a very satisfied user.
Possibly bpod
I found a place close by that has the Stohlquist bpod for $440 which is a great price. No tax as well. I thought the goretex was the way to go but my bank account is telling me otherwise. I think for the time being, the bpod may be the way to go and then upgrade to a goretex down the road once I recover or better yet, my wife lets me buy anything else!!
Booties are definitely better
The first thing is that they’re drier. Icy water on your feet is simply no fun unless you’re a masochist.
You can wear socks in them for added insulation in cold weather.
I don’t agree that they’re more leak prone, as ankle seals were very prone to leakage for me and if my long underwear happened to work it’s way through the seal, it was even worse. I’ve never had booties leak, even when the latex was starting to rot.
It’s easier to put on and take off a suit with booties.
About the only advantage I found with ankle seals is that they make it easy to rinse out the inside of the suit, as water drains out of the legs.
Breathable is better, period
If you’re going to paddle in a non-breathable suit, it will not be a “dry suit”, no matter what you call it. You will get soaked with condensation and probably be miserable. In that case, you may as well save some money and buy a wetsuit. 
I absolutely agree about the booties and relief zipper.
If you can swing the difference in initial cost, I strongly recommend buying a Gore-Tex suit. The primary reason is durability and warranty. It’s proven, durable fabric and if it does fail, you’re covered by a lifetime warranty. I recently had a nine-year-old Gore-Tex suit replaced at no charge when it began to delaminate. I’m not aware of any other fabric or dry suit manufacturer that stand behind their products (or products made with their fabrics) the way that Gore and the companies that use Gore-Tex do. You definitely pay more up front, but in the long run, it’s cheaper than buying a new dry suit made with inferior materials every 3-5 years.
BTW, I have no relationship with Gore, nor do I sell their products. I’m simply a very satisfied customer.
That may be fine in North Carolina…
…but it’s far from ideal up here. A dry suit is much more versatile for our highly-variable New England weather and warmer in the winter.
That’s true and Sing is a great guy…
…but he is primarily (strictly?) a surfer these days and his needs are somewhat different from a touring paddler. While I’m sure there are other surfers who do the same as Sing, I haven’t met any touring paddlers that prefer neoprene in the winter up here. In fact, some of the clubs up here won’t even allow people to participate in winter trips unless they have a dry suit, which frankly, is just smart.