Which Drysuit?

[boosh]

So in the interest of sparking some discussion (see Gone very Quiet post) and gaining some kit beta I have a question...... which drysuit should I get for WW paddling in the UK - the drysuit will primarly be used over winter as soon as the sun it out the shorty cag comes out.

Current drysuit is a Typoon Multisport 3 (10 years old)
Pros - Longevity - it has been pretty bomber.
Cons - Seems heavy, excess of fabric in some places.

The no brainer option would be to get the new Typhoon option (assuming it would last as long as my current one) but I think I want a change.

Currently leaning towards a 7 Figure from IR when the new ones are in the country - they seem to get rave reviews and purely on HammerFactor listening they seem like a decent company which I dont mind supporting.

Few mates have NRS suits which seem nice and light however 1 of the 4 or 5 has shown signs of premature wear twice (might be a bad batch).

I know you can get a Sweet drysuit pretty easily now but a mate has one and it has a pocket right where your thigh braces would be and I think it would annoy me.

Peak UK suits look good too - not sure about the leg entry zip thing tho. Seems you can only get the back entry zip in Smurf blue which I dont want.

Palm is an option - dont know much about their kit recently - last cag I had of theirs was a Sidewinder which was nice.

Obviously Kokotat are in the mix.

Anything else I should be looking at? Anyone else got any knowledge bombs they want to share.

Assume the budget is sub £1K.

Thanks for any info

[Adrian Cooper]

I've been please with my Nookie suit, on my second one. I don't rate fabric for socks so my first one I changed to latex but my current one is fine to date.

[nippon]

I've just bought a made to measure DamX suit. Approx £450 for one with all bells and whistles. Loads of people I know have them and swear by the. Simple but effective.

Had an IR Arch Rival suit before that I've just retired after 4 years. Zips had started to perish, it had been torn and repaired on the leg, one of the seams was leaking somewhere but I couldn't find where.

[paddlersteve]

nippon: How comfortable/heavy/practical are the DamX ones? I think that's where my money will go next time round, but a few that I have seen appear to be bulky and restrictive.

[Chris Bolton]

I have a Dam-X, the fabric is definitely heavier than my Typhoon, and it is more bulky, but I don't find it restrictive or uncomfortable and I agree it's robust. It isn't breathable, which is fine for day trips, but the breathability of the Typhoon is better on multi-day tours (sea and canoe). However, boosh, if you find the weight of fabric and the cut of a Typhoon restrictive, I wouldn't suggest a Dam-X for you.

[lakesboy]

mmmm i wish people would be more constructive with comments around damx drysuits....saying they are bulky and restrictive is just plain nonsense....

yes - they have thicker fabric, which is why it lasts years and years beyond anything else
yes - because of this you dont need to wear as many layers underneath
yes - you choose the size of your suit by supplying all measurements - so this needs to be correct!
yes - they may not be as fashionable on a coat hanger or display - BUT you only see the arms when you paddle so who cares!!!!
yes - your suit from other makes will fall apart, because its cheaply made on a production line, and has too many seams which are the weak points, as these can set at different temperatures to some fabrics causing damage as its made and the use of thinner fabric overall anyway

if you all want to keep wearing overpriced makes because you feel you need too, due to peer pressure, then carry on.......i am warm and dry always, and most of you are not!

to be honest its all consumerism gone mad, in other outdoor sports you dont find people spending daft money on something that falls apart sometimes within a single season, and this is not just drysuits either! and finally the mark up on drysuits is huge, so when you start paying the likes of money quoted upto a £1000, you need to think again!

[Chalky723]

I have a Dam X & have had it for about 5 years. It's bomb proof & will probably last me another 5.

Which means I can't really justify getting rid & getting something a bit lighter. It is a big, heavy old unit & I tend to save it for the depths of winter.

Price wise, I don't think they're massively cheaper than a Typhoon now are they?

But, as per above, it'll last forever!!!

D

[Neptune]

I have had my damx for 11 years now and still going strong. Always warm and dry, can't fault it.

Peter

[Mark Mulrain]

7 Figure from IR when the new ones are in the country

I've been told mid to late November.

If you go for a sweet suit, act quick. They won't be in the WW business for much longer.

I had an IR Arch Rival suit before that I've just retired after 4 years. Zips had started to perish, it had been torn and repaired on the leg, one of the seams was leaking somewhere but I couldn't find where.

I bet IR could pressure test and repair that seam and put a new zip on that. But I guess sometimes getting a new suit is better.
Most companies have started to move to a new zip which should last longer and do not randomly get effected by hydrolosis. I know IR and Kokatat made the move in 2017 and I'm pretty sure the 2018 Palm stuff have them.

Couldn't do the DamX suits due to lack of breathability and the cut. I'd quite like to enjoy wearing my suit, especially if the pace quickens and I'm going to sweat.

[twopigs]

mmmm i wish people would be more constructive with comments around damx drysuits....saying they are bulky and restrictive is just plain nonsense....

yes - they have thicker fabric, which is why it lasts years and years beyond anything else
yes - because of this you dont need to wear as many layers underneath
yes - you choose the size of your suit by supplying all measurements - so this needs to be correct!
yes - they may not be as fashionable on a coat hanger or display - BUT you only see the arms when you paddle so who cares!!!!
yes - your suit from other makes will fall apart, because its cheaply made on a production line, and has too many seams which are the weak points, as these can set at different temperatures to some fabrics causing damage as its made and the use of thinner fabric overall anyway

if you all want to keep wearing overpriced makes because you feel you need too, due to peer pressure, then carry on.......i am warm and dry always, and most of you are not!

to be honest its all consumerism gone mad, in other outdoor sports you dont find people spending daft money on something that falls apart sometimes within a single season, and this is not just drysuits either! and finally the mark up on drysuits is huge, so when you start paying the likes of money quoted upto a £1000, you need to think again!

Not to mention the first rate service from DAM Watersports ..... I've sent mine back on a Monday for repair for it to be returned ready for more ww adventure on Thursday!

[Terryg]

Never understood people winging about DAM stuff not being breathable, I have a breathable long sleeve cag, and a breathable short sleeve cag.

Not sure of the current range, as I have had DAM kit for years and not needed to replace any for quite a while, but Andi always used to do a drysuit called the Hybrid which had a breathable top and non-breathable bottom.
The non-breathable fabric will outlast the planet, but breathable material will only last a few years. The concept was that the fabric could not breathe inside a kayak anyway, so when the breathable top wore out Andi would put a new top on the old bottom and the owner was only paying the cost of a new cag, rather than a whole suit.

Bottom line is DAM kit is not as stylish as some others, and doesn't come in a new colour each year, but it is bomb-proof, excellent value for money, and the service is brilliant.

[banzer]

What's the best drysuit for masochists that like to do long (sweaty) walk-ins? Needs to be breathable I suppose, and well articulated for movement. Oh and a a massive lump of foam built into both shoulders..... :)

I know you can sometimes walk with the top half pulled down to keep cool, but not if it's raining.....

EDIT Mark M.... are Sweet leaving the WW business? They are the market leaders in helmets!?

[Mark Mulrain]

What's the best drysuit for masochists that like to do long (sweaty) walk-ins? Needs to be breathable I suppose, and well articulated for movement. Oh and a a massive lump of foam built into both shoulders..... :)

EDIT Mark M.... are Sweet leaving the WW business? They are the market leaders in helmets!?

I'd put my money on the IR Devil's Club. No foam on the shoulder but I'm sure a little B&Q trip could sort that ;)

I think you'll probably see sweet WW helmets but say goodbye to the rest of the stuff.

[Jakob]

Wow! have been wondering about sweet's drygear for a while now. Seems to make sense that they are leaving this small market.
I guess the helmets are less difficult to make since they are close to the wintersport ones.


As far as drysuits go:
so far I've tried sandiline, palm, nrs, ir, kokatat and sweet.

Sweet and kokatat stand out. Great fabric and manufacturing. IR are nice as well but less flexible than gore pro shell. palm is less flexible (probably the same as ir) than nrs but i really like the new zipper and the quality seems to be quite good as well. Sandiline is really sturdy but feels bulky. If i were in the market right now, I'd go with palm or ir.

[Franky]

- Deleted post - contained inaccuracies.

[Mark Mulrain]

Sweet and kokatat stand out. Great fabric and manufacturing. IR are nice as well but less flexible than gore pro shell. palm is less flexible (probably the same as ir) than nrs but i really like the new zipper and the quality seems to be quite good as well. Sandiline is really sturdy but feels bulky.

As far as fabric goes, you are stuck with 3 main properties.
Breathability, Durability, Value for money. You can pick a max of 2 from the list really.
It's not a big stretch to assume that as you get more durable (and probably less breathable) you are losing some of the flexibility.
I think pretty much all zippers will be the same on new suits now. Fabrics will certainly not be.

Design will play a much bigger factor in this than the materials used though. The cut of the suit and the zip placement is super important with both comfort and warmth (if you have less excess air inside the suit it'll warm up quicker and breath more effectively).

[Adrian Cooper]

The cut of the suit and the zip placement is super important with both comfort and warmth (if you have less excess air inside the suit it'll warm up quicker and breath more effectively).

Really, but most of these are sold 'off the peg', and then worn under a BA and spray deck.

[Mark Mulrain]

most of these are sold 'off the peg'

Of course, but some suits will have a better cut than others. Especially the ones made by companies that are actually kayaking companies rather than shed operations or sailing companies.

[morsey]

Heavy fabric kayaking gear sucks.

Do you need breathable fabric? 100

I'll take fabric over latex feet.

If you can't do the zip up and undo, how you gonna solo paddle?