Concerning the tuiliq (pronounced doo-il-ik for those who are qajaqophonetically challenged); I think the fact that the Brooks tuiliq is made of neoprene is confusing the issue. A tuiliq, whether made of neoprene, nylon, sealskin, etc., functions as a drytop rather than as a wetsuit. It is meant to trap air, not water, hence the loose, baggy fit. To dress for a swim, simply add suitable garments underneath the suit, as recommended in the paragraph from Chris Cunningham, that I quoted in my post. Hopefully the freedom of motion and extra buoyancy provided by a tuiliq will allow you to improve your rescue skills and prevent you from becoming flotsam in the first place. If you do bail out, even with a drysuit or wetsuit underneath the tuiliq, Chris's comments about withdrawing into the air pocket of the suit is useful information should you need to remain still and conserve warmth. Concerning neck rings, I have used them often. I find it very easy to free the latex neck seal from the ring, even when capsized, as Kevin reports. Venting the suit helps but does not work miracles. During my first race in Greenland at this year's National Championships, I wore a Goretex suit, for safety concerns in the 34 degree F water. Although vented with a neck ring, I became so overheated at 100% output that it seriously affected my performance and created a danger in its own right. For the following races, I had to choose between points or immersion protection. Considering that there were rescue boats present, I opted for the points and discarded the drysuit (as did the vast majority of the field). I am usually quite conservative with my safety gear, but at some point in your paddling career, you may find yourself perfectly willing to bet your life against your skills and judgment, without your usual "safety-net". Ensure that you know the risks and are willing to accept the consequences. Greg Stamer Orlando, Florida http://www.magicnet.net/~gstamer/QK.html *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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