WTB: Dry suit

[Kelly-Rand]

I am 6' 3" 170 lb.
I would like a Goretex suit.

A few questions:
1) If my normal paddle day is about 5 Hrs in 50 d weather is goretex necessary? Once the water temp is above 50 d my wetsuit is sufficient.
2) Is there any materiel that is not reccommended.
3) Are their any Manufacturers that are make poor quality suits?

[Mike W.]

The real advantage to Gore-Tex is when the air temp is warm. The suit will breathe. You layer under the suit for temperature (warm days=light layer, cold days = multiple layers). If you buy non Gore-Tex you will have puddles of sweat in the suit. It's real nasty when you stick a finger in the ankle gasket & a day's worth of sweat runs out (yuuuuck). A buddy had a nylon suit & after seeing him one time I bought Gore-Tex.
Yeah, a wet suit is sufficient, but sufficient does not = comfy. Once you have a Gore-Tex suit, you will never wear your wet-suit again. I gave my wet suit away.
Be sure to get the relief zipper.
Mike W.

[Sir Adam]

Greetings...

Dry suits ARE great, especially for those of us who look out our windows now upon the great frozen white landscape.... Goretex is really nice, but I would say not necessary IF you don't tend to sweat a lot. If you work hard when you paddle, play, attain, etc.... you'll be MUCH happier with Goretex. Over the past 10 years I've had both (and before that a wet-suit, which is thankfully now long gone). For a while I had a one-piece with attached latex socks (really nice, until they ripped). Now I have a gore-text top (kokotat-pricy, but really quality stuff) and a kokotata whirlpool bib (not goretex) with attached gore-tex socks (A MUST even more than the previously mentioned relief zipper!).

In a perfect world I'd also have a one-piece, but I can't really justify both. The two-piece combination seems to work well-if I'm playing with my squirt boats I can wear my top if the water's cold and don't overheat in the summer, and for colder times I simply wear both.

Regardless, I would get the gore-tex socks attached. No ankle gaskets to deal with, and warm, dry feet all day, without having to worry about them ripping (as much) like latex socks.

Most of the larger paddling shops seem to only carry good drysuits-Stohlquist, Kokotat, and IR all seem fine to me (there are many others too). You might try calling NRS or NOC and see what they recommend.

[Kelly-Rand]

Thanks,
I will focus my search on the goretex. It looks like I'm in the market too late for this spring, new suits are beyond my budget.

till next
JIm

[NZMatt]

If you are interested, I have some kokatat whirlpool bibs for sale. They're a size M - not Goretex, but if you can get/have a Goretex drytop, then they'd work fine. They're in nearly new condition, except one ankle gasket appears to have been slightly overcut (unless you have big ankles) but if you wnated to add latex booties, then that won't be a problem. $75 plus shipping.

If you're totally set on a full suit, check out sierratradingpost.com they had some good deals on Goretex drysuits last week (that's whY I'm now selling the bibs )


NZMatt

[Kelly-Rand]

I went to the local outfitter and tried on some Kokotat suits. I came away a little worried that I won't find the right fit. I tried a large and an Xtralarge both are fine sitting still but when I knelt on the floor and tried some practice strokes I found I would feel a tug of resistance across the back of the suit. I am worried that this will limit the moves I may need to make and /or fatigue me sooner. I am 6'3" 170 lbs. The XXL does not add any length per the size charts. I didn't have a choice of Manuf. at this particular shop. Has anyone dealt with this problem?