Drysuit brands pro and cons?

[ebell]

I have been looking at dry suits for some time. I know that i want the feet in them and a relief zipper for sure.

Is the gore tex the only way to go.

are the cheaper materials okay?

I have seen most people wearing kokatot it seems, but would like some input on the other brands like stolquist, palm, etc.

thanks
eric

[Cowper]

Answer: I honestly don't know the answer. I can tell you that up until a few years ago, the scuttle-but was that none of the materials would last the way a quality gore-tex suit does. They might be good in the first year or two of ownership, but after that, would soak through or just not perform the same. Even goretex won't "bead" the water after the external treatment ages, but there are ways to renew it, and even when it quits beading, the performance is not significantly changed.

But one thing changed; gore tex's patent has expired. Anyone can now make the stuff without paying royalties, if they have the technical capabilities. So I'm expecting some competitive products.

Personally, if I were dropping the money tomorrow, I'd still have to pay extra to get the goretex and just KNOW I had a suit that could go the distance; my first suit lasted over 10 years (with gasket replacements every 2 to 4 years), and was worth every penny considering the number of times I've said "I'm not going paddling again when it is this cold!" (and then did...)

Will I miss out on the thing that is "just as good"? Yeah, possibly a time or two, while I let others beta test...

But I admit to curiousity if others think they have found something just as good, I'd like to hear their stories.

[okieboater]

This topic comes up a lot.

I have had a lot of dry suits from the very first ones to come out till a couple years ago. I remember getting a stolquist unit with coated fabric and a velcro entry flap. I still have that deal and except for rotted out latex, the material is still waterproof. The problem was by the time I reached surfing rapid from heltons - I would get out and maybe a total of a quart of sweat would drain out from the leg gaskets and I would be dehydrated big time. Kokotat current gore tex turns this into just a bit of damp on the fleece - other current brands just soak the fleece. Nothing breathes better than the current version of gore tex as used by kokotat.

Lots of wanta be dry suits out there. Kokotat gore tex with footies and relief zipper is the only way to go if you want a unit thats works and lasts a long time.

The issue is cost. Kokotat is not cheap and are rarely discounted.

The cheaper units and gore tex imitations will work to some degree and might get the job done to ok but not great. Over time, even in commercial use, kokotat (at least for the folks I have known with kokotat over the years) will win out of quality of service and cost per day worn.

Watch the end of year sales at various outlets and you might get a deal.

[Chester]

Agree with earlier comments, Kokatat/GoreTex suit with same booties is best.... just a couple of points.
At a minimum, even if I had to wait ($$), invest in a breathable fabric, with latex booties on them. NRS will put their own NRS brand on sale usually one day during December, Kokotat too I think. Other places may also discount various brands from time to time, so keep vigilant if you are in the market. My daughter bought her first Kokotat drysuit used. And check on eBay, Boater Talk, ACC, etc. regularly. That's how I sold my Stohlquist.
Some suits have a rubber main entry or relief zipper, and they may work well for years. But, I once had a tiny stick (underwear could even do it) get caught in my relief zipper on my first Stolquist GoreTex suit. It never closed and sealed the same again, and I finally had to return the suit for it's replacement. So I personally would not buy a suit with an entry zipper made of rubber.
When trying one on, be sure and sit down on the floor, with the kness up like your in a boat (if a kayaker). My new suit fit well until I got in my boat, then it pulled down on my shoulders and up on my feet. Luckily, I was able to trade with another guy and go up one size without returning it.

[okieboater]

more feedback on my experience

before I purchased my current Kokatat gore tex dry suit,
I purchased one of the Tropos Kokatat dry suits, believing the hype that it was almost as good as gore tex and much cheaper even from Kokatat.

got the dry suit, took it on my first trip with temps at or just below freezing. Tropos did not work for me. By the end of the float I was wet from sweat big time. It was ok long as I was paddling but soon as I stopped the chill started.
Sold that unit at a big loss and saved up for the Kokatat Gore Tex and have never looked back.

I am sure one of these days, some one will come up with a fabric "as good as gore tex" but I will believe it when I see it. The Gore company has a good reputation for quality of manufacture and research. I would be very surprised if their competition beat them on fabric. Gore also insists on extremely high quality garment manufacture of products made from their gore tex material. Hard to find a company willing to do that in these days of sending stuff off shore to the lowest bidder.

Kokatat dry tops are the same high quality as their dry suits in my opinion. For several years I went for Stolhquist dry tops and they work ok. After buying a new one every other year due to them wetting out in spite of my attempts using revivetex, I finally got another Kokatat Gore Tex dry top and in it's second year of use it still looks brand new and it works.

I have no connection to kokatat other than buying their products at retail and using them. own no stock in either kokatat or Gore, wish I did.

[turboturtle]

O.S. Systems! I can't say enough enough about their Surface Water Suits.
They are one of, if not the originator of dry suits, having more than Twenty-five years of experience to back them up. After all the complaints I've heard over the years about how other brands have not met some peoples expectations, I have never heard a complaint about O.S. Systems products. My first set of gaskets lasted for much longer than anybody's. They are much thicker and stronger.
Various dealers on the left coast have sales every year to clear their shelves for the new years products. You will have to explore that for yourself, but I will never recommend any other brands suit!

See Here: http://www.ossystems.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


aka Bob

[okieboater]

Seems like RandyJ has mentioned OSS as well.

maybe he will add his input if he has any OSS experience

[painterbob]

I have an O.S. SYSTEMS the breeze . it has been good to me. I barefoot water ski with it. and that will sure test one (hitting the water at 45 m.p.h.) the only thing about paddling with it is the entry zipper across the back inter-fears with my life jacket you have to wedge it in..

[OzarkTom]

Thanks to Stohlquist's commitment to ACA instructors and training programs, I use a Stohlquist G-pod w/tunnel. I wore it with a fleece "bunnysuit" for over 2 weeks straight on a winter Grand Canyon trip and while this model doesn't have the years behind it that the Kokatat GoreTex suits do, I would have to say that I have zero complaints and expect a lot more seasons from it.

Besides that trip, I've worn it many times since and in spite of hard usage the suit is holding up great.

As mentioned previously by Okieboater, I too have owned a few other drysuits in the past and the Kokatat Tropos that I had was a true "sweat suit", however they have changed the design up a bit with the "supernova" so it may be different now. I would include though from their website "The SuperNova is ideal for recreational and light touring paddlers. It is not intended to replace dry suits in more challenging conditions." and I would definitely heed that warning . In just one year, I had repaired mine several times and finally wrote it off.

You are buying what ultimately could be considered survival gear, buy the best you can, even if it means saving up a bit longer. You won't regret it.

Cheers,

Tom

[A Savage spanke]

I have an NRS mission drysuit. Its not gore-tex, its some type of e-vent breathable something. Honestly it has worked really well. I'm always completely dry, and I think its even pretty comfortable. I hated the suspenders that were on the inside so I cut them out. It comes with the latex booties and the relief zipper (both a must in my opinion), and I tore one of the latex booties on the Upper Taos Box this last may. I wouldn't blame the drysuit though, latex is latex. Drysuits are where it is at though, any drytop and you will be a little wet. With a dry top and dry pants, you are still going to get a little wet. My drysuit has been dry

[painterbob]

question?..is it better to have a suit that's a little larger size than normal? ..I'm asking because i just got a nrs extreme SAR swiftwater suit seems to be a tad big on me .and the entry zipper curves over my shoulder, and seems bulky to me. but i have never had one ? just wanted to get some input.

[okieboater]

PainterBob,

I like my dry suits to be plenty big. Having a bit of extra length in the torso is a good thing in my opinion.

First is plenty of room reguardless if you are in a canoe, raft or kayak. IE so it does not hurt movement no matter your body position.

Second is if I have my dry suit on, I normally have at least my old stohlquist fleece bunny suit and extra capiline layers etc etc. Need plenty of room to layer up fleece.

Probably better reasons out there, these are the two that come to mind

[bmartin]

I have a Palm XP150 going on season three without any failures. Only time will tell how durable it really is, but for the $300 or so I paid for it, you bet I would buy another one. I have never donned a goretex / kokotat so I may not know what I am missing, but the Palm keeps me dry and except if I am surfing a ton, do not notice sweat build up and my clothes are always dry when I take it off.

For size, I would error on the size of too big. I could wear a med, but got the large and have no complaints on sizing.

[scott yarbrough]

Any drysuit is better than no drysuit. I just have one thing to say. If you are planning on using that drysuit in Arkansas, know that we are totally rain dependent. This means that typically we are paddling in the rain or just after a heavy rain and the dew points are always pretty high. A "breathable" material can't do a whole lot when the dew point is 100%. It's like trying to air dry a towel when its still raining. My .02 your milage may vary.

[JeffT]

This is a great thread to lurk on and learn from.
Why doesn't kokatot list msrp prices? How much can I expect to spend on gear to keep me comfy when it's cold?

This is the suit I wear when I ride my motorcycle. My favorite thing to wear in any weather after being washed with nikwax. I love goretex.
http://www.aerostich.com/media/catalog/ ... 120_3a.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I've got more $$ in gear on my body when it's below 80F than my favorite street bike is worth.

I'd rather spend a little more on this type of stuff now and not have to replace it in a year because it broke or was just miserable to wear.