C-Forum

Have any of you had any experience with a drybib/drytop combo as a alternative to a true drysuit. I've heard bad things about the drypant/drytop combo but the drybibs from Stohlquist with thier drytop may be a good solution but being in an open boat as well as a C1 I want to be sure they would offer me good protection. One reason I'm looking is that I'm 6'5" with a 35" waist. Most of the drysuit sizing only goes to 6'2" (34 inseam) with a waist around 45" and the sizes on the stohlquist stuff looks like a better fit. I've considered trying to get a custom drysuit ordered but I'm pretty sure the cost would be out of my range. Anyway, enough about my sizing issues, I'm just curious if the bibs/top combo is worth the money or not. Thanks in advance for any advice.

I use a bib dry pants and dry top combo, primarily for C1 but sometimes for OC1. It works great, and offers great flexibility, you can decide once you get to the river if you are going to wear just a dry top or a full suit. For short swims I have not had any leaking at the seam. Considering your height, you might want to make sure you have a good amount of overlap still. And if you did alot of below zero degree OC1 I would think a real drysuit would be much better.

I've never had more than a dry top and good paddling pants. The paddling pants I've had have always been long enough to pull well up into the spray tunnel of the top, forming a pretty good seal. Neoprene boots, pogies, and appropriate layers of polypro and fleece keep me paddling year round in an open boat. However, I'm a bit further south than you and rarely deal with temps much below freezing - open boating the Nolichucky and Chattooga in January with air temps in the 20-30s is as harsh as I've seen, but I was toasty. I've padle plenty of times with ice on my gear, but never on the inside!

In a decked boat, I'll wear the paddling pants if I'm far from the car or think there's a reasonable chance I'll exit the boat. Usually don't wear as many layers or as bulky a shoe.

When I've swum in that gear, I have not been bone dry - there is some leakage, at the worst, maybe a pint has collected in the cuffs of the pants. The fleece has done it's job and I've stayed warm, though. I'd think a bib would make for a drier set up; just as flexible, though a little spendier. If I was up where it was reallllly cold, I'd spring for the full suit.

Scott

Check out www.whitescoldwater.com for their 2 lines of drysuits. They have a multitude of sizes and a neat nylon footie. I have had no personal experience with this suit but if buying a new one I would really consider this.
B R Bryant

I love my dry suit. It's the best $$ that I have ever spent. I was paddling OC when I bought it, but now primarily paddle C-1. I got a Stohlquist Gore-Tex suit & I get no water inside.

I thought about the top + bibs, but thought that if I need to keep my torso dry, I also need to keep what's below my waist dry too. If it's just a little chilly, I'll wear a non-water proof paddling jacket. If it's cold (air or water) I wear the suit. Think of it as safety gear. The key to warmth is how you layer under it.

I highly recomend finding a dealer who stocks what you want so that you can try it on. Remember to allow room for your heaviest layers under the suit.

Mike W.

Scott,
With your height, unless you can try it on before you buy, you should really consider a custom made suit. I do not have a retail store anywhere close to me so many times I'm forced to by "on-line". The first dry suit I bought was on-line. (I have similar height and waist as you) It would "goose" me when I would raise my arms. Also, at that time Gore-Tex wasn't available yet and I would get soaking wet when exerting much energy since the suit didn't breathe. Keep in mind even with Gore-Tex you can still get wet from perspiration but not as bad as a nylon suit. I also didn't have a relief zipper and believe me you don't want to go without that. I soon sold that suit, lost money but learned a lesson.
If you can't trade at a local retailer, go "on-line" and check out this site: http://www.kayakacademy.com/drysuit.html
You can talk to them and they can custom fit you and have most sizes in stock. Adding extra length to the body is an extra $50. Another comfy option is to add the Gore-Tex booties to the suit for dry feet. A Gore-Tex dry suit with all the whistles and bells will push $1000 but to me a well worth investment especially if your paddling the cold weather months.
LarryD

I have a full dry suit and love it - Goretex Stohlquist suit and really well made. I'm a men's medium though and managed to pick it up cheap at one point. I had just bought some bibs, but then found this , so never ended up using them. I recommend a onepiece if you can get it (unless you already have a drytop, in which case a two piece is a far more economical option). I do recommend goretex booties if you get a full suit - the only difficulty I have is keeping my toes warm due to combination of gasket plus kneeling plus wet feet. As to the relief zipper - I fined that if I unzip the main zipper fully, I can just get it low enough to take a piss without having to get out of any of the gaskets. Not as convenient as a relief zipper since I still have to take off my PFD, but far better than having to escape the whole thing. I think both Kokatat and Stohlquist will do custom suits. OS Systems is another company doing drysuits which I'm starting to hear and see more of.

If going the two piece route, I recommend Kokatat Dry Bibs - they're somewhat confusing to put on the first few times, but if you do it right you essentially form a rolled seal (like on a dry bag) at your middle where the top and bibs join). I've friends who use them and love them. I have some mediums for sale, but it sounds like you'd need an L or XL pair.

I tried dry pants (not bibs) at one point and had no real joy - they tended to pull apart from my top when I reached for that big forward stroke (this was a Stohlquist top & Stohlquist pants: maybe I was just a bit too tall for them, but I'm only 5'10" and they were a medium).

Hope this helps

Matt

That`s what I have used for several years now, Kokotat dry bibs. Kokotat in general appears to be excellent quality, very rare among the dry top manufacturers.

Another cheap option is finding an old diving drysuit if you can, cutting out the regulators and sealing that over. I bought my first drysuit that way for $30. Getting the hole patched over where the regulators had been was very inexpensive. Lots of aquaseal kept it alive for a few seasons.

I'm 6'4"+, ~38" waist 230 lbs .

I just received a custom drysuit from whitespaddlesports.com - Nylon w/ nylon booties. Since it was custom made, it fits with room to spare. There are a few key measurments that you will want to exaggerate (sp), such as from the crotch to floor, so you have length to kneel, also from the crotch to the shoulder, because when you are kneeling and twisting it can get pretty tight from your knees to your shoulders. Oh yes, and get large feet.

Ask them for a dealer in your area. They are from Vancouver I think.

The custom suit cost me an extra $100 - Worth it though.

Mike.

An outfitter in my area is selling a few drysuits at half price.

They have some in sizes S to XL.

In particular, they have one really nice looking Palm Equipment Stikine Canyon in XL that I would have purchased if I was big enough - $200! Website spec's are at

http://www.palmequipmentusa.com/Pages/T ... tikine.htm

The one that is at the outfitters is orange and black.

The outfitter is Skookum Bay Outfitters, Oly, WA, 360-352-9998.

Enjoy,