Drysuits/wetsuits.I know, we have this discussion every year

[skyking1231]

my assault is 2 seasons old. ALOT of guys have the suit, and are happy with them. BUT there are alot of guys using the kokotats as well...and happy.

The socks from what i hear are nice....but some complain of bunching up ?

Gloves/mittens....i use the dakine mittens that have no material on the palm side...they are not open...just a thin layer of material. THey are great. On really cold days i will use a reusable hand warmer, which works great.

air temp...upper 20's is my limit. After that the sail and board start to get covered in ice.

[johnl]

Nothing lasts forever. But windsurfing is pretty easy on drysuits. It's dragging over bushes, rocks and stuff that creates pinhole leaks (but Kokatat will pressure test their suits and patch them). So assuming you have a fairly clean launch area, your suit should last. BUT some basics.....

1. HANG it when not being used. I have dedicated "shoulder saver" hangers. If you can't do this then LOOSELY fold it.

2. Keep it out of the sun. If not being used, it's in the shade.

3. Hang dry it out of the sun, away from heater vents. It should dry naturally. Mine is in the garage and dries even in the middle of winter in Hood River.

4. Keep it clean. Yes, you can wash them....

5. Some recommend using a seal saver on the seals. I'm 50/50 on this. It reminds me way too much of Armoral. Once you put it on, you can never stop. Make your own choice. I think it's called Protectorant 303 or something like that. If you decide to use it, you should never stop.

6. Learn how to put on a suit properly. Most seal damage is caused by the user.....

There are a lot of good suits out there, but Kokatat owners are pretty loyal for a reason. Great suits, and great customer service.

[norcom]

I just pulled the trigger on the Kokatat Hydrus 3L suit. The cheapest dry suit with all latex seals (neck/wrist/ankles) I could find. I figured it's worth a try for $455 shipped, new. They now offer a lifetime warranty on the seals/material for this suit as well as the goretex ones.

I just couldn't justify dropping $800+ on a drysuit having never tried one before. Two years ago I spent $350 on the Neil Pryde 5000 wetsuit and I really like it as it's SUPER WARM. But you REALLY have to be careful with the smooth skin neoprene. After last weekends session and having to go through some bushes, I nicknamed this suit "Patches". If I was to get another smoothskin wetsuit in the future, I'll be wearing a rashguard and board shorts to protect the smoothskin. It's really that delicate.

[isobars]

A friend bought several different bag dry suits years ago, one at a time, of different materials and makes, hoping to avoid the cost of Kokatat's Goretex suit. He made sure he could return any suit he declared unsatisfactory.

The Kokatat Goretex was in a performance class all by itself. Nothing else even came close. I've snorkeled in mine, and was drier afterwards than I was before I began, because it expels moisture even underwater as long as the temperature is warmer in the suit than outside the suit.

I've tried pants made by Kokatat from a lesser material. They may as well have been made of cotton or even Kleenex. I threw them in my basement, forgot about them, stumbled across them years later, called the dealer, and got a cheerful total refund despite having bought them off their USED rack.

NRS in Moscow, Idaho. Giant selection of water gear plus the best service I've ever seen.

[rexi]

Always interesting to read different perspectives on this topic. it would be nice to hear you impressions on the suit you got.

I sail alot in cold water and haven´t used a baggy drysuit for a long time. Sailing more in waves than before i somehow find it a bit scary to be in such a suit being dragged over a reef a few hundred meters from shore. I use a 654 double lined suit and have no problems sailing 2 hour sessions and surf for 2-3 hours. Water little above 0c and air around the same. So i don´t quite agree with the statement that a baggy drysuit is a must for coldwater sessions.

-But i have been thinking about getting a baggy suit for freestyle sailing. A lot more cozy to skip the stripping part when its windy and freezing What about you guys, do you use your baggy suits for wavesailing? any problems or am i just being paranoid?

[isobars]

Several guys claim to swear by their Kokatats in Great Lakes winter storms.

[johnl]

[norcom]

[morwind4me]

Norcom where did you find a Kokatat for $455 shipped? I haven't seen them for less than $500. That actually would make it one of the cheapest options....

in my opinion, goretex is good stuff, but as someone who spends about 100 days on snow every year for downhill and nordic skiing, snowblowing, hauling wood etc etc, I do think there has been some advances in materials that give goretex a run for their money. Goretex proshell is by far my favorite product of theirs, it is very warm for how breathable it actually is. But E-vent is more breathable in my opinion (though not quite as warm). I have to wear an extra layer when I ski patrol because that jacket is e-vent. That's my non-expert unscientific opinion on the matter.

I agree on the smoothskin assessment. My Ion suit is a similar material and it doesn't take long for it to get nicked. I went through an entire tube of aquaseal last year.

[norcom]