My inexperience showing

[James]

I have found a great deal on a scuba diving drysuit. Does anyone know if this is something I could safely use for kayaking?

[Ouachitoff]

What type of paddling will you be doing? If whitewater, then features such as an over-skirt, cuffs over the gaskets, and extra layers of reinforcement are pretty much a must. For me, a relief zipper would be a must-have.

[Lupe]

The biggest difference in a drysuit designed for scuba vs. paddling, is the flexibility of the fabric to allow a very active and wide range of motion. When you are scuba diving, your movements are very small and slow. When paddling, you need a suit that will not hamper your movement or tire or stress you.

I don't know if there might be a range within scuba suits, but the fit and if you will be able to move freely would be the biggest things I would want to look at critically. Even just sitting in a boat might not be comfortable in a suit designed to be worn for full immersion. Will you be able to be flexible enough wearing the suit for all your paddle strokes? If you are working against a thick or not loose fitting fabric, it might really tire you you.

Hope this helps you make a good decision!

Cheers

[Twindad]

Assuming it has long legs and long sleeves, it would be restrictive of arm movement. The "Farmer John" (Coverall) type is better for paddling.

[SteveGabbard]

You also want to make sure that there are no air dump or inflation valves that would be under your pfd or sprayskirt

[Twindad]

Whoops, you said drysuit, not wetsuit. I suspect it's still more restrictive since it has to protect against constant immersion.

[hilbili]

probably not "breathable" and +1 on the fragility of the latex

[Roger]

Not sure what your deal is but if it's even half price of what I see on quick search, then spend the money on a suit designed for your sport. Kokatat is a winner. Other brands to be had.

[James]

Thanks for all your answers. The cost of the suit is $100. It sounds as if it may be worth buying for other uses, but not for wearing in my kayak. Again, thank you for the assistance. I may be better off just sticking with my drytop and focusing on the other half of a roll. I have the upside down part refined to almost an art form.

[Twindad]

Look at what used scuba drysuits are going for on eBay. You might be able to flip it for a profit.