[Paddlewise] Drywear Help (forward)

Am passing on the following (below my sig), which George Ruta posted on
rec.boats.paddle.  I expect it might be useful to others.  I'm leaving
in the "crass commercial plug" at the end of George's transmission.  Did
not seem that gross to me, and if I were looking for a similar drytop, I
might want to know about it.
-- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
--
Re: Drywear Help!
       Date: 23 Oct 1998 14:29:06 GMT
       From: geruta_at_aol.com (Geruta)
       Organization:  AOL http://www.aol.com

re several issues raised:

1 - salt does not hurt/plug/contaminate the goretex layer. the
recommendation
to rinse the salt buildup off your suit is because the salt is
hygroscopic -
attracts water - causing the outer fabric layer of the goretex laminate
to be
wet. this slows down (doesn't stop) the migration of water vapor through
the
goretex.

2 - the above is the same reason an older suit with faded DWR (durable
water
repellency) will feel clammier than a new suit - because the outer
fabric
becomes saturated with water, your sweat passes through more slowly. not
a
problem paddling quietly, but with more exertion and more sweating,
becomes
more noticeable

3 - which leads to "sweating like a pig" in goretex. even in a cotton
shirt,
one of the more vapor permeable fabrics around, with higher exertion
levels you
will feel sweaty. the goretex is amazingly vapor permeable for a
waterproof
fabric, but not so permeable as one could wish for - hence the addition
of
things like pit-zips to land garments to maximize ventilation at times
of
increased exertion. obviously not a great solution for a drysuit;-)

4 - goretex is MORE durable than laminated drysuits. i've seen many not
so old
drytops where the waterproof coatong has been chafed away or
deteriorated. the
goretex membrane is laminated between two layers of fabric and well
protected
against all but the most extreme abuse. 

5 - goretex is not warmer than laminate, warmth is a matter of how much
insulation you are wearing. it IS more comfortable, especially over the
course
of a multi-day trip, as it allows you insulation to dry off to a slight
dampness. the advice to wear a thin layer under a thicker layer allows
even a
non breathing suit to feel quite comfortable as the major wetness will
be in
the outer layer. ultimately that wet outer layer will provide less
insulation
in the non breathing suit. 

6 - one quirk of goretex is that when you stop for lunch, you will
continue to
dry out as your body warmth transforms the sweat into vapor which then
migrates
through the suit. result? drier, but also cooler - essentailly the same
evaporative cooling that chills you on a warm summer day when you get
out of
the swimming pool, just slower.

7 - kokatat only makes 2 full drytops, the whirlpool in laminate, the
wave in
goretex, used in WW or sea. the plethora of other tops have varying
combinations of wrist closures with other than a latex neck
gasket(allowing
greater ventilation, but providing less than dry performance if you are
under
water)

lastly, a crass commercial blurb - i still have two ladies large goretex
meridian drysuits from last year, one at $395(list$670), and one with
horizontal relief zipper at $475($775).

george ruta
northcountry kayak
518-677-3040
geruta_at_aol.com
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