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



Joined: 05 Jun 1994
Posts: 1330
Location: Hood River OR

PostPosted: Fri Feb 21, 2014 1:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Trust me Techno, I know all that (you should see my wardrobe for my kayaking). BUT if you sweat enough it doesn't matter. You will still be 'warm", but damp. But when the outside of your suit is 45 degrees (and wet) and the inside is 90 something and damp, the outside will cool the dampness and make it seem cool. Of course one answer is to just work hard again and warm it back up Smile

I remember one bivy being very wet and "cold" after being outside in a thunderstorm in a synthetic bag. I kept thinking what the H3LL it's supposed to be warm when wet! Then I got up in the morning and realized just how cold it really was outside Smile I was "warm". Warm is a relative thing......
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Thurston



Joined: 08 Jul 2013
Posts: 101

PostPosted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 4:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What do you guys use for shoes/feet with drysuits? With drysuits that do/don't have socks?
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 5:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Barefoot. When it's too cold for bare feet (45 degrees for me), it's too cold for bare hands. And if it's too cold for bare hands, I can't fix or adjust anything. If I can't fix or adjust anything, I have better -- read: safer -- things to do.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 5:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

gobbdogg wrote:
Norcom and JohnL- what the hell is wrong with you? Why do you insist on using personal experience and your own research to contest Isobore's dogma? Please just accede to him immediately- it saves so much time and hassle... oh yeah, don't forget to genuflect!

Why are my experience with at least half a dozen dry suits/pants/tops, my friends' experience and direct comparisons, and outdoor sports websites reviews all "dogma", but Norcom's and johnl's individual trials "research"?

Mitch saw right through you guys.
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johnl



Joined: 05 Jun 1994
Posts: 1330
Location: Hood River OR

PostPosted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 8:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I on the other hand like warm feet Smile I'm not a big fan of the socks on drysuits because I wear split-toe booties. I wear the normal Oneal Freaks or whatever they are called (3mm?) but the "Ninja" bootie is also split toe and MUCH thinner. About as close to barefoot as you can go without being barefoot. Unfortunately I tend to wear the lightweight freaks during the warmer time so in the colder time if I change to the Ninja I have to change all my foot straps. Sad

But I also find the ankle gasket a pain to get off. Probably due to the size of one of my feet being larger because of the plate in it.... Sad
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PeconicPuffin



Joined: 07 Jun 2004
Posts: 1830

PostPosted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 5:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thurston wrote:
What do you guys use for shoes/feet with drysuits? With drysuits that do/don't have socks?


High booties. The bootie goes over the outside of the drysuit leg. I'm currently using a Bare drysuit, have used O'Neill, neither with socks. 3mm booties work fine all the way down to 32 degrees, as long as you're reasonably active. You may get the occasional drop of water in there after an energetic fall, but your feet won't be cold.

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Michael
http://www.peconicpuffin.com
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norcom



Joined: 16 Jun 2008
Posts: 137

PostPosted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 6:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just got my Hydrus 3L!

First impression, the bag scares me. Kind of like my first carbon fiber mountain bike did. I was afraid it would crack the first time I threw my leg over it because it was "plastic". Laughing But I'm just not used to it.

The suit seems well built. It looks huge but once I got it on and burped it, it felt great. Walking around the house for a few minutes felt really comfortable. I really like the ankle and wrist velcro closures. Once the boots/gloves go under them and tightened, I'm hoping that I wont get any water in there or at least less than in a wetsuit. The zipper is plastic, seems OK. Tried the harness on and it didn't really touch the zipper if I pulled the suit a little up. I'm wearing an impact vest so it will cover the zipper and the harness area.

Biggest concern is the neck seal. I didn't like the fact that it was exposed when I was getting the suit and this just reaffirmed it. The exposed neck seal just feels weak. I wish it had a similar velcro enclosure as the ankle/wrist but those suits were way more $. I'm glad that it's latex though.

I'm hoping to give the suit a try tomorrow morning; except I'll be kiting in it. Wrong direction / spot / not enough wind to windsurf. Not sure what to wear under it yet. I didn't buy the specific undergarmet but I have tons of old bike tights and jackets that will pretty much do the same thing as they're synthetic and designed to wick away the sweat. I'm guessing low to mid 40°'s in the morning; water should be warmer. I'm planning a pair of winter cycling tights, baselayer shirt and jacket.

FOR NOW, I'm happy with the purchase. Mostly for the price, reputation and warranty. Just got to test it now. Here's a pic of my stoke to make this less boring!



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morwind4me



Joined: 30 Apr 2002
Posts: 270

PostPosted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 9:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sahhweeet! Thanks for the post norcom! I'll be interested to hear some first impressions....thanks for being the guinea pig Wink
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johnl



Joined: 05 Jun 1994
Posts: 1330
Location: Hood River OR

PostPosted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 11:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks similar to my Hydrus suit except for the extra bells and whistles. But one thing to consider, IF you some how spring a major leak the suit will fill up with water and suck you down. So a life jacket isn't a bad idea. I don't tend to wear one, just sharing Smile

Don't worry about the seal on the neck. Keep it out of the sun when not wearing it and you will be fine. Now if you do a head over heel high speed tumble expect some water to get past the seal....
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bericw



Joined: 07 Mar 2006
Posts: 90

PostPosted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 3:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Awesome norcom! Reading parts of this thread made me look up when I purchased my Kokatat...can hardly believe it was November 2005. I too was hesitant to spend the $ on an unknown, so I tried a used suit that was great except it turned out to be too small, next tried on a barefoot waterski suit that had ankle gaskets that were incredibly tight (what a surprise), then tried to get a suit that looked to be perfect except they'd altered the model that year to only have the permanent socks (not keen on that for the same reasons as johnl), and finally defaulted to the Kokatat. Awesome suit, and only yearly checkups with 2x(?) pre-problem gasket replacements. Absolutely great company to work with! Support to Kokatat!

johnl, would you please comment further on the 303? I always feel like I end up having to apply more and more frequently as the gaskets age, but I attribute it to...age. Do you think the 303 use is itself an issue? Seems like I can recall Kokatat including 303 samples for awhile? Also, you have posted some nice vids (or one at least), thanks. Hope to see your skillz in person some time.
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