----- Original Message ----- From: "Joe Pylka" <pylka_at_castle.net> > >>>What is the best, warmest, long-sleeve, one piece or two piece > > > wetsuit (COATED FUZZY, not neoprene) that is currently on the market? > > > Rapidstyle, Henderson, some other brand?<<<> > > Can't give a thorough answer here, but mine is made of a material called > DarLexx. Inner layer of pile, barrier membrane which doesn't allow water > through except as vapor, and an outer layer of lycra/spandex. Claimed to be > equivalent to 2.5 mm of Neoprene. I am glad that Joe brought this up. Almost all the suits of fuzzy stuff (not neoprene) are of Malden Mills' Watersports Polartec (under various names depending on the generation). That stuff does allow water to come through and gets quite soaked after awhile. The Darlexx material is absolutely impermeable to water (except through seams...a small amount) and, of course through bigger openings (wrists, etc.) which are not gasketed. I have full suits of both. My Darlexx suit is quite tight and my preference is to wear the Polartec one instead for comfort although it would not be as good if I do take a spill (harder to do in a folding kayak but not impossible). If I were using one of these suits for rolling practice in coolish water or in surf, I would most definitely opt for the Darlexx for its better propensities. Darlexx is stretchy but not as stretchy as the Polartec variety. So getting a good fit in such a suit is a must so you don't go through the deliberation process I do prior to using such a suit. There is a Fuzzy Rubber material also put out by Polartec and used by RapidStyle among others. It gets around the porosity of Polartec Watersports material by having an outer shell of pretty waterproof material. This affects the stretchiness and breathes less well than the regular Polartec Watersports material and than the Darlexx material. I have been able to wear the Darlexx while paddling and then attended a meeting and gone to a Mexican restaurant (spicy food which generates lots of warmth and sweat) and remained comfortable the entire time including a 2 hour drive home. It is that good in breathability. The Darlexx suits (and probably Joe's farmer john one) used to be made by SSA (Sports Suits of Australia...actually a funny name given the warmer waters there but used by a US West Coast company because it sounded tough :-) ) which has been out of business for at least a half dozen years. But O'Neill does use Darlexx for its fuzzy suits. 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 - 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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Thu Mar 21 2002 - 08:09:47 PST
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