I just got soaked in my Kokotat Idol drysuit. I am not sure if I didn’t have have the silly switch zip clamp tight enough, or if the Gore Tex has failed. Inside there are spots where there is no white membrane, you see through to the fabric. It doesn’t look like the membrane delaminated or wore away, it looks like possibly a manufacturing defect and there are simple spots with no membrane. Has anyone else seen this?
Welcome - and contact Kokatat. They’ll want to inspect your dry suit. Would a photo show what sounds like a defect?
Kokatat has a lifetime warranty to the original owner for defects. They will pressure test it for leaks and repair or replace it for free if there is a defect. Kokatat is very good at handling warranty claims.
Before calling Kokatat to return it, swim test the suit in a safe manner to see if it was something you may have done. See if it is still leaking and where.
Be aware that depending on how efficient your wicking layers are under the drysuit sweat can build up over time.
I sent a suit in that was leaking at the knee. I didn’t see any other problems. Kokatat called back to say that there was delamination and sent me a new suit. The only question was, "What color?’
Gore-Tex Pro is a three layer fabric comprised of the outer colored layer, the membrane which is white, and an inner liner which is typically grey/silver in color.
You shouldn’t be seeing white or the outer color from the inside of the garment. If you do, it means you’ve worn through some of the layers. While the Gore and Kokatat warrantees cover delamination, they don’t cover wear and tear. I would still send the suit to Kokatat for evaluation, but if the fabric is simply worn through, they’re not likely to cover it, though perhaps they’ll give you a deal on a replacement
I have seen lamination failure in 2 and 3 layer Goretex arising from improper cleaning or careless exposure to various solvents, either natural or artificial chemicals. Using ANY sort of spot remover on it can dissolve the adhesive bond and cause separation. Both the teflon layer (white) and the backing material are fragile if not firmly laminated to the outer fabric and will wear or even shred rapidly.