# Dry Suits!



## glenn (May 13, 2009)

Buy it once. Spend the money on a goretex kokatat. Sweet is the only other company I would consider and they are more expensive and the customer service is largely (completely?) untested. When I got my GMER it was a huge amount of money to spend. It's a piece of safety equipment. Don't fool yourself (or your wife) into thinking anything less.


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## SteamboatBORN (Sep 22, 2012)

glenn said:


> Buy it once. Spend the money on a goretex kokatat. Sweet is the only other company I would consider and they are more expensive and the customer service is largely (completely?) untested. When I got my GMER it was a huge amount of money to spend. It's a piece of safety equipment. Don't fool yourself (or your wife) into thinking anything less.


Yeah that is my thinking too, safety equipment. She just agreed to let me do SSRP course in may (baby due in a month so money is going in that direction), but it was easy sell because its must have for river use.


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## GratefulOne (Jun 12, 2010)

very happy with my NRS crux that I got for 450$ ,,,, it keeps me bone dry on whitewater swims... and as soon as that is no longer the case, it will be taken care of under warranty.


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## hand8272 (May 24, 2011)

GratefulOne said:


> very happy with my NRS crux that I got for 450$ ,,,, it keeps me bone dry on whitewater swims... and as soon as that is no longer the case, it will be taken care of under warranty.


How do you find one for $450? Sounds like a "never find again" price.


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## athelake (Dec 3, 2014)

I agree that Kokatat is great, but they aren't the only good suit out there.

I have a Stohlquist that I picked up for $450 and love it. Here's some suits starting from $500. 


Kokatat Men's SuperNova Semi-Drysuit at nrs.com

NRS Inversion Drysuit - FREE SHIPPING at NextAdventure.net

NRS Extreme Relief Drysuit - Closeout at nrs.com


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## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

There is a Stohlquist M for $300 and a Kokotat GMER XL for $500 in the gear swap right now...


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## GratefulOne (Jun 12, 2010)

the 2014 crux is still 450 for non profits and pros.... hopefully you work for an outfitter and that can be your price right now... NRS B2B....


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## heavyswimmer (Dec 20, 2014)

hand8272 said:


> How do you find one for $450? Sounds like a "never find again" price.


Pro-deal... Got my Palm Stakine dry suit for $325 when they first hit the states in 03' I think. It is a little porous now, but still far better than a wet suit. Everything has a breaking point... even the $1000 Kokatat Gore-tex seams will begin to leak after one hard season of use.

Whatever brand you buy, just keep it out of the dirt/grit/sand, and dedicate a bottle of baby powder to the bag you keep it in for the gaskets. That is how I still have the Palm...


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## GratefulOne (Jun 12, 2010)

I still drool abit over Kokatat and Sweet suits though.... and that looks like a really nice kokatat xl in the swap.


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## mervo (Dec 29, 2014)

Alpacka has a few dry suits as well, and IIRC they are made by Kokotat.

They're a few hundred dollars cheaper than the 1k mark, and occasionally they run sales.


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## jjeco5 (Nov 13, 2014)

I bought an old Palm Stikine suit for $400 this winter and with some TLC it is perfectly functional, Nikwax and Tear Aid and it is fully waterproof...

Until I go out of my boat a fuckin stick punctured my latex sock...


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## SteamboatBORN (Sep 22, 2012)

What is generally the first place to wear in a dry suit? I wear knee/shin g-form pads for SUP so legs will have extra protection on swims plus torso will be covered with PFD. 


Sent from my iPhone using Mountain Buzz


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## Randaddy (Jun 8, 2007)

Buy an NRS on sale if you can. Half the price of Kokatat and every bit as functional. 

Lots of people who own Kokatat will chime in on this thread and say that you shouldn't dare consider anything less. I duckie and swim my ass off hundreds of miles a year in my NRS Extreme Relief suit and I'm as bone dry as any of them year after year for under $500. Gore Tex is very expensive and equally over-rated. 

Don't get me wrong, made in America is great and Kokatat makes awesome gear, but for your budget concerns NRS is a quality product that will last you years - and they stand behind it.


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## mttodd (Jan 29, 2009)

I agree with randaddy, NRS has a great product for the money. I personally own a koko goretex, but would not hesitate to buy an NRS. I know several friends who run the NRS suits hard and have had no issues.


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## Plecoptera (Jul 26, 2013)

+1 on the NRS Extreme Relief. Warm and dry, and by my measure, even on sale at $600, it is not a cheap drysuit.


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## dscott58 (Nov 4, 2014)

Has anyone had much experience with a semi drysuit, like the Nova mentioned earlier? Used to wear a dry top during Spring runoff in my kayaking days, but reallyndidnt like the latex gaskets at the wrist and neck...thank for any thoughts anyone might have!


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## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

I'm glad that many of you have had good success with NRS's drysuits, but my experience with their products is that they are made cheaply. I have owned drytops, booties, gloves, pogies, neoprene and other various products from them and it seems consistent that they use shit thread and seams fail....


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## Randaddy (Jun 8, 2007)

lmyers said:


> I'm glad that many of you have had good success with NRS's drysuits, but my experience with their products is that they are made cheaply. I have owned drytops, booties, gloves, pogies, neoprene and other various products from them and it seems consistent that they use shit thread and seams fail....


Logan, I agree with you 100% on the tops, pants, and several other products I've owned. I had a seam fail in a semi-dry top and then fail again after replacement. When I called and complained they talked me into trying the suit. They promised it was a whole 'nother level of quality and it has proven to be the case. The construction is good, with even, quality seam taping and a good fit for me. I specialized in waterproof breathables when I worked for GoLite and can say that this is a quality garment.

Also it's worth considering that if it ever does leak NRS is quick to send a brand new suit as a replacement.


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## k2andcannoli (Feb 28, 2012)

The 7 figure drysuit from Welcome to Immersion Research is incredible, but a bit pricey. The Arch Rival OX is an extremely good drysuit and a bit closer to what you're looking to spend.


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## lncoop (Sep 10, 2010)

Check Boatertalk gear swap and check out Kayak Academy. You can buy a Kokatat dry suit (even a new one) for a lot less than $1100.


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## glenn (May 13, 2009)

Never owned anything but Kokatat. I've paddled frequently with people who have had Ktat and NRS. To them the hands down winner is Ktat for durability. Haven't heard much in the way of factory servicing. I consider portaging to be much tougher dry gear than swims on something like the poudre. YMMV.


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## mcguire (Apr 11, 2012)

Go with the Kokatat goretex. We all have old dry tops and pants we bought that were lower end and and now they live in a tupaware. Spend the money once. Figure out a way to get pro form. Thay are 650ish on pro form.


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## benjamin_smith (Jul 22, 2013)

I have a Ktat that I bought used from CKS on consignment. It's been great for SUP. If I was looking at getting a new suit, I'd be looking Ktat and Supskin: Supskin Elementary Waterwear


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## SteamboatBORN (Sep 22, 2012)

benjamin_smith said:


> I have a Ktat that I bought used from CKS on consignment. It's been great for SUP. If I was looking at getting a new suit, I'd be looking Ktat and Supskin: Supskin Elementary Waterwear


Thos Supskin dry suits look like F1 Racing suits. Pretty cool, but a bit more then I can afford.


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## 90Duck (Nov 19, 2012)

I've got a Stohlquist AMP that I acquired last year as a replacement for an older Stohlquist Multisport that became a damp suit from fabric degradation. I was just comparing the two, and the AMP is made in the USA and beautifully put together. It is also surprisingly comfortable in comparison to the Chinese made Multisport it replaces. The Multisport was only $200 new on clearance from Cascade Outfitters 8 years ago, but really, that is about all it was worth. While I wasn't thrilled with Stohlquist's interpretation of their "lifetime" warranty as being the lifetime of the product, which they deemed to be 7 years on the MultiSport, they did offer a great deal ($330) on a new AMP. They retail for just over $800, so comparable to the regular price on the NRS Crux.

I never would have recommended Stohlquist with my old suit, but the AMP is such a night and day upgrade that it has won me over and I'd say they are definitely worth a look. However, for some reason Stohlquist doesn't seem to get a whole lot of love here on The Buzz, so I suppose that says something in itself.


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## Brotorboat (Apr 14, 2009)

dscott58 said:


> Has anyone had much experience with a semi drysuit, like the Nova mentioned earlier? Used to wear a dry top during Spring runoff in my kayaking days, but reallyndidnt like the latex gaskets at the wrist and neck...thank for any thoughts anyone might have!


I've been using one for about 3 years now. If you swim, your neckline will get damp/wet. But, the trade-off in comfort was worth it for me. I doubt kayakers would want to go this route though...


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## SteamboatBORN (Sep 22, 2012)

Brotorboat said:


> I've been using one for about 3 years now. If you swim, your neckline will get damp/wet. But, the trade-off in comfort was worth it for me. I doubt kayakers would want to go this route though...


So if you where to take a good swim or say SUP surfing a wave with a lot of time in water, would a lot of water get in?


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## lncoop (Sep 10, 2010)

SteamboatBORN said:


> So if you where to take a good swim or say SUP surfing a wave with a lot of time in water, would a lot of water get in?


Quite a bit. The upshot is if you got one and found it wasn't dry enough you could send it to Kokatat and they'd replace the neoprene neck gasket with latex.


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## SteamboatBORN (Sep 22, 2012)

lncoop said:


> Quite a bit. The upshot is if you got one and found it wasn't dry enough you could send it to Kokatat and they'd replace the neoprene neck gasket with latex.


Some one else mentioned that to me a few days ago.


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## lncoop (Sep 10, 2010)

SteamboatBORN said:


> Some one else mentioned that to me a few days ago.


Personally I don't think you'd be happy with a semi-dry suit. Unless you have a latex allergy (some do) or major issues with the tight seal around your neck it just doesn't make sense for the kind of water you're on IMO. Others may not agree. I guess if you found a crazy deal on one it might be worth a shot, but I think you'll find a new or used dry suit from Kayak Academy to be your best bet. Super nice folks and they run some great deals. Boatertalk is good too provided you can find someone willing to ship.


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## SteamboatBORN (Sep 22, 2012)

lncoop said:


> Personally I don't think you'd be happy with a semi-dry suit. Unless you have a latex allergy (some do) or major issues with the tight seal around your neck it just doesn't make sense for the kind of water you're on IMO. Others may not agree.


I def want a full neck gasket, no way I want the water right now in my suit.


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## lncoop (Sep 10, 2010)

SteamboatBORN said:


> I def want a full neck gasket, no way I want the water right now in my suit.


The semi-dry suit has a full neck gasket. The only difference is the material. Neoprene just doesn't seal well enough to be completely dry, especially in WW.


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## SteamboatBORN (Sep 22, 2012)

lncoop said:


> The semi-dry suit has a full neck gasket. The only difference is the material. Neoprene just doesn't seal well enough to be completely dry, especially in WW.


Cool, you are right, for the water I am on (or truthfully IN) I want totally protection.


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## benjamin_smith (Jul 22, 2013)

Another option to consider is a wetsuit. You can get a top of the line wetsuit, brand new, for $500. Might be a better option than getting a cheapo drysuit that'll start leaking in a year.


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## Brotorboat (Apr 14, 2009)

FWIW- Amongst other experiences, I took about 30 direct face-shots on the Eagle last season close to flood stage...and I have purposefully jumped in and swam with it...my neckline was damp. So, it has worked very well for me without having as much of an investment. Pretty sure the new Hydrus ones come with the lifetime warranty just like Gore-tex.


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## dirtbagkayaker (Oct 29, 2008)

Lots of good DrySuit deals at Christmas time every year. I got my kokatat from cascade outfitters for $650 2 years ago. NRS makes a good suit at a reasonable price. I personally never experienced any seam leakage from any kokatat drysuit I have ever owned. The seams have been bomber. Pinholes.. That is anther issue but they are easy to fix and kokatat will do it cheep! Good Luck


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## eviltwin (Dec 23, 2014)

We paid $525 two years ago for a Kokatat suit for our daughter. No tunnel, no booties, no pee zipper. 

If desired, you can add a zipper or Gortex booties for ~$160 at a later date.


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## lncoop (Sep 10, 2010)

I know I'm becoming a broken record but I'm speaking from personal experience. I bought a brand new with tags Kotatat drysuit with relief zipper and booties from Kayak Academy for $500 shipped. Fits great, bone dry and comes with lifetime warranty. Check em out. I don't think you'll find a better deal and I know you won't find nicer folks to work with. No affiliation. I just really like them.


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## mrcdbrown3 (Mar 2, 2015)

Where is the gear swap? 



Sent from my iPad using Mountain Buzz


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## SKeen (Feb 23, 2009)

I had a buddy drown about 5 years ago. Got caught in a bad re-circulating hole/ corner of a bend in the river (class V run). When he was pulled out, water was found to have largely filled his bib/drytop combo. I could only think this may have been a contributing factor to not being able to exit the hole, and ponied up for the $1000 GMER as a piece of safety equipment that would easily last 10 - 20 years. 

On the other hand, I lent my old bib combo to a friend when we ran Royal Gorge in the snow. He swam the run-out from sunshine and the bib pants protecting him from the slushy water just might have been a life saver.

You just never know...


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## lncoop (Sep 10, 2010)

mrcdbrown3 said:


> Where is the gear swap?
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Mountain Buzz


Which one? There's one on here and there's one on Boatertalk, not to mention many on local paddling club message boards. There's also NRS's gear swap page, fleabay and Kayak Academy's web site. All are potential sources for a good deal.


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## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

mrcdbrown3 said:


> Where is the gear swap?
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Mountain Buzz


Top right of the page. 4th tab from the left. Says "swap".


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## eviltwin (Dec 23, 2014)

Though if you are using the Tapatalk app or the Mountain Buzz app then you won't see the Swap area. Try using a regular browser instead of the apps.


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## Don (Oct 16, 2003)

*Drysuits*

SKeen, sorry to learn about your buddy. I'm no longer sure about that theory regarding bibs/waders/drysuits filling up causing river drag on humans. I did some work this past year with some science folks doing research on this topic for the Government (researching how waders might cause drownings). As simple as I explain it is that water doesn't have an effect on water weight while it is in it. You will notice a big effect when you try to lift it above the surface area, but while it's in the water it is neutral. When I saw the data I was shocked, but they did a huge amount testing. 

As for drysuits I have been wearing the Level 6 Emperor for the last couple of years and it is awesome for the price. It has about every feature you can throw into a drysuit and it's built serious for a great price. I'm stoked on mine.

Drysuits | Level Six


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## Snowhere (Feb 21, 2008)

Just picked up a Level Six for myself. Great suit, bomber construction, great fit and great price. On top of that, it was made in North America for the win! Just north of our border, but a lot closer then made in China!


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## m.r.h. (Mar 16, 2015)

Try to think of all your boating gear as part of your safety kit. It is always nice to be prepared for anything. 

I have an Immersion Research double d from a few years ago that is awesome. My only complaint is the legs are a bit baggy, just wish there was a little less fabric. 

Right now they have three models and stuff from last year on the sale page. 

There is also Mythic Gear.


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