Is it a polyurethane or something else?
I am considering buying some Reed Chill Cheaters farmer janes made of Superstretch Aquatherm, which they describe as a type of polyurethane. Judging by the photos, the stuff is far stretchier than neoprene, and much thinner also. Looks like good trip clothing (very compressible and abrasion-resistant), as well as good immersion wear for late spring and early fall.
I wonder how much difference there is between this stuff and neoprene.
Fuzzy rubber allows too much water to circulate through, IMO.
rubber
my understanding is neoprene is rubber (natural?) with little tiny air bubbles. it is then laminated with a nylon or polyester backing.
We used to get neo foam from Rubatex (supplier of neoprene)w/o the backing. make great outfitting foam
I’ll fwd this to Chris Mitchell (FALCON) he’s the importer of Chillcheater.
steve
Preening neoconservatives, foamed in
their own gas.
Neoprene is neoprene
It is a synthetic rubber. It’s made from carbon and hydrogen.
The form used for wetsuits is closed cell neoprene sponge, which has lots of little bubbles in it.
stop
the senseless slaughter of baby neoprenes!
Aquatherm
Hi Pikabike,
Aquatherm is a synthetic knit fabric coated with polyurethane. It is thermally equivilent to 2mil neoprene but has some significant advantages. It has more stretch, dries quicker and its exterior surface does not wick away body heat. It is available in the US at several retailers or on line at www.secondwindsports.net/products
Falcon
I have a couple of their
garments, albeit in the standard Aquatherm, not the superstretch version. I’m using a short john-style one piece and I have one of their long hoods, neither of which are available in the superstretch.
Reed claims insulative qualities comparable to 2mm neoprene and I would agree with this.
I really like the fabric, more comfortable than the NRS Hydroskin. Construction is excellent.
The biggest reason I tried the Chill Cheater apparel was the lack of personal fitment with off-the-shelf suits. We all spend much time discussing how warm this thickness is or that thickness of neo but none of it works if the suits flushes too much water. Conversely, if I fit a kayaking wetsuit to the degree that I do a SCUBA suit, I am very uncomfortable and lose flexibility.
The Chill Cheaters are all fitted garments and their measuring instructions are quite thorough. I’ve put several people now into Chill Cheaters of various styles and all users are pleased with the suits and their fitment. Most of these friends are sailboaters that enjoy the lakes in the spring and fall.
I wear Under Armour beneath the Chill Cheater and this combo is killer for cool weather paddling and especially extended rescue practice. Teaching wet exits to the public is how others have seen the suit and made inquiries.
After 1.5 years of use, I heartily endorse the Chill Cheater line, for whatever that’s worth. I’m going to add a short sleeved top to my wardrobe to go over the short john.
My first use of the CC short john was in Yellowstone Park; the boat pull up the river channel from Lewis to Shoshone. Didn’t want to expose my drysuit to the rigors of the 1.5 mile pull but the water was too cold to wade it without protection. The CC was perfect.
If you’d like to examine some of the standard Aquatherm material, I could mail my short john down for your perusal. I’m not using it currently as you and I are both iced out for a while!
Holmes
No wonder it stinks!
Good to hear how much you like it
I’ve been dithering on this one for a long time. The few comments I’ve read from people who own the stuff are favorable, with no negative points cited. Maybe I can convince Reed to send me a little patch of scrap material.
I don’t like the constrictiveness of neoprene and fuzzy rubber doesn’t fit snugly enough to keep a lot of water from entering, so the Superstretch Aquatherm is probably IT.
The custom fitting is another huge advantage, especially for one-piece suits.
BTW, I managed to get in a short paddle on Thursday, at Pueblo Reservoir. Might go down there again later this week, if the weather holds and if none of the close-in waters thaw. Gotta make hay while the sun shines!
Difference between the Super and regular
In Reed’s photo of regular Aquatherm, the garment looks slightly baggy, whereas the Superstretch garments appear almost “painted on.” The sleeveless farmer john/jane description says it should fit very tightly to avoid flush-through.
I’m thinking it would be better to get the Superstretch for that reason–I’ve had problems with both fuzzy rubber and regular neoprene garments allowing too much water to flow through the neck or shoulder openings.
Does the Superstretch really fit that closely without binding?
ot-xmas paddle
we got in an hour and a half on xmas aftrnoon. driving rain, 20knots/ gusting 25+. real fun, tho the temp was in the low 50’s!
I think Chris may have a scrap of material to send ya. it IS great stuff.
steve
guys why is chill stuff warmer?
I saw a pretty good ariticle showing the other products like the fuzzy rubber aquatherm etc. to be NOT nearly as warm as claimed and separate from the issue of flush through that any wet suit and fit to the paddler or diver must contend with.
But imo and in so many others, the Chill cheaters seem quite a bit warmer. Why do you think this is so.