Just bought Kokatat GFER suit - Public Svc Msg

[Todhunter]

I got mine earlier this year from Columbus Supply for about $830 including shipping. They had the best advertised price. No regrets spending that money - I'm looking forward to cold weather paddling this year!

[sbroam]

Just received the Stohlquist suit - it is very well made, a tunnel I wasn't expecting, has the nifty little "Made in the USA" flag, but... I need to swap for an XL...

[solo_konoe]

Just received the Stohlquist suit...

Mine arrived too.

I was surprised to see the inside packaging was ripped open with the suit jumbled in a heap; apparently a return. I guess I expected pristine condition for the $$$. But the suit fits well. The neck gasket, of course, is tight.

I don't want to start trimming until I know how tight it should be. What is the dryness/discomfort ratio for you experienced drysuitors?

-K

[sbroam]

It was about like any dry top I've ever worn - thought I'd turn purple for a minute or two, then got better. I've never trimmed or stretched, just got used to it. If it was bad enough, I figure I'd lean towards trimming.

My package was open, folded neatly and smelled new - I reckon someone tried it on. Now I have and expect they'll still sell it as new - I put it on twice and didn't have it on more than 5 minutes total so that seems reasonable.

It took a little contorting to get it on and off the first time, not so much the second - I imagine it will be a lot easier when it is the right size... I hit the upper end of the measurements and only exceeded the weight - should have known to go up one... Off it goes tomorrow...

[solo_konoe]

1. XL Kokatat from REI with discount was gone by the time I went to order it

2. Ordered Stohlquist gPod from REI with 20% discount.

3. Doh! Just saw that Outdoor Play has gPod discounted at 21% with no tax. (Could have saved another $20).

Save yourselves! (some dough, that is...)

[Big Al]

after all that....


the suit REI sent me is a Medium. Gotta return it. IS REI that screwed up. Its web site sucks, too. Takes forever to download.







Big Al

[milkman]

I was at the outdoorplay.com site and noticed that if you become a lifetime member for $25, you get free shipping and 15% off everything you buy (except kayaks).

Looking at a Kokatat GFER drysuit, including the $25 to become a member, that would be $790. Not a bad deal.

[milkman]

Looks like I was wrong about Outdoorplay. They exclude Kokatat drysuits from the discount.

[Shep]

Question:

I just bought the drysuit Cramersec was offering up, and it was a great purchase (Thanks Steve!). He included the two latex booties, but since they need to be glued in anyway, I was seriously considering going to some goretex socks. Is it worth the trouble and expense? I played with the latex booties last night, and they seem like they might be a pain to pull on when they are part of the suit. I am on the fence about sending it to Kokatat (waiting to hear back about prices) or buying some material and seam tape and doing it myself.

Comments?

Thanks,
Shep

[OC1er]

I'd go for the gortex booties installed by the pros, warm dry feet are worth the jack...I've seen latex feet (NRS drysuit) tear out after less than a year...

[milkman]

The Goretex booties are definitely easier to put on, more comfortable and easier to slip into shoes and boots. Like a sock though, they do wear. They were the first things to go in my Kokatat GFER suit. In places the goretex wore through. Also seams opened up. I put up with leaky feet for an entire winter just so I wouldn't have to miss out on any paddling while the suit was repaired.

The Latex booties are obviously waterproof, but not breathable--usually not a big problem since your feet are usually sitting in a little water in the boat and immobile. They're not putting out much heat or moisture. The latex booties are also easy to repair. You can patch with latex and aquaseal and paddle the next day.

If it were me, I'd go ahead and put on the latex booties.

[sbroam]

after all that....

the suit REI sent me is a Medium. Gotta return it. IS REI that screwed up. Its web site sucks, too. Takes forever to download.

Big Al

I hope they have it in stock or your screwed. I just contacted them about the one I sent back and they don't have any XL in stock and won't back order it. They offered to see if any stores had them in stock but the stores won't honor the 20% discount and will charge shipping if they do "ship outs" at all. I can't blame them entirely, if I'd ordered an XL in the first place, I'd have one. <sigh>

[oopsiflipped]

NRS will have GMER as one of there 20 days of Xmas at 20% off, or at least have in years past.

[sbroam]

If I lived where I'd use it more months of the year (or was at a different point in life), I'd have already sprung for a GMER or gPod. I was pretty stoked to find a suit meeting my criteria for a little over $500. Oh, wait, look over there - O2Gearshop.com has gPods for $509 w/o tunnel, +20 for the tunnel, free shipping.

[milkman]

I talked with an REI sales person and found out that they order and carry certain products only seasonally. Drysuits are in the paddling category, which REI stocks up on in Spring. Of course, most of us wear drysuits in Fall, Winter and Spring, so they're stocking them at the wrong time and discontinuing them at the wrong time. Seems like they need to hire a paddler as a buyer to set them straight. REI seems to have grown so big it now has department-store mentality. All the more reason to be loyal to brick-and-mortar and online stores that only sell paddling equipment.