Re: [Paddlewise] Relief zippers

From: ralph diaz <rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 23:31:22 -0800
Michael Daly wrote:
> 
> Kenneth Cooperstein wrote:
> 
> > As to relieving yourself at sea, I don't understand how a relief zipper
> > helps.  Opening the skirt,  taking off your gloves, unzipping, finding
> > your way through all the layers, all the while balancing the boat, is
> > highly problematic.  Then, you have the problem of not peeing all over
> > yourself.  Seems much easier to just get a $12 condom catheter and leg
> > bag.  Ladies can use an adult diaper.
> 
> The relief zipper, to me, is to make life easy on shore.  I don't want to struggle
> with the main zipper and getting out of the suit*.   If I had a _looong_ crossing
> to do, I'd probably go with a catheter.  Most of my paddling is involves short
> distance island hopping, so I've never practiced the art of in-kayak peeing.
> 
> Mike
> 
> *(I'll never forget the time I first tried on a dry suit.  I thought I'd die, trapped inside
> the partially removed suit in the change room at the store, with no one to rescue me!).

When I bought my dry suit it was from the old Klepper shop in NYC on
Union Square.  I studied the entry zipper and calculated that it could
work as a relief zipper because the way it went down into the pelvic
area.  To see if it would work, I put on the suit and did a dry run by
sitting inside one of the Kleppers on the showroom floor (making certain
no one was around).  While I prefer not to go through the maneuver on
the water, I have on several occasions.  It is awkward but doable.  The
Stohlquist dry suits then had the entry zipper positioned so you could
with a bit of contortion, use that zipper for relief.  I believe the
zipper no longer comes down that far in the suits.  The Kokatat ones
never did; the zipper diagonaled down to the waist and then across
rather than down far enough.  That is why I decided against getting that
grand.  I never saw a relief zipper until much later.  

ralph diaz
-- 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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 - All postings copyright the author and not
to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission
Submissions:     paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
Subscriptions:   paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************
Received on Wed Jan 12 2000 - 20:32:59 PST

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:30:18 PDT