Dry Top and Pants vs. Dry Suit

[Paddler]

I would recommend against a latex ankle gasket, similarly to what Jim says, the pants dry top combo has lead to multiple examples of the pants filling with water and acting as a sea anchor. I had several close friends have close calls with dry pants, one friend even having to remove his pants while swimming on a continuous stretch of the Wind River in WA. If you really felt compelled to give it a try I'd say the bibs with suspenders would be better than just the pants with a neoprene waist.

Also any swimming you do to "test" their ability to keep a seal will never simulate a heavy class III or IV swim, or a swim in a hole.

I recommend a pair of neoprene farmer johns, instead of pants.

[mattbcha]

I have to agree with the majority. Being a class 3+ paddler on my best days, I have tried the drypants/top combo and ended up just buying a drysuit. I guess if you are a consistent combat roller it may work, but for me (no roll) I just get soaking wet and miserable in the cold.

matt hagan

[the great gonzo]

The main argument for a drysuit in my opinion are extended rescue scenarios.
Had a case a few years back where a canoe got wrapped around a rock in a class 3 rapid on the Upper Black in Ontario, a quite remote section of river. The only way the boat came off was with a Z-drag. I was the one rigging the rope to the boat. I spent 45 minutes on a thether in chest deep water until we managed to free the boat. Had I not been wearing a drysuit I would have gotten hypothermic and we would not have been able to get the boat off. I always dress for a swim or extended rescue scenario.

TGG!

[OC1abenWW]

With the wet suit and the dry top combo; does the drytop keep water from getting in from the bottom. Does it seal well enough to the wetsuit that even when rolling or taking a swim water does not get in? This would mean the difference in wearing fleece underneath of another layer of paddlewear like hydroskin or something like that.

realize little late joining the thread

[Sir Adam]

It depends on the suit. I used to have a one piece, these days have a two piece, mostly as I usually am in a decked boat and only use the dry bibs when pushing rubber.

Next time I have funds and am not buying yet another boat I'll be getting a one piece. Dryness and comfort being the reasons. Plus then I'll have two sets of gear so i don't get stuck being wet when my wife joins me (for some reason she always gets the dry gear... go figure!)

[Kelly-Rand]

I found that even an extra large drysuit did not allow me the freedom of movement to feel comfortable doing offside strokes. I'm 6'4, equal torso to leg length and about 170 lbs. The bibs have been adequate for the rivers I've run.

[yarnellboat]

I tried a top & bib-pants for a while. Better than a wetsuit, but not as good as a drysuit. Results may vary by body type, but my analysis was that at my spine there is a gap where the rolled seal wasn't kept tight to my body, and eventually that would weaken the seal and I'd get wet. I also tried wearing a Velcro neoprene back support thing around the seal to keep the pants & top sealed, but I'd still get wet. It was OK, but only for light-duty use. Not comparable to a proper drysuit.

Pat.

[ice-breaker]

I have a two piece dry top / dry pants combo. My dry pants have the fitted socks. When you swim, the seam leaks between the dry top and pants. Not too much, but enough to be wet and cold. Plus you have no way of getting the water out of your pants without taking them off. At least with the latex gaskets you can stick a finger up between your skin and the gasket and allow the water to drain. With the booties, you end up sloshing around until you have to take your pants off and dump them.

In hindsight, I would go for the 1 piece drysuit.

[Sickboyuk]

If it doesn't work, I'll spend the money on getting my old non breathable dry suit from my dinghy racing days resealed.

That'd be my choice, I put off buying a drysuit for years, but last winter was a pleasure unlike all that went before, now being in a canoe rather than a kayak makes it even more invaluable. I would say buy a one piece base layer to go with it, stops any cold spots and allows you to change the mid layer to suit the weather.

[TNbound]

In hindsight, I would go for the 1 piece drysuit.

Yep. Looking back just buying a drysuit would have been much easier. The combo was dry for the first week or so I used it, but then the Nookie gear dry pants started leaking everywhere and eventually just fell apart. It got me through the spring, but I bought a drysuit in the fall.

[jakke]

Funny, I'm exactly looking for drypants to complement my drysuit .

Well, actually to remove a bit of the cold-shock and keep myself out of the wind, wearning neoprene under it, for those days where a drysuit are be a bit overkill. (especially 1 day trips when it's about 10°C).
I'm just hesitating to go for the so called "dry pants" with latex seam, or just accept the wet part and go for the neoprene ankle seams. No socks for the above mentioned reason of draining.

I guess it's clear I'm not a huge fan of neoprene in cold conditions . I like an extra shell.

[mahyongg]

Had a Kokatat Dry top plus neo longjohn for my first 2 years of OC1, then got a Kokatat Tempest dry pant with socks which was a comfort improvement over the neoprene when I stayed dry, but very wet when I exited until I started to wear an extra belt to buckle it down.. then it was OK in minor swims where I could get out/stand up fast enough. (No double chimney on that Pant).
Others with double chimney pants have reported them very, almost totally, dry. I would not recommend a pant with socks and no double chimney.

My pant doubles as a wader too, so there might be savings involved if you fish.

I now have a drysuit - which is very comfortable in colder weather, and definitely a plus over everything I was wearing before, and my dry pants/top Kombination will see very limited use now.

I have heard of people liking the Bib&DryTop combo better for touring, where a swim is unlikely, like tandem tripping up North,

[Silent Bob]

Did the drytop/bibs thing for a while. It worked ok, but without a releif zipper it was impossible to pee without getting COMPLETELY undressed. Sold the bibs pretty quickly after figuring that out. I picked up a drysuit last year. It can be a little warm on some of those in-between days, but overall I think it's the best solution for comfort/safety.

[drrpm]

A Goretex drysuit is absolutely the best single piece of winter gear to own. I got one last year and can't believe it took me 14 years of winter paddling to wise up.

[djutzi]

The main argument for a drysuit in my opinion are extended rescue scenarios.

I agree with this point - and actually learned it the hard way last month. Paddling a semi-remote river in Canada for 2.5 days over a long weekend, temperature close to freezing...with the river not being very difficult I just went with my semi-dry top and rain pants. Sure enough another boat on the trip pinned and a wrapped and we were setting up a z-drag to get it off. Luckily others in our group were wearing dry-suits and were able to do the in-water work, and I worked on shore, but not having my dry suit limited what I was able to contribute in that situation.

In the future, if the weather/water is too cold to be in the water without a dry suit, I'll have my dry suit on.