In a message dated 98-05-16 00:57:47 EDT, dkruger_at_seasurf.com writes, answering Brian's question about levels of gear: << I'm not a dry suit owner. For cold water (less than 55 F) I use a farmer john under a Kokatat Goretex paddle jacket (has good latex seals at the wrists, but a neoprene/velcro closure at the neck). >> I don't currently paddle with a dry suit, either, but I have an optional system that works well --- for me. In cold water --- stiff on the edges up to 50-55 F. --- I wear a Mountain Surf "Drydeck", a drytop with latex neck and wrist gaskets, which is integrated into a tough neoprene skirt with a bombproof half-round rubber rand as the sealer. It's not "waterproof", but it's as close to that as anything is! As a base layer --- and I consider this "survival wear", 'cause I paddle a VCP Pintail, and you've gotta work at it to get out of that kayak with any appreciable amount of gear on! --- I use a Henderson Polartek 2000S jumpsuit, made of the Malden Mills material that alleges itself to be equivalent to between two and three mils of neoprene, and, depending on conditions, wear either the equivalent of a neoprene farmer john or a neoprene short john over the Henderson suit. And I always wear a Polartek hood and neo gloves in cold water; the Polartek material is sufficient for quick rolls in non-stiff water, is warm and fuzzy and comfortable when dry and not that bad when wet --- much better than neoprene --- and you can hear through the material far better than through neoprene. In a highly non-scientific study, I floated around in the Polartek and a two mil short john over it for 25 minutes in 38 degree F. water; at the end, I wasn't <warm> but I was still completely functional. Just a personal option. (I have an inherent distrust of single point failures, and the thought of having to swim for a while with a set of somewhat fragile latex seals as the only things keeping the wintertime Chesapeake Bay out of my no-longer dry suit is not an appealing one. A holed and partially flooded dry suit, even with layers of fleece underneath, has the insulating capability of a fabric coverall or flight suit --- i.e., virtually none. If/when I go back to a dry suit, I would always hedge my bets and wear some neoprene or, better yet, the dry insulation of Polartek 2000s coupled with its neoprene-like characteristics in the wet, as a base layer. But that's just me. And I have no affiliation with Malden Mills, Henderson or Mountain Surf [Friendsville, MD, generally WW outfitters].) Joq *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Sat May 16 1998 - 05:11:42 PDT
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