Re: [Paddlewise] What to wear wet suit, dry suit

Darian Dunn wrote:
> 
> Dry suit, Wet suit, I am not sure what I want.[snip]

> Questions
> What materials should they be made of?
> Where to get one?
> How much is it going to cost me?
> How long will they last if treated well?
> How long will they last if treated poorly?
> Is one company better than any other?
> What else do i need to know?

David Seng covered the bases pretty well in his post.  I'll just fill in a
couple gaps.

I use a Farmer John (actually a Farmer Grizzly, I guess -- I need the
volume) bottom (3 mm) and a Kokatat Goretex top with neoprene closure at
the neck and latex cuffs at the wrists.  This combo is sort of a middle of
the road approach, and provides some flexibility a complete dry suit does
not.  

In a thrashing in the surf, the neoprene neck will leak.  But, I very
rarely surf, and being able to keep the closure open while paddling hard
(and closing it when I get to gnarly water) makes it possible to wear
immersion protection when the air temp is high and the water temp is low. 
The combo is too warm for water temps in the summer, so I remove the dry
top.  In the winter, I can adjust to the cooler water temp by adding layers
under the dry top.  Works for me, but this arrangement (the FJ is 3 mm)
would not give me many hours of functional time in 40 F water -- it will,
however, give me a LOT of time to re-enter my boat.  In 45 F water, my
hands still work after 45 minutes.  In 50 F water, they work for at least
an hour and a half.  In 60 F water, I'm too hot!

Cost:  decent FJ is about $100.  Kokatat's dry top is about $180, last time
I checked.  If you elect the version with latex at the neck, and about $50,
I think.

I also have no affiliation with Kokatat, but have been very satisfied with
their products, and extremely pleased at their customer service.  They
really stand behind their stuff (they replaced a dry top which failed after
3 seasons of regular use **for the cost of the seals only!**).

How long will this stuff last if treated well?  The FJ should last many
years, unless you like to slide across barnacle-encrusted rocks.  The
Goretex will keep you "dry" for many years, if you do not abuse it.  It
will lose a good bit of its ability to "breath" in a couple seasons of
ordinary use, although some of the treatments available will "restore" the
DWR coating, for varying lengths of time, and maintain a high level of
breathability.  Mileage varys **a lot** here, with some folks claiming
near-100% performance for years (I think those folks never get near mud or
tidepool slime!), and others feeling the Goretex is trashed in a season. 
There has been speculation here and on r.b.p. that some folks exude trashy
body oils which accelerate the deterioration of the Goretex.  Could be. 
How would we ever know for sure?

My bottom line is that the Goretex ensures that you **will** be able to
wear that layer over a broader range of conditions that serious coated
nylon dry tops, and hence, is functionally safer.  Others disagree, and do
not feel Goretex is "worth it."  YMMV

BTW, Hank Hays has a couple nice pieces about care and feeding of Goretex
on his business's Web site (http://www.paddles.com/index.html).

-- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
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