PaddleWise by thread

From: Doug Lloyd <dougl_at_islandnet.com>
subject: [Paddlewise] goretex drysuit facts
Date: Fri, 01 Mar 2002 19:28:26 -0800
Kevin said:
<snip the facts>
So in conclusion, standing around on shore in a goretex suit will
quickly
dry out your clothes!  What a luxury... :)
-----------

Kevin, I agree here, but do wish to raise one point (and I'm not sure if
it was mentioned yet). Dave was indicating that if Gortex wearers are on
the cold side standing around, then they need more insulation. This can
be a hassle removing and redoning a breathable drytop and/or drysuit.
What I was doing in the end was to wear more insulation when I set off,
knowing it would provide more comfort at the upcoming lunch stop. But
then I would get a new problem. I was too warm paddling and really
perspired if the sun poked out from the clouds. In my non-breathabe
paddling jacket I could wear less insulation and stay comfortable on the
water, but at stops the lighter layer of insulation was wetter from
sweat, so I was about just as cold as with the Goretex.

In the end, my priority is what's going on while I'm actually paddling.
Who stands around on the beach much anyway, in winter. For on-the-water
comfort in rougher seas, I've found the non-breathable better. The
breathable fabric just feels plain cold when water hits the arms. I
don't know why, and have no explanation. It just feels "wet" when the
wave hits, even though no water penetrates. Weird. Where the
non-breathable is just plain awful is when the sun cranks it up. If its
windy, wet, wild and sunny, Gortex is the way to go on the water. may
sound a bit confusing, but with my new coated drysuit and a breathable
paddling drytop combined with a Farmer John, I may have it covered.

BTW, the UK coaches often wear drysuit pants in a bib style. They can
stand in the water giving lessons, then don a drytop and be 95% sealed.
Well, its been a good thread. Hey, as far as a monogram, I wish my
mother had named me Henry instead of Douglas like she wanted to, then I
could buy Henri Lloyd products and be automatically monogramed.  :-)

Doug Whites



***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:28 PDT