My husband found a deal on a used Poseidon drysuit. Apparently this is a drysuit for diving. He’s wondering if it would work for kayaking.
He just recieved a palm torrent from Sierra trading, which I think, would be better for kayaking. But he’s wondering if the other would work just as well.
Thanks for any info/advice
kari
ps: I posted here a couple weeks ago looking for a drysuit for me. I ended up getting the palm element. Haven’t had a chance to try it out yet.
No
Scuba diving dry suits are made to be inflated with air for buoyancy and insulation. It would be very uncomfortable in the kayak.
However the original owner paid more for it then you will for good kayaking gear. My scuba dry suit was over $1,500 years ago.
That’s kind of what I figured…
I had a feeling it probably wouldn’t work that well for paddling. Makes sense that diving would need more insulating value. He has the Palm, it fits him well, he’ll just have to be happy with that 
$1500…glad I just need a basic one for a little paddling!
thanks Georgia Kayaker
kari
Poseidon was qualiy and expensive
The made great scuba regulators but it was difficult getting parts. Anything that had the name Poseidon on it was expensive. Most good or pro divers will not use someone else’s gear.
Breathable fabrics
Non breathable dry suits for paddling are just about gone. You will sweat like an animal even in the winter in a non breathable suit. If you just wanted to experiment and use it for rolling in colder water (practice) or rescue practice it would probably be fine. Most diver dry suits have much heavier material then a paddling drysuit.
Unless it’s a real give-away, save your money.
Sounds like a good suit…
…for someone who is into diving. Our last paddle trip we ran into a large group of divers at our local reservoir. I don’t know if it was a class/certification. (I was just hoping they weren’t searching for bodies…). My boss loves to scuba dive - has some sort of special breathing/something certification…I don’t know what it’s called - I know squat about diving. He loves it though.
I’ve always been a confirmed stay-out-of-the-water kinda gal, or at least keep my head above water. Then I bought this funny little boat and someone told me I should learn to roll it upside down into the water (and back up if I’m lucky!). What have I got myself into!!
kari
yeah…
I was afraid it might be heavier material or non breathable. I know divers use heavier wetsuits, and those don’t work well for paddling, so it figures a drysuit would be similar.
kari
Kari tell the dive class
– Last Updated: Jun-15-07 6:47 PM EST –
about the dry suit. It was probably a class or a bunch of die-hard divers. I use to take my class to a quarry for their open water certification for those who either didn't have the time or money to make the trip to Florida but the water is too cold for normal wet suits. The dive shop probably knows someone who will buy the suit. The first thermaocline is around 8'and the max they can go is to the second thermocline at around 20+ feet.
The mixed gas you are speaking of is NITROX an oxygen enriched system which requires different gages, sampling of the gas and different decompression tables. Not worth the hassle or danger and not regulated outside the US. I've been diving for 44 years on compressed air.
When you see one you will
understand. The are bulky so you can wear long johns under them. They are one piece and don’t breathe. I’ve been underwater around icebergs in one.