# Pros and Cons of dry suit in GC - March/April



## Matthew73 (Jun 26, 2011)

Fellow boaters,

I’d be grateful for any advice any of you would be willing to share about the pros and cons of wearing a drysuit (and what alternatives you’d recommend) for a late March/early April Grand Canyon trip. 

We launch on March 22 and anticipate wrapping up on April 4. Based on historical records our daytime temps should be quite pleasant (highs in the 70s and 80s, lows in the 50s). Obviously the water will be cold but it always is. Flows should be on the low side ranging from 7,000 – 13,000 CFS. 

I realize this is a matter of personal preference but I’ve never worn a drysuit while rafting before. I understand that it’s very easy to get chilled, and odds are that we will end up swimming at some point. On the other hand, I will be manning the oars for most of the trip, and I give off a lot of heat when I work out (when I run in cold weather in Salt Lake City I don’t wear much insulation, just wicking layers). 

Bottom line – in your experience, does the benefit of having the drysuit for the rare occasions in which you get tossed in the river outweigh the hassle of wearing it with neck and wrist gaskets and inability to take it off while you row? 

And if you vote against the drysuit, what river gear would you recommend for this time of year?

Thanks in advance.


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## Andy H. (Oct 13, 2003)

Matthew73 said:


> Bottom line – in your experience, does the benefit of having the drysuit for the rare occasions in which you get tossed in the river outweigh the hassle of wearing it with neck and wrist gaskets and inability to take it off while you row?


Yes. You should at least have it along just in case the weather turns lousy. 

the bigger your boat, the less you'll need it, and if you want to ride on front when you're not rowing, you'll be glad you've got it.

Bring it and your regular splash gear along and decide on the trip.

Disclaimer - I've got a drysuit that just has a neoprene neck closure, I don't think I could stand a neck gasket.

Have a good trip!

-AH


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## Wadeinthewater (Mar 22, 2009)

Matthew73 said:


> Based on historical records our daytime temps should be quite pleasant (highs in the 70s and 80s, lows in the 50s).


This may not be the case and you should be prepared for otherwise. I have camped about a mile up the Little Colorado in early April. Over the 10 days I was there some of the days were as you describe. On others it was very cold and windy with snow falling not too far above us. Even on sunny but windy days the passengers stopping at the mouth of the Little Colorado looked fairly cold and miserable


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## Rich (Sep 14, 2006)

If you already own a drysuit, bring it! You will probably have some days where it will be used. But I would not buy one for a March/April trip.

With fleece and spray gear I can stay plenty warm rowing, now if you are a passenger, that is a different matter. A drysuit will only be helpful in a swim, the other 99.9% of the trip it will be overkill. Everytime you stop to scout, eat lunch, hike, take pictures etc, etc, etc you will say "Why am I wearing this? 

YMMV


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## mtriverrat (Jan 29, 2012)

I sat up front 80% of the time and wore wetsuit over wool and splash gear. I'm not telling you that during the roaring 20 days and the day I swam I didn't get cold, but that was 2 out of 24 days. So if this girl can do it and you are rowing - I don't think the expense is worth it. We had almost exactly the same dates.


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## Fash (Jul 21, 2010)

I agree with Rich, if you own one bring it. You never know when you might want one.

I was on the same trip with mtriverrat and while I brought a dry suit, I never wore it. I did swim once and wished I'd had it on since I was cold for the rest of the day (but I couldn't row after my swim so I wasn't able to warm up too much). I typically wore merino wool under splash gear and even when I was a passenger up front, I was fine.

A couple of guys on our trip wore their dry suits on some of the big rapids days (such as the day I flipped and swam) and it was nice when it came time to flip a boat back over since they weren't as concerned about getting wet. Just something to consider - it's nice to have some people who can get wet, if necessary, with fewer repercussions.


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## cataraftgirl (Jun 5, 2009)

Contact Kayak Academy.....rent a suit for the trip.
KJ


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## st2eelpot (Apr 15, 2008)

*Dry suits (compared to wet suits). Babble.*

I'm a male that's 5'8" and 160lbs. I don't retain heat at all. I wear my dry suit all the time and love it. I hardly wear neoprene anymore. 

In my opinion here are some of the cons to a dry suit:
*expensive
*delicate (gaskets are delicate, and you really don't want a tear the suit's fabric either)- If you tear a wet suit it still works just dandy. 
*not only are the gaskets delicate, but being latex they're always breaking down- limited life span on those even if stored wonderfully. Note that sunscreen breaks down the latex more quickly.
*offers no insulation value by itself.
*going to the bathroom can be more of an adventure.
*offers no protection from bumping off of rocks (when compared to a wet suit)
*takes constant care- 303 the gaskets often, whether being worn daily or in storage. Also requires taking care of the zipper. 
*prolonged wear can be a skin irritant if you've got sensitive skin (latex gaskets). However, the person I know with that issue also gets boater butt/assne (as opposed to acne) if they're in a wet suit for days.
*some people simply don't get used to the tight latex on the skin (though it does stretch over time)
*there is the often argued risk that it could theoretically fill with water and drown you (hence the listing above of not wanting to tear the material- it's no longer keeping you dry!)

pros:
*keeps you dry. (I don't have the pleasure of putting on wet boating gear every morning.)
*You get to decide how much insulation to wear- throw on another layer of fleece, or wear only wicking thermals. Boating in blizzards I've thrown a down jacket on under mine before.
*When it's super cold boating (winter boating, below freezing, blizzards, etc.) one can put on enough insulation and still be able to move. Imagine trying to raft/kayak in a 7 or 9 mil wet suit!
*wind the wind blows, it won't go "through" the dry suit like it does for a wet wetsuit. 
some people argue that they increase floatation, though I always burp my suit to get rid of the extra air. (Gaskets can open up to allow the extra air out if it suit hasn't been burped, and in my experience is when it does this it lets water back in while the gasket is open).

If you borrow/rent one for your trip- I recommend getting the cloth booties. I can't keep my feet warm if I have the ankle gaskets and wet feet.

I do find my wet suits are usable for more sports (attempting to surf or scuba for example), whereas I don't use my dry suit for anything outside of boating. 

My thoughts after a beverage.

Cheers!


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## brandob9 (Jun 13, 2010)

I'd say bring one if you have one. It makes the rainy days so much easier, and because the drysuit doesn't have any warmth of its own to bring to the table, you get to decide how warm you are based on the layers that you choose. 

Also, I can get my suit down to the waist or on again in under 30 seconds, but I also wear one 100+ days a year. I've rowed with mine around my waist plenty.


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## benpetri (Jul 2, 2004)

Another pro - they make some of the side hikes more enjoyable in the offseason months, especially Silver Grotto, Shinumo Creek, Elves chasm, and Havasu. I don't think I would have been swimming in Havasu in March without one.

One big con is the sand takes its toll on the suits, especially the zipper. If you bring one, it helps to bring a spare toothbrush for cleaning the sand from the zippers and lathering it with 303.


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## raftus (Jul 20, 2005)

I brought my drysuit on a late October/November trip and wore it a few days. Sadly on one of the cold days I broke my neck gasket putting the suit on - so no more dry suit for the rest of the trip. It wasn't a huge deal so i didn't try to field repair the gasket (duct tape and aqua seal). Neoprene neck gaskets are the way to go for rafting dry suits in my opinion. If you can get one for a reasonably low cost - or already own one- i would bring it in a heartbeat. I've boated in blizzard conditions in relative comfort in my drysuit before.


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## Matthew73 (Jun 26, 2011)

Hey Buzzards,

Just wanted to thank everyone who posted for sharing your thoughts. Much appreciated!


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## carvedog (May 11, 2005)

For a rafter my set up rocks pretty well now. Bomber spray pants with ankle neoprene and at the waist. Water gets in when I swim but not a ton. But now I have a dry top with a really nice neoprene neck that tightens up. with a double layered tunnel at the waist the tighten up on the top of the pants. Easy to throw on just for the drop if you are hot.


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## sarahkonamojo (May 20, 2004)

Coldest days on the Grand Canyon were second week of April 2011. (We left Flagstaff in a snow storm.) That is in comparison to a late February trip which was much warmer, 2008. If you have a drysuit, bring it. If you don't have one and don't enjoy being cold, buy one. Hope you have it packed for the entire trip. I'd be careful on how you pack/store the drysuit. Keep sand away from the zippers. Drysuits don't take well to being mistreated.


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

I'd say go with a drytop instead of full suit for the grand. Much more versatile, easier to on/off yet you still get most of the warmth benefit. Splash pants on the bottom. I have a one piece, but boy for the grand it would be nice to have 2 separate pieces. Oh well


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## Schenker (Mar 21, 2010)

*Better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it*



Andy H. said:


> Yes. You should at least have it along just in case the weather turns lousy.


A dry suit is not going to take up much room and you'll be glad you have it should the weather turn.


st2eelpot said:


> I'm a male that's 5'8" and 160lbs. I don't retain heat at all. I wear my dry suit all the time and love it. I hardly wear neoprene anymore.


It's a lot easier to cool down on the water then it is to warm up. I've brought a dry suit on two trips and neoprene on my first. Wearing Neoprene gets old real fast in my opinion. 


benpetri said:


> Another pro - they make some of the side hikes more enjoyable in the offseason months, especially Silver Grotto, Shinumo Creek, Elves chasm, and Havasu. I don't think I would have been swimming in Havasu in March without one.


Excellent point, drysuits come in handy both on and off the river this time of year.

If you don't own one and don't want to spend the $ for one for this trip I'd rent one for sure.

Have fun down there!


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