PaddleWise by thread

From: Tony Reynes <tony_at_tesar-reynes.com>
subject: [Paddlewise] Wetsuits
Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2002 17:24:59 -0500
I guess now is the season to re-open this subject. I am 5'11' and 220.
Hourglass shape really: broad of shoulder and gut. I have been following
past discussions on wetsuits and decided that if Lake Michigan is going to
continue to call, I better dress right.

I have found very few manufacturers who give good size descriptions.... and
have never bought a wet suit before. I have even visited some interesting
surfer sites with their offerings.

Could someone steer me toward a couple of solid companies/brands that might
fit me out? And what are the salient points I should look for in this
product purchase?

Best Regards,

Tony Reynes
Chicago, IL.






[demime 0.92b removed an attachment of type application/ms-tnef which had a name of winmail.dat]
***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************
From: Wes Boyd <boydwe_at_dmci.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Wetsuits
Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2002 19:00:41
At 05:24 PM 10/14/02 -0500, Tony Reynes wrote:

>
>Could someone steer me toward a couple of solid companies/brands that might
>fit me out?

I've had good luck with a custom fit wetsuit from LiquidFit --
http://www.liquidfit.com

A point to consider -- you don't want one that's too heavy, especially if
sleeved -- it can tire your arms out quickly.

-- Wes
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wes Boyd's Kayak Place                NEW URL! -- http://www.kayakplace.com
Kayaks for Big Guys (And Gals) | Trip Reports | Places To Go | Boats & Gear
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************
From: John Fereira <jaf30_at_cornell.edu>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Drysuits (was) Wetsuits
Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2002 07:52:45 -0400
At 07:00 PM 10/14/02 +0000, Wes Boyd wrote:
>At 05:24 PM 10/14/02 -0500, Tony Reynes wrote:
>
> >
> >Could someone steer me toward a couple of solid companies/brands that might
> >fit me out?

I'm selling one of my kayaks and since I already have a wetsuit I'm looking 
at getting a drysuit.  I'm somewhat familiar with the major brands 
(Kokatat, Stohlquist) but was wondering if there are any others worth 
considering. 

***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************
From: Wes Boyd <boydwe_at_dmci.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Drysuits (was) Wetsuits
Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2002 08:47:24
At 07:52 AM 10/15/02 -0400, John Fereira wrote:
>At 07:00 PM 10/14/02 +0000, Wes Boyd wrote:
>>At 05:24 PM 10/14/02 -0500, Tony Reynes wrote:
>>
>> >
>> >Could someone steer me toward a couple of solid companies/brands that
might
>> >fit me out?
>
>I'm selling one of my kayaks and since I already have a wetsuit I'm looking 
>at getting a drysuit.  I'm somewhat familiar with the major brands 
>(Kokatat, Stohlquist) but was wondering if there are any others worth 
>considering. 

I hear good gossip about Ravenspring. Usual disclaimer, not even a customer.

-- Wes
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wes Boyd's Kayak Place                            http://www.kayakplace.com
Kayaks for Big Guys (And Gals) | Trip Reports | Places To Go | Boats & Gear
---------------------------------------------------------------------------


***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************
From: Paul Peeling <ppeeling_at_bcpl.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Drysuits (was) Wetsuits
Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2002 09:06:17 -0400 (EDT)
Tony Reynes wrote:

> Could someone steer me toward a couple of solid companies/brands that
> might fit me out?

I've been happy with the products and service from NRS. I've bought their
Hydroskin shirts and shorts but they sell full and farmer-type wetsuits
as well. You commented on the difficulty of getting sizing information.
NRS has charts that correlate sizes with height and weight ranges.

Website: www.nrsweb.com

- Paul Peeling
***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************
From: John March <jsmarch_at_acpub.duke.edu>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Drysuits (was) Wetsuits
Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2002 08:22:24 -0400
[Moderator's Note: Content unaltered. Excessive quoting (i.e.  headers/footers/sig lines/comments from previous posts, etc.) have been removed. Please edit quoted material in addition to removing header/trailers when replying to posts.]

Hi John, By reputation, Ravenspring (www.ravensrping.com) offers Kokatat 
quality at a much lower price. After a lot of cogitation and discussion on 
paddling.net, I just ordered from Ravenspring rather than Kokatat. Should 
have it within 2 weeks. The decision came down to gortex versus latex 
booties and price (~900 versus 500 dollars).  I opted for latex and 
cheaper.  Best, John


At 07:52 AM 10/15/2002 -0400, John Fereira wrote:
>At 07:00 PM 10/14/02 +0000, Wes Boyd wrote:
>>At 05:24 PM 10/14/02 -0500, Tony Reynes wrote:
>>
>> >
>> >Could someone steer me toward a couple of solid companies/brands that might
>> >fit me out?
>
>I'm selling one of my kayaks and since I already have a wetsuit I'm 
>looking at getting a drysuit.  I'm somewhat familiar with the major brands 
>(Kokatat, Stohlquist) but was wondering if there are any others worth 
>considering.


*********************************************************
John S. March, MD, MPH
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Duke Child and Family Study Center
718 Rutherford Street
Durham, NC 27705
919/416-2404 (P); 919/416-2420 (F)
Email: jsmarch_at_acpub.duke.edu
Website: http://www2.mc.duke.edu/pcaad


"I maintain there is much more wonder in science than in pseudoscience. And 
in addition, to whatever measure this term has any meaning, science has the 
additional virtue, and it is not an inconsiderable one, of being true."
--Carl Sagan

*********************************************************

***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************
From: Shawn Baker <shawnkayak_at_yahoo.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Drysuits (was) Wetsuits
Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2002 14:40:07 -0700 (PDT)
Paul Peeling <ppeeling_at_bcpl.net> wrote:
>I've been happy with the products and service from NRS. I've bought 
>their Hydroskin shirts and shorts but they sell full and farmer-type
wetsuits as well. 

I second the vote for NRS.  I lived in Moscow, ID for several months,
and hit their sale corner religiously!  They have great service, and a
good selection.

I'm not a huge fan of Hydroskin.  For the money, I'd rather have fuzzy
rubber (like Wyoming Wear).  The neoprene insulation in the Hydroskin
isn't all that thick, and when wet, the nylon face causes quick
evaporative cooling.

I like my 3mm NRS Farmer Bill, though.  It's a former rental suit--size
color coded red.*  And lest some of my buddies tell you otherwise, it's
a faded red.  IT'S NOT PINK, DANGIT!! It's not PINK! It's not pink....

*Red is actually the color code for a medium suit...I'm way too tall
for that suit, but I added 6" of length to the legs...NRS even gave me
the scraps of neoprene to do it.  I've grown a little in girth, though,
so it's a tad tight....but long enough.  XXL is the right length for
me, L is the right girth.  *sigh*.  <<Really love my extended-length
Kokatat GTX drysuit!!>>  I'll probably order a new XL Farmer John this
winter.

Shawn

__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Faith Hill - Exclusive Performances, Videos & More
http://faith.yahoo.com
***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************
From: Steve Holtzman <sh_at_actglobal.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Wetsuits
Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2002 15:47:08 -0700
[Moderator's Note: Content unaltered. Excessive quoting (i.e.  headers/footers/sig lines/comments from previous posts, etc.) have been removed. Please edit quoted material in addition to removing header/trailers when replying to posts.]

Tony,

Check out NRS at www.nrscatalog.com. They make a "grizzly" cut in their wet
suits. This is the only one other than custom made that I have found to fit
me. Their return policy is good too--my wife never seems to know what size
to order so she always orders a couple and returns the ones that don't fit.

All the usual disclaimers----I just buy a lot of gear from these people.

Steve Holtzman
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tony Reynes" <tony_at_tesar-reynes.com>
Subject: [Paddlewise] Wetsuits


> I guess now is the season to re-open this subject. I am 5'11' and 220.
> Hourglass shape really: broad of shoulder and gut. I have been following
> past discussions on wetsuits and decided that if Lake Michigan is going to
> continue to call, I better dress right.
>
> I have found very few manufacturers who give good size descriptions....
and
> have never bought a wet suit before. I have even visited some interesting
> surfer sites with their offerings.
>
> Could someone steer me toward a couple of solid companies/brands that
might
> fit me out? And what are the salient points I should look for in this
> product purchase?
***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************
From: Mary Z <mzuschlag_at_attbi.com>
subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Wetsuits
Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2002 17:04:25 -0700
[Moderator's Note: Content unaltered. Excessive quoting (i.e.  headers/footers/sig lines/comments from previous posts, etc.) have been removed. Please edit quoted material in addition to removing header/trailers when replying to posts.]

NRS has their wetsuits on sale, but they are 3 mm.  Look for the ones with
no sleeves and a front zipper, for easier relief!  Personally I don't like
wetsuits they chafe, I find dry suits much more comfortable, Gortex is great
but very expensive. If you can't afford a drysuit or you will not be
kayaking very often then a wet suit is practical.  NRS has had great
customer service and they can help with the sizing. Great prices right now.
http://www.nrscatalog.com/product_list.asp?deptid=533

They have some wetsuits that are not on sale as well. -- MZ

-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Reynes
Subject: [Paddlewise] Wetsuits


I guess now is the season to re-open this subject. I am 5'11' and 220.
Hourglass shape really: broad of shoulder and gut. I have been following
past discussions on wetsuits and decided that if Lake Michigan is going to
continue to call, I better dress right.

I have found very few manufacturers who give good size descriptions.... and
have never bought a wet suit before. I have even visited some interesting
surfer sites with their offerings.

Could someone steer me toward a couple of solid companies/brands that might
fit me out? And what are the salient points I should look for in this
product purchase?
***************************************************************************
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 - 16:33:31 PDT