Drysuits

[CurlyFries]

Cool, you guys convinced me that the extra is worth it. Might take a bit longer until I am able to get one. No more scholarships this semester...

But i would rather go all out than cheap.

Thanks for all the input.
Dave

[hazardharry]

Stohlquist G-POD is good for my big butt. easy to get into at 6'4" and even easier to get out of. the gaskets are heavier than kokkos and material heavier duty. the tropos wears out at the rub points after heavy use and isn't as warm.

[milkman]

Relief zipper is a must. What it really saves is wear and tear on your neck gasket. The fewer times you have to pull it off and then back over your head, the longer it will last. And they're expensive and a hassle to replace.

If you're an REI member, their dividend sale is coming up soon. It usually comes with a 20% of coupon on any regularly priced items. I got a GFER Kokatat drysuit for just over $700 that way.

[jakke]

I still have bits of leakage with my kokatat on the relief zipper, even after multiple times adding this zipper-wax.

But other then that, I can only support Kokatat. I had 2 types of Hiko, 2 types of Camaro and in the end, Kokatat simply rules!

[TheKrikkitWars]

I'm going to put forward an unpopular view here, the kokatat design is dated (and when I tried one one, not all that comfy), can't fault the build quality and with other products of theirs i've recieved top notch customer service; but I feel that they're not the no-brainer choice they used to be.

I've had two IR suits now, the first lasted 4 years of near daily abuse dry and comfortable until I eventually tore the seat right out; the second newer one has been superb, extremely tough, very flexible and for the first time ever the feet have remained dry after two years of further abuse in spite of having fabric rather than latex socks. I couldn't reccomend them enough.

[Todhunter]

Bite the bullet and get the Kokatat GFER (or if you need a skirt tunnel, the GMER). Your wife will only be mad at you for a little while, and you'll be happy for many years. Kokatat, Gore-Tex, Relief Zipper, Gore-Tex socks....it's the best way to paddle.

Buy once, cry once, my friend!

[ohioboater]

I've had an NRS Extreme since either 2005 or 2006.

The material has held up well and breathes fine. NRS actually replaced my first suit for free after about a year when the feet started leaking badly - they acknowledged that the original foot design had problems and sent me one of their revised suits. Classic NRS - they stand behind the stuff they make. I've had the replacement suit since 2007. The replacement suit's feet started leaking after maybe 2 or 3 years, too, and I decided that's probably just what happens when you cram/crumple taped seams into a tight fitting wetshoe over and over again.

I now have some seam re-sealing to do in the crotch and legs. At first I told myself, "should have bought a Kokatat," but in this thread I noticed that someone with a similar vintage Kokatat has had to deal with seam resealing, too. So I guess 5 years is about normal for seam tape.

The zippers on the NRS suit have held up fine and remain dry, both the main one and the relief zipper.

[DougB]

I've had my Kokatat Tropos suit for 5 years, and also wear it on extended paddling trips with tough portaging and haven't had any issues with it yet. Guys I paddle with also have the Kokatat Gortex and NRS Triton. The Gortex is the cats a$$ but I've never had issues with my suit and I don't regret taking the cheaper option. The triton fabric feels more durable (but also more bulky). The older NRS suits had issues with the tape pealing from seams but newer ones seem to be okay.

[econpaddler]

You might think you can just use the regular zipper. But don't forget that it's under the pfd. And you'll have to take the helmet off the get the pfd off. And after willy gets cold, he's not as long as he was when you were trying on the drysuit in the shop, so more than likely you'll have to take the drysuit off down to the waist, meaning you'll have to remove over the neck gasket and at least one wrist gasket.

[drrpm]

Here's another vote for the Kokatat GMER or GFER. After 12 years of winter paddling in the southeast I finally bit the bullet this year and got a full drysuit. The difference is impressive. Depending on your personal bladder capabilities the relief zipper may be optional.

[CurlyFries]

Thanks for all the input.

I've narrowed it down to the GFER or GMER.

What are the differences between the two other than the overskirt?

Dave

[Todhunter]

Thanks for all the input.

I've narrowed it down to the GFER or GMER.

What are the differences between the two other than the overskirt?

Dave

The GMER has a flap to cover the main zipper. For a while I was bummed that my GFER did not have this, but after a while I got over it and it hasn't been an issue. I don't think there are any other real differences, other than the available colors. Kokatat customer service is fantastic...1 year warranty (free repairs), after that, repairs are pretty cheap. I sent my suit in last summer and the repair plus shipping was $33. I will send in my suit every summer for small leak patching (they found small pinhole leaks I didn't even realize were there) and eventual gasket replacement.

[arhdc]

I was able to buy two kokatat GFER suits for my wife and myself last September on eBay for $850 (for both). There are a couple of western outfitters (this was an Alaskan sea kayaking school) that buy new dry suits every spring and sell them off like new in the fall.

Our suits were really like new and less than half price.