Which drysuit?

[Pea Pod]

I'll be visiting Canada in a month for a few weeks to do some OC1 courses. I'm looking to buy a drysuit for those courses, and to bring back to Australia for the colder months, where water temps drop to ~5*C/40*F. Going with Kokatat due to their reputation for fine products.

I have zero experience with drysuits, and want to get an idea what models are most suitable for me. I am thinking down the lower end of the price spectrum. There are two options that I see as most likely, and I want to know if they will be OK for rolling in cold water:

1. SuperNova Semi-Dry Suit (Tropos 2 fabric, metal tooth zippers, neoprene neck seal) $500 from MEC http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/MensCloth ... unisex.jsp

2. Lightweight Paddling Suit (Goretex Performance Shell and neoprene neck seal NOT latex). $675 from MEC http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/MensCloth ... unisex.jsp

Cheers,

Peter.

[canotrouge]

Hey Peter, these suit will work, but you will get water in by the neck, unless you have a big neck and even then you will get some. The neck of these suits are not a latex gasket, but a neoprene one with a flimsy closure system.

So if you don't mind having cold water coming in your suit.... They will do to a certain degree!!

If you can get your hands on one like this, http://kokatat.com/products/dry-suits/g ... r-men.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

it is a full on GTX dry suit w/o all the bells and whistles...

Cheers

[Larry Horne]

Dont buy a drysuit without a real gasket. It's not dry and would be a waste of money If you plan to roll. If you don't plan to roll.. advice might be different.

[Paddle Power]

If you plan to roll, then you need a Dry suit, not semi-dry.

The Tropos fabric is okay, you don't need Goretex

Latex gaskets keep you dry. Non latex gaskets means letting water leak in.

[djutzi]

Agree with most of the above...don't mess around with neoprene gaskets. You migth save some $ now but you'll regret it every time you're in the water...

Where will you be taking your training? If you're in Ontario, I would guess that a month from now, many people in these parts will be out of their dry-suits. Granted folk around here may be somewhat more hardened to the cold, but dry-suits certainly won't be 'mandatory' at that stage. If its a long term investment, by all means pick one up, but if you're going to be training at MKC, for instance, you could probably get by without it.

[Pea Pod]

It sounds like there's a consensus about the need for latex gaskets when rolling--thanks for that.

(By the way, why does the addition of the latex neck seal bump the price up SO much, compared to the neoprene seal?)

Yes, djutzi, I will be doing a course at MKC. What will open boaters be wearing at that time? And yes, it's a LONG term investment (that's how I've gotta justify the outlay!).

[Larry Horne]

if it's a long term investment, get a goretex suit. The other fabrics don't (to my knowledge) have the same kick butt warranty as Gore.

[canotrouge]

Go GTX, the others are not worth the money, and the fabric not as strong! The Kokatat GTX will last a long time if cared for.
And for a nominal price Kokatat will refurbish it!!

[TheKrikkitWars]

if it's a long term investment, get a goretex suit. The other fabrics don't (to my knowledge) have the same kick butt warranty as Gore.

Yeah, Kokatat have finally got a sensible distributor in the UK, and the first thing we've been learning about them is that Tropos is much more fragile than the gore equivalent (though the gear is still well made, the fabric simply isn't that tough).

I'm going to kind of disagree on the latex neck gaskets though.... They're important when you're playboating, or when it's very very cold (in which case it might be time to give up on the boating for the year)... but assuming you're running rivers which you're actually capable of, I find that I'm upside down so infrequently that having slight leakage at the neck is perfectly acceptable and the neo seals are much much more comfortable on your neck. Useful, but not actually essential (also, easily retro-fitted for £20).

[djutzi]

What will open boaters be wearing at that time?

To be fair, it depends a lot on the weather - boaters with dry suits could still be wearing them if its a cool or wet day. But others (myself included) are happy to leave it at home, and get by with some combination of neoprene/rubber-fleece/paddling top...its nice to set yourself free after being cooped up in a dry suit from October-May. But come June, there will be lots of new paddlers out on the rivers learning, regardless of weather conditions, and virtually none of them have dry-suits.

All that said, you might as well buy one while you're here, and then you've got it when you want it!

[Einar]

Which part of Canada? If you are on the Pacific West Coast "Vancouver) send me a PM to connect via email and we will get you the on the river either coming or going, I've got all the necess. gear.

MEC is 5 minutes from my house and you can also look at my 10+ yr old Kokatat Meridian to see how that suit stood up.

[Mark8541]

Check out akkayakschool on eBay. He always has 1 or two Kokatat suits that are slightly used or cosmetic blem for a very reasonable price.

[canoewhitewater]

My kokotat gfer is a quality drysuit. I tried a cheaper stholquist EZ, (around $600) the zipper failed 2 out of 3 times I used it. Trouble returning it but I finally got my money back. I bought the kokotat and it is awesome.

It is a big investment! I treat my drysuit way better than I treat my boat. Whatever you get, trim the neck CAREFULLY before you paddle. It can be tremendously uncomfortable if it is too tight around your neck. Get a pair of sharp scissors and trim one side at a time. If you try to "pinch" the neoprene together and then trim, it will be a ratty cut. (trim neck gasket only)

Stay away from prickers, nettles and anything sharp in the woods or anything that can cut your investment. Your going to love Canada.

[DougB]

Don't dicount suits like the Supernova if the price is right. I found one online for $300. I then added a laytex gasket under the neoprene neck gasket for $35. Now I have a true drysuit for a fraction of the cost of the gortex model and the only difference I'd the tropos fabric. While not as durable or by scientific measurement as breathable, I have no complaints with mine.

[Pea Pod]

I think I'll drop the $$$ on Goretex, and hopefully I can make it last a decade or more like my bushwalking jackets.

Whatever you get, trim the neck CAREFULLY before you paddle. It can be tremendously uncomfortable if it is too tight around your neck. Get a pair of sharp scissors and trim one side at a time. If you try to "pinch" the neoprene together and then trim, it will be a ratty cut. (trim neck gasket only)

I didn't realise that the neoprene had to be trimmed. Are there instructions for this with the garment/shop?

Cheers!