I normally sail in a farmer john wetsuit and splash jacket in cold weather, but I borrowed a Dry Suit for Spring Fever and now I'm sold. I thought I would want one with the Pee Zipper, but realize that they may get in the way when hooking up on the wire. Has anyone had a problem with this?

Never in the way - the zipper sits behind my spreader bar. I have only ever used the relief zipper on the water while sailing Waves or when there is very little breeze - getting the harness off between races is not often worth it. I have been VERY glad, though, to have the zipper immediately after hitting the beach and just before launching - quick trips to the loo are just that; quick.

It can be used with a harness on...It just depends on how long your 'mast' is.

I have bought a Kayak wet suit, farmer johns, that zips up in the front and seems to be more comfortable in most sailing positions. Its cut for sitting in a kayak.

The ziping up/down front zipper sure is easy for relieving your self.
Very comfortable and warm when combined with a spray top.

My Gull dry suit zips up from top to bottom, rather than the bottom to top on some other brands. This means you can use the main zipper to have a pee without undoing it all the way. Just like with the dedicated pee zipper, you have to take off the harness to go.

I have the Kokatat goretex drysuit with the relief zipper and I don't have to take the harness off to use it. I have used the zipper many times during the distance races. I think once even from the wire. The zipper fits behind the spreader bar and I just pull it down when I need to use it. I do like sailing in the Zhik gear better for the buoy racing. I don't feel like the Michelin Man

Dry Suit 500 dollars --life jacket 50 dollars --good harness 120 --

Being able to pee off the wire during 100 mile racing legs ---priceless

Have a great 500 MILE race this year David , Jake and all .

Dave. What is "Zhik gear"? Thanks. Ed

Every O'Possum's worst nightmare.... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

I wish I had a pee zipper.

Zhik is a complete line of clothing that was developed expressly for sailing. Every aspect of the clothing was designed in a way to enhance your performance while sailing. You feel like the 6 million dollar man when wearing it.

At the Miami OCR regatta this year, almost every top team in the world was wearing Zhik wetsuits, hiking gear, and PFD's. The gloves are awesome, and if it's cold - the possum hats are worth their weight in gold...

Check it out at www.zhik.com

-Mike

John,

I think Tina liked the hat and what are you supposed to do with road kill?

ED,

Zhik is a line of sailing clothing, shoes, gloves, under layers, wet suits that is new to the US. It is great stuff and works great.

On the drive home while passing through all the reforested land just north of I-16, I spun Tina a tale of how the region was once one of the greatest concentrations of marsupial O'possum populations in the world, but how mysteriously over the last year, the critter has all but dissappeared, leaving a gaping hole in the ecosystem and putting several highway workers in the roadkill cleanup division out of work... then I asked her how she liked her hat, and she connected the dots for a good laugh. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Instead of a zipper, could you use a relief tube like Timbo does in his big jets?

Kirk used to wear "Depends" under his dry suit :P

"used to?" <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Thats the story we got :P

Don't diss the Depends. I know other people who do that and they say it works great.

Do you know the love sick astronaut?!?! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

I heard several great reviews on the Zhik stuff from several folks that bought and used it over the weekend.

Mike/David.... I noticed that Sunday you guys switched over to dry suits. Sunday morning was brutaly cold. What's the temp range that you start to feel the elements with the Zhik? Did you use the Zhik under your Dry suits?