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Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board
It depends
Posted By: Brian Nystrom In Response To: Re: Dry suit vs Neoprene? (Don Beale)
Date: Monday, 8 January 2001, at 12:51 p.m.
: I read an interesting article on Wavelength yesterday, comparing the two. The
: argument was in favor of neoprene, because it is more durable and less
: dependant on the seals and zipper to be effective. Basically, they said, a
: dry suit is worthless if it gets even a small puncture where neoprene is
: still good even if it gets torn. ("Keep that in mind when getting out
: into the brambles...")While this is certainly a valid point, for most paddlers, it's probably a non-issue. I don't spend a lot of time in "brambles" when I'm paddling; actually, none. There aren't a lot of brambles out on the ocean or the lakes around here. Even when camping, I have yet to damage any of my shell gear when hiking to and from the campsite and the beach.
Keep in mind that while small punctures in a dry suit can certainly cause a problem, they can also be fixed in seconds with a dap of Aqua Seal, one of the Goop products, silicone sealer, Super Glue or even pine sap, in a pinch. They are also only an issue if you end up swimming or you're getting pounded by surf. The only real concern I have is with large tears, which are even less likely than small punctures. Even those can be fixed in the field with a needle, thread and one of the aforementioned sealers.
One thing that the article may not habe pointed out is the difference in comfort between wet and dry suits. In neoprene, you are ALWAYS wet, either from the water or from your own sweat. This is not the case in a Gore Tex dry suit. The first time you get out of a drysuit after a rolling session and discover that all you have to do is dry off your feet, hands, head, then drive home, it's a real revelation.
If you paddle in cold weather, you'll damn near freeze to death while getting out of a wet suit, unless you have a heated facility for changing. Ask anyone who's into scuba diving about this; they'll tell you how much fun it is.
: In addition, neoprene is less expensive.
No argument here, but you do get what you pay for.
: They really dissed the plastic drysuit zippers, saying they leak right from
: the factory.Perhaps so, but I've never seen a paddling dry suit with plastic zippers. Every one I've looked at has metal zippers and they're bombproof. What products are they referring to? I suspect that it's older garments that are no longer being made.
: I wouldnt know firsthand on the drysuit, but the argument made
: sense to me, was well written and apparently well researched.And it also seems that the author may have an axe to grind. It would be helpful to know what kind of paddling the author does. It sounds like he may be a white water paddler or perhaps he's into wilderness camping in really rugged areas. What is the water and air temp where he's paddling? It all makes a big difference.
I can certainly see advantages to padding in neoprene under some conditions and I use it myself in mild weather and water. The dry suit is simply too warm when the air and water are much above 50 degree F, unless you're in the water a lot. However, no wetsuit that you can comfortably wear in a kayak is going to protect you from the current comditions around here, where water temps are 40 F or less and the air is often much colder. For that, you need a 6mm farmer John style suit and jacket that gives you 12 mm of insulation over your torso and upper legs. I can tell you from experience that they're God-awful uncomfortable to dive in, let alone trying to stuff one into the sitting position in a kayak. Just for laughs, try one on some time if you have the chance. You'll see what I mean.
BTW, you can get neoprene dry suits. They have the advantage of providing more insulation than Gore Tex if they fill with water, but they're bulky, heavy and more expensive than Gore Tex paddling suits
The optimum choice of clothing really all depends on what you're going to be doing. For my type of use (sea touring) and conditions (cold water and air) a dry suit is really the only safe option, in my opinion. I use a neoprene hood, boots and gloves, but the wet suit stays at home. In fact, on the group trips I go on, no one is allowed to use anything but a dry suit this time of year. It's just a common sense safety regulation
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