I own a Kokatat Reaction Jacket. Neoprene closure around the neck, latex gaskets around the wrists, sprayskirt tunnel. Some people call this a semi dry top. When I bought it 2 years ago I had no option to buy its breathable brother. IT works great, but you get soaked from your sweat. If you can buy breathable stuff! I wore and wear it regularly during rescue and rolling practices. While rolling I get some water through the neck. Not too much, espcl. if you do only a few rolls. I guess it's about a cup after half a dozen rolls. After a single roll the collar of the t-shirt underneath is a bit damp, but not wet. IF you bail out, you get water in through the waist, and the latex gaskets in the sleeves will make sure it stays in the sleeves. On the other hand the same gaskets also trap air in the sleeves. The T- shirt is soaking wet at this point. However, the water trapped in the jacket never interfered with reentry. No problems to move my arms even with completely flooded sleves (not much space for water in there anyway). I never tried a real drytop with a latex neck gasket. Guess this will keep you dry as long as you stay in the boat and your sprayskirt does its job (a sprayskirt tunnel is an essential feature on all serious paddling tops or full drysuits!). If you bail out I would expect that water gets in from the waist, like with the semi-drytop. Can anybody confirm this? For normal paddling trips, were rolling is unlikly and in case of tipping over a bail out is most likly, ther e would be not much difference between a full and a semi drytop, just a little more comfort around the neck in the semi drytop. I own now a drysuit and was amazed how fast I got use to the latex neck gasket. If I would buy a breathable paddling jacket I probably would go for a breathable drytop. Whatever you buy, I would make sure it has a sprayskirt tunnel. Amazing how much water sips through the tunnel, even if it is snug fitting neoprene. If you have no plans on doing rolls and braces this may be less important feature for a jacket/drysuit. My 0.02$ Ulli Ulli Hoeger Dept. Physiology and Biophysics Dalhousie University Halifax, B3H 4H7 Nova Scotia, Canada Phone: INT 902 494 2673 Fax: INT 902 494 1685 Phone 2: 92 488 6796 *************************************************************************** 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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