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 *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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