Re: [Paddlewise] Was Dress for water temp, now after drysuit

gypsy_trillium_at_yahoo.ca wrote:
> John Kirk-Anderson wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> My long-serving drysuit has sealed me in for the last time, and it's
>> time to seek a replacement.
> 
> I really like my Kokatat expedition. I agree with all Dave's recommendations
> except one... the booties... fragile and a pain in the butt if you don't wear
> paddling shoes/boots all the time or don't have the foot-room to wear paddling
> shoes. You'll also pay a premium if you're not an off the shelf fit, as the
> latex ankle gaskets allow for different leg lengths. I'd never buy booties
> again. Drysuits are a huge pain in the butt to get on and off anyways, so the
> extra fussing with ankle gaskets isn't a big deal.
>  
> Sure like the looks of the Immersion Research gear. The back entrance zip
> seems like a great idea, especially when safely tucked away, underneath the
> back of a PFD.
>  
> Guess it all comes down to what fits you, your kayak, your weather, and your
> type of paddling. I'd make my decision based on what works for me, after
> trying on as many as I could and asking my paddler friends, and put a little
> less creed in online opinions and media hype.
>  
> daniel

Just some comments based on my own experience with wearing a drysuit 
for a few years. Not continuously, of course! <grin>

Booties. Some of the suits come with gortex booties, which are easier 
to get on and off than the latex ones. There are also somewhat more 
resistant to puncture and easier to fit inside water shoes.

Of course, if you have large feet and a small foot area inside the 
boat, you're going to want all the room you can get and bare feet 
might be your only option.

I can fit my feet with the booties inside water shoes into my boat, 
and the feeling of warm, dry feet is, as they say in the Mastercard 
commercials, priceless. A pair of light wool socks helps with the 
warmth as well.

Zippers. Despite regular use of a zipper cleaner/lubricant, I find 
that the zippers are a bit of a job to open and close. You generally 
have two options: the front zipper that goes diagonally across the 
chest area, or a rear-entry zipper than goes across the shoulders. 
Those of us with limited shoulder movement and/or advanced age may 
find the rear zipper needs a second person to help with the opening 
and closing. Myself, I was unable to work the rear-entry zipper on two 
suits that I tried -- a result of an old frozen shoulder injury that 
limits the mobility and strength of my right shoulder. I can work the 
front-entry zipper just fine.

There has been some discussion about the comfort of the rear-entry 
zipper, but to tell the truth, I've never noticed my front zipper once 
I'm in the boat and paddling. On the other hand, some lady friends who 
opted for the drop-seat relief zipper option have said that have 
noticed the zipper along the sides pressing against the seat. Not a 
major discomfort, but they did notice it.

As Daniel suggested, try as many as you can.

-- 
   Darryl
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