Re: [Paddlewise] need resources

Joan Spinner wrote:
> 
> I'm interested in getting a wetsuit, preferably 2 piece, but am
> essentially unable to find any online resources. If anyone has www
> addresses or even snail mail addresses I'd appreciate it. I have the REI
> and local shop information. If anyone has a large 2x or 3x suit that
> they are interested in selling I'm in need of this size for the balance
> of this season and into the beginning of the next.  The main thing is
> that most of the suits are made for men and not women so I can hardly
> breathe in the ones with the small tops. Even if I can get used to not
> breathing my back begins to hurt from the pressure on my shoulders. The
> 2x is fine on the bottom but I need the 3x on top, therefor the two
> piece. Does anyone make large women's suits or PFDs? I hear Lotus makes
> women style PFDs but I can't even verify that.

Checking out NRS has been mentioned and there suits seem to be good and
reasonably priced.  A couple of options in the NRS family

1.  NRS has a woman's Farmer Jane suit with a relief zipper!  I believe
that is an industry first.  I recommended it to someone in email but I
have not heard back what her experience with it was.  It cost I think
$119 or $129 BUT when she called NRS she found that they had made a
number of the suits with double zipper pulls on the relief zipper,
meaning there is a second pull that would reside under and back.  They
are charging just $59 for that version and would exchange if found to be
uncomfortable.  Not to get too much into anatomy but that second pull
probably is an area not in contact with flesh, i.e. in the crevasse
created by the buttocks.  NRS staff people have used them and found them
okay.

2.  NRS is making something called Hydroskin a multilayered product that
seems to have the equivalency of 2 mm neoprene.  It looks super stretchy
and comes in several different style tops (vest, short sleeve, long
sleeve) as well as pants and shorts and a Farmer John.  It is super
stretchy and that may be what you need.  You could get the pants, say,
in one size and a short sleeve top and vest in other sizes for the top. 
In effect you would then have 2mm equivalency in the sleeves and legs
and about 4 mm in the trunk area.  Do check with them however if the
stuff is the equivalency of 2 mm; that's a guess on my part.  The actual
material has an outer lycra kind of stretchy cover, a second layer of
0.5 mm neoprene, a third Tri-Coat layer which has reflective material in
it, and microfleece on the fourth inner most layer.

3.  Give them a call.  I am certain you can discuss your sizing
situation with them and come up with a quality solution.  At
1-800-635-5202.  You may also discover things like old styles, slight
mistakes in manufacturing that would reduce the cost of buying a suit.

Oh yes, Lotus indeed makes women sizes cut for women in a way that the
PFD puts minimum pressure on the bosum.  Oh, they tend to run larger
than the stated size.  I have never been comfortable in any PFD except
size Large and up.  I fit just fine in the Medium.  My wife has the
Lotus woman's PFD...she normally prefers a Medium PFD but does happily
in the Lotus Small.

ralph

ralp 
-- 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter
PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024
Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com
"Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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