1 piece or 2 piece dry suit

[Micheal Artindale]

I would like to kayak throughout the winter in Nova Scotia.

I have a 5mil wetsuit.

I am looking at getting a drysuit.

I have seen a one piece for around $800. I can get a 2 piece for about $400.

Suggestions?

Thanks

Micheal

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Sylvain Fauvel:
>I would go for a Bottom or 1 piece with socks Attached. Cold feet is a
> common problem, even with a dry-suit.

What concerns me about my one-piece bag suit with integral
GoreTex socks is the prospect of shipping water, but not having a
place (ankle gaskets) for it to drain. It would just pool in the
legs. At some point, the weight of same could impede re-entry
into the boat.

Comfort/convenience-wise, it's the cat's meow, but I wouldn't
call it bulletproof.
--
PeteCresswell

[Brian Nystrom]

(PeteCresswell) wrote:
> Per Sylvain Fauvel:
>> I would go for a Bottom or 1 piece with socks Attached. Cold feet is a
>> common problem, even with a dry-suit.
>
> What concerns me about my one-piece bag suit with integral
> GoreTex socks is the prospect of shipping water, but not having a
> place (ankle gaskets) for it to drain. It would just pool in the
> legs. At some point, the weight of same could impede re-entry
> into the boat.
>
> Comfort/convenience-wise, it's the cat's meow, but I wouldn't
> call it bulletproof.

You can make that type of argument about almost anything, but in the
real world, it's a much more theoretical problem than an actual one.
I've never heard of anyone dieing due to water in their dry suit. Unless
you paddle in conditions where you frequently tear up your clothing and
end up with water in it, it's simply not a realistic concern.

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Brian Nystrom:
>I've never heard of anyone dieing due to water in their dry suit. Unless
>you paddle in conditions where you frequently tear up your clothing and
>end up with water in it, it's simply not a realistic concern.

I've read of one dying and a couple almost dying - and I don't go
looking for that kind of stuff.

The guy who died was local. Went out without enough under the
suit, fell in just beyond the surf line and perished before the
eyes of people on the beach.

The near misses were a couple of guys on a Hobie 16.

Repeated attempts to right the Hobie caused their suits to ship
water in small increments (make a fist and observe the little
tunnels that open up between the tendons.... same thing with the
neck).

They had taken on enough water that the PolarTec under the suits
had become so heavy that they could no longer climb up on the
Hobie's hull. Their account was that they would have died if a
power boat hadn't happened along in time.

Balancing the insulating layer under a bag suit is a game that
everybody has to play: too much and you overheat from paddling,
too little and you lose heat too quickly when immersed.

After every cold-water sesh in my bag suit I try to flop into
neck-deep water and fool around with the boat for awhile until
the chill starts to penetrate.

Call me a slow learner, but I am always surprised at how short a
time that is.
--
PeteCresswell

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Brian Nystrom:
>One thing I can say for certain is that having latex socks that I could
>wear wool socks under was a godsend. Before I installed them, even much
>short immersion was very painful on the feet. A friend of mine did a
>test and spent 19 minutes in 28/29 degree salt water.

I wear NRS' "expedition-weight" neoprene socks under them and
Tevas "Neutron" surf shoes over them.

19 minutes is at the long end of what I can spend in 30-ish water
before I start *really* feeling the chill.

That's all well and good.... and 19 minutes is better than
five.... but it definitely puts things in perspective for me.
--
PeteCresswell

[Brian Nystrom]

> Sylvain Fauvel wrote:
>>
>>
>> I would go for a Bottom or 1 piece with socks Attached. Cold feet
>> is a common problem, even with a dry-suit.
>>
>> Also, the attached sock can be either latex (can tear more easily)
>> of neoprene. I would go neoprene. Actually I have Latex socks
>> attached but am considering a change.
>
> I have added goretex socks to my drysuit. That is less prone to tear and
> thinner than neoprene socks, but at least you can continue to wear your
> normal neoprene shoes. Also, unlike the latex ankle gastkets, the socks
> have the added benefit of being a lot less tight around the ankle, which
> means that they are not limiting blood circulation to your feet. That in
> itself can make a big difference when it comes to preventing cold feet.

Where did you find Gore-Tex socks that could be added to a dry suit. I'd
like to add some to mine, since the latex socks that are on it now are shot.

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Bob Gramann:
>I'm 6'2". Having a suit cut "a little long" is never a problem.

I'm 6'5". Had one made semi-custom and, in my opinion, Kokatat
dropped the ball by mis-locating the waist cinch (which keeps the
bottom half of the suit from dropping too low).

Extra body length is a Good Thing bc it allows one to draw the
knees up to the chest without running out of suit length.

But in a normal posture, something is needed to "keep the pants
up" so-to-speak. That's the waist cinch strap - analogous to a
belt.

Four inches lower, and it would work.

It irked me to pay all that line for a suit, even offer to pay
more to have the waist thing fixed, and have them say "sorry, we
don't do stuff like that."
--
PeteCresswell

[Brian Nystrom]

(PeteCresswell) wrote:
> Per Bob Gramann:
>> I'm 6'2". Having a suit cut "a little long" is never a problem.
>
> I'm 6'5". Had one made semi-custom and, in my opinion, Kokatat
> dropped the ball by mis-locating the waist cinch (which keeps the
> bottom half of the suit from dropping too low).
>
> Extra body length is a Good Thing bc it allows one to draw the
> knees up to the chest without running out of suit length.
>
> But in a normal posture, something is needed to "keep the pants
> up" so-to-speak. That's the waist cinch strap - analogous to a
> belt.

Internal suspenders are another option/feature that some dry suit
manufacturers offer.

> Four inches lower, and it would work.
>
> It irked me to pay all that line for a suit, even offer to pay
> more to have the waist thing fixed, and have them say "sorry, we
> don't do stuff like that."

I get the impression that's because Kokatat doesn't make their own
suits. Their custom orders are sent to an overseas factory, which has
limited capacity to make modifications. They can't even do things as
basic as retrofitting Gore-Tex socks on their suits, you have to send
them to a third party.

[Brian Nystrom]

> Brian Nystrom wrote:
>> Wilko wrote:
>>> Sylvain Fauvel wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I would go for a Bottom or 1 piece with socks Attached. Cold
>>>> feet is a common problem, even with a dry-suit.
>>>>
>>>> Also, the attached sock can be either latex (can tear more easily)
>>>> of neoprene. I would go neoprene. Actually I have Latex socks
>>>> attached but am considering a change.
>>>
>>> I have added goretex socks to my drysuit. That is less prone to tear
>>> and thinner than neoprene socks, but at least you can continue to
>>> wear your normal neoprene shoes. Also, unlike the latex ankle
>>> gastkets, the socks have the added benefit of being a lot less tight
>>> around the ankle, which means that they are not limiting blood
>>> circulation to your feet. That in itself can make a big difference
>>> when it comes to preventing cold feet.
>>
>> Where did you find Gore-Tex socks that could be added to a dry suit.
>> I'd like to add some to mine, since the latex socks that are on it now
>> are shot.
>
> Just checked my email from that time: I bought them in 2006 from a
> German ebay seller. I just tried to see if there is still a brand tag in
> there, but looking through the drysuit leg, all I could see is that they
> are grey on the inside. Alas, no tags or writing visible.
>
> I remember that I found them online from US sellers as well, but the
> high shipping cost made that option less interesting for me. I
> deliberately went for a model of sock that had a separate elastic band
> in the top to hold it on. I simply undid the stitches, took out that
> elastic band and used the extra length to sew it onto the leg of my
> drysuit (I used aquaseal to make it watertight). The biggest advantage
> is that without the elastic band they don't cinch at the ankles, and you
> get a bit of extra material to make attaching them easier.

OK, I've seen similar products, but thought you might have found someone
making them specifically for dry suits.

[thief]

> >I'm 6'2". *Having a suit cut "a little long" is never a problem.
>
> I'm 6'5". * Had one made semi-custom and, in my opinion, Kokatat
> dropped the ball by mis-locating the waist cinch (which keeps the
> bottom half of the suit from dropping too low). *

I sold Kokatat dry suits....wanted one....so I called them up about a
shortened leg....i have a 28" inseam and the **** extra long legs
SUCK....
the kokatat person told me that the only changes tehy make is about 2"
on the ankles/wrists...that teh gasket stay in place but the overcuff
gets changed....

too much other work for them....

i turned around and got a Stohlquist BodyPod T that I like better
since they chopped 4" off the legs for me....at the knees then
resealed them....much better fit...and it breaths GREAT!with a more
comfortable neck....