Announcements
New Discussions
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Hop To
Page 1 of 2 1 2
Drysuits. #124223
11/20/07 09:18 AM
11/20/07 09:18 AM
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 976
France
pepin Offline OP
old hand
pepin  Offline OP
old hand

Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 976
France
It's cold in the UK in November. Really cold. So I have to go out and buy me a drysuit. Before sailing in the UK I used to sail in sunny California, and before that in the south of France and in Corsica. I never had to buy a dry suit before, so it is completely unknown territory for me. So I'd like to collect some of the collective wisdom before I buy...

I've read the previous threads on the subject, but the most recommended manufacturer (kokatat) has only one distributor in the UK, and they are asking £750 for the privilege of getting a drysuit with socks from them. As it is 2 times the price of the nearest offer, I consider that ridiculous so I've removed them from my selection.

I've done some research into the various models and brands available in the UK and approximate prices. If you own one of those models, or if I overlooked one, I would be grateful if you can give me a quick review of what you think are their plus or minuses.

Gul Infra: 225
Gul Ion: 325
Gill front zip 400 drysuit: 310
Crewsaver Hyperdry pro: 240
Crewsaver Hyperdry men: 300
Musto MP goretex one design dry suit: 380
Typhoon XTS Pro: 300
Typhoon TY Racer: 230
Lomo tornado drysuit MkII: 175 (available end of december)
Trident with front opening: £230
Henri Lloyd TP1 Stealth Dry Suit: 260

I think what I want in order:

- breathable,
- front entry (because I usually sail without a crew to open my suit for me!),
- latex seals (I must admit I'm curious about the 'eelskin seals' on the Typhoon XTS Pro),
- integrated boots
- good resistance,
- as cheap as possible
- available now

-- Have You Seen This? --
Re: Drysuits. [Re: pepin] #124224
11/20/07 09:32 AM
11/20/07 09:32 AM
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,187
38.912, -95.37
_flatlander_ Offline
old hand
_flatlander_  Offline
old hand

Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,187
38.912, -95.37


John H16, H14
Re: Drysuits. [Re: pepin] #124225
11/20/07 09:34 AM
11/20/07 09:34 AM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 1,459
Annapolis,MD
Keith Offline
veteran
Keith  Offline
veteran

Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 1,459
Annapolis,MD
As far as the "integrated boots" go - hopefully you mean the integrated goretex socks? I'd go with those versus the rubber boots - you have more ability to put on some nice wool socks and still fit your feet in your dinghy boots. If you have the rubber feet, you may have to find a bigger size of footwear if you want some warm socks on underneath.

We're a fan of the Kokatat, but certainly understand the price driver!

Re: Drysuits. [Re: _flatlander_] #124226
11/20/07 09:46 AM
11/20/07 09:46 AM

A
Anonymous
Unregistered
Anonymous
Unregistered
A



Bad link. Try this - Knoydart

Re: Drysuits. [Re: _flatlander_] #124227
11/20/07 09:48 AM
11/20/07 09:48 AM
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 976
France
pepin Offline OP
old hand
pepin  Offline OP
old hand

Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 976
France
Quote

Care to comment a bit? your link (that I fixed there) points to a 'semi-dry suit' whatever that is. If a dry suit is not dry, what's the point of it?

Just curious, since you linked to it...

Re: Drysuits. [Re: pepin] #124228
11/20/07 10:46 AM
11/20/07 10:46 AM
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,187
38.912, -95.37
_flatlander_ Offline
old hand
_flatlander_  Offline
old hand

Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,187
38.912, -95.37
If it's breathable (priority #1), it's a "semi-dry" suit, right?

Quote
Maintaining a balance between the heat your body produces and the heat you lose to the outside environment is essential, and an integrated multi-layered clothing system that fits well, doesn't restrict movement and weighs as little as possible is the key.

A light polyester layer next to the skin will wick moisture away from the body and a fleece mid-layer will protect you from the cold. Both fabrics dry very quickly, and maintain warmth without weight even when damp.
Protective outer shells in Gore-Tex® or Tropos fabric are absolutely waterproof and windproof from the outside, yet allow moisture and perspiration vapour to escape from the inside. The result: you stay drier and more comfortable.

Salt water does not harm these fabrics or affect the performance in any way as salt water crystals are much too large to clog the pores in the membrane.

Salt accumulation does attract moisture so rinsing your garments in fresh water is important. If fresh water isn't available, rinse in salt water. Salt water is only 3% salt.

A breathable Dry Suit or Semi-Dry one piece suit is a comfortable option under any conditions as you can regulate the warmth of the system by adding or removing layers underneath.


John H16, H14
Re: Drysuits. [Re: _flatlander_] #124229
11/20/07 11:13 AM
11/20/07 11:13 AM
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 976
France
pepin Offline OP
old hand
pepin  Offline OP
old hand

Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 976
France
Quote
If it's breathable (priority #1), it's a "semi-dry" suit, right?

Hu, no. Breathable let water out but does not let water in. So if you sweat inside the suit the sweat can escape so you stay dry, but the water cannot come it. From what I heard it's fantastic. All the suits I have listed are both waterproof and breathable...

Drysuits of old were not breathable. So the water was not coming in, but the sweat was not getting out either. So you ended up wet inside your drysuit. New materials are awesome, do not ask me how they work, but they do, I have a motorcycle suit and a ski jacket in breathable fabrics and those are windproof, waterproof *and* breathable.

Re: Drysuits. [Re: pepin] #124230
11/20/07 01:47 PM
11/20/07 01:47 PM
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 131
Scotland
George_Malloch Offline
member
George_Malloch  Offline
member

Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 131
Scotland
I have the Lomo suit. If I was buying another drysuit then I wouldn't consider any other make. It's good quality and has features which generally only feature in much more expensive suits. Customer service is excellent - they sent me the wrong size, when I told them, the correct size arrived the next day. Highly recommended.


Stealth www.peyc.org.uk
Re: Drysuits. [Re: George_Malloch] #124231
11/20/07 02:23 PM
11/20/07 02:23 PM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 1,021
Australia
macca Offline
old hand
macca  Offline
old hand

Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 1,021
Australia
Musto, the only suit to bu if you are serious about keeping warm and dry on a Cat.

I think 90% of all teams in the Archipelago Raid used Musto, the ones that didn't were the ones that got wet....


________________________
http://aus300.blogspot.com
Re: Drysuits. [Re: macca] #124232
11/20/07 02:48 PM
11/20/07 02:48 PM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 12,310
South Carolina
Jake Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Jake  Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 12,310
South Carolina
Quote
Musto, the only suit to bu if you are serious about keeping warm and dry on a Cat.

I think 90% of all teams in the Archipelago Raid used Musto, the ones that didn't were the ones that got wet....


I would agree with that - but also put Kokatat just above Musto on the list. They're also premium drysuits with the customer support that will blow your mind. I recently sent them a three year old (well used) drysuit that had begun to seep a little in the legs and belly. I got a brand new one back within two weeks and no bill.


Jake Kohl
Re: Drysuits. [Re: George_Malloch] #124233
11/20/07 06:56 PM
11/20/07 06:56 PM
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 976
France
pepin Offline OP
old hand
pepin  Offline OP
old hand

Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 976
France
Quote
I have the Lomo suit. If I was buying another drysuit then I wouldn't consider any other make. It's good quality and has features which generally only feature in much more expensive suits. Customer service is excellent - they sent me the wrong size, when I told them, the correct size arrived the next day. Highly recommended.
The lomo sounds great, especially since it is the cheapest. *But* they are out of stock and according to their web site do not expect new shipments until early January. I'm not going to freeze my **s for two months, I need something available now...

Re: Drysuits. [Re: Jake] #124234
11/20/07 06:59 PM
11/20/07 06:59 PM
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 976
France
pepin Offline OP
old hand
pepin  Offline OP
old hand

Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 976
France
Quote
Quote
Musto, the only suit to bu if you are serious about keeping warm and dry on a Cat.

I think 90% of all teams in the Archipelago Raid used Musto, the ones that didn't were the ones that got wet....


I would agree with that - but also put Kokatat just above Musto on the list. They're also premium drysuits with the customer support that will blow your mind. I recently sent them a three year old (well used) drysuit that had begun to seep a little in the legs and belly. I got a brand new one back within two weeks and no bill.
Here we go, two recommendations for the two most expensive models on the list. I guess you get what you pay for <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Re: Drysuits. [Re: pepin] #124235
11/20/07 09:21 PM
11/20/07 09:21 PM
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 22
Montreal
Antilag Offline
stranger
Antilag  Offline
stranger

Joined: May 2006
Posts: 22
Montreal
I got the Gul infra last year in London and I paid 200 pounds at http://www.welshharp.co.uk/

Really happy with it and would do the same again.

Last edited by Antilag; 11/20/07 09:27 PM.
Re: Drysuits. [Re: pepin] #124236
11/20/07 09:26 PM
11/20/07 09:26 PM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 12,310
South Carolina
Jake Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Jake  Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 12,310
South Carolina
Quote
Quote
Quote
Musto, the only suit to bu if you are serious about keeping warm and dry on a Cat.

I think 90% of all teams in the Archipelago Raid used Musto, the ones that didn't were the ones that got wet....


I would agree with that - but also put Kokatat just above Musto on the list. They're also premium drysuits with the customer support that will blow your mind. I recently sent them a three year old (well used) drysuit that had begun to seep a little in the legs and belly. I got a brand new one back within two weeks and no bill.
Here we go, two recommendations for the two most expensive models on the list. I guess you get what you pay for <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />


Having had two that were inexpensive models and didn't hold up for two years, I would say that I wholeheartedly agree with that statement.


Jake Kohl
Re: Drysuits. [Re: Jake] #124237
11/20/07 10:55 PM
11/20/07 10:55 PM
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 756
Newport, RI
wildtsail Offline
old hand
wildtsail  Offline
old hand

Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 756
Newport, RI
The new guls are great with thicker more durable material, brass zippers and glideskin (neoprene) seals.
I don't believe kokotat is yet offering glideskin. It's a huge plus because it elimates the cost of having to replace the tradition latex seals every couple years.

Re: Drysuits. [Re: pepin] #124238
11/21/07 06:16 AM
11/21/07 06:16 AM
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 34
Long Island
gjoyce56 Offline
newbie
gjoyce56  Offline
newbie

Joined: May 2005
Posts: 34
Long Island
I have an OS Systems drysuit ... Don't know the price (I got it at a pro discount) ... but figure it must have been around 600 to 800 USD about five years ago ... anyway ... great suit, lots of doubled material (butt and knees) ...breathable, diagonal front zipper, etc ... I've used DUI (US) and Northern Diver (UK) for dive suits in subArtic/Antarctic waters ...like both manufacturers ... don't know if they make surface suits ...

This is the only non-dive drysuit I've had and it does great duty ...latex socks (I wear wetsuit boots over), neck, wrist ... brass zip ...

Spent an hour floating as a practice dummy MOB in February waters off NJ (similar to off the UK, I'd say) ... and was relatively fine (all things considered!) ... this also entailed being pulled, yanked and rolled into RIBs several times ... no leaks, no rips, etc.

gary

http://www.ossystems.com/

Re: Drysuits. [Re: gjoyce56] #124239
11/21/07 07:29 AM
11/21/07 07:29 AM
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,584
+31NL
Tony_F18 Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Tony_F18  Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,584
+31NL
I was wearing the Musto MPX last weekend (+neopreen gloves&cap).
Even after being on the water for 3 hours I didn't feel cold for a minute (Although it was sunny, it wasn't much warmer than 7-10C).

Re: Drysuits. [Re: gjoyce56] #124240
11/21/07 10:16 AM
11/21/07 10:16 AM
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,969
B
brucat Offline
Carpal Tunnel
brucat  Offline
Carpal Tunnel
B

Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,969
Quote
Spent an hour floating as a practice dummy MOB in February waters off NJ...


Wow. Unless you're a complete masochist, you'd be better off making friends with a fireman. They have life-sized (and weighted) dummies for this purpose... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Since I'm on a tangent, Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Mike

Re: Drysuits. [Re: _flatlander_] #124241
11/22/07 10:42 AM
11/22/07 10:42 AM
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 111
NYC
Vladimir Offline
member
Vladimir  Offline
member

Joined: May 2002
Posts: 111
NYC
I have used ravenspring's Rapid suit for four years.
http://www.ravenspring.co.uk/system/index.html
IMHO it's not bad a suit, for the price.

My new Kokatah is definitely better one....

Re: Drysuits. [Re: Vladimir] #124242
12/07/07 02:40 PM
12/07/07 02:40 PM
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,200
Vancouver, BC
Tornado Offline
veteran
Tornado  Offline
veteran

Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,200
Vancouver, BC
The Kokatat Supernova "semi" drysuit has just been reduced in price at REI (<$340):

http://www.rei.com/product/722283
Supernova

I've used one for the past season and it is really very good for cat sailing. Full beathing, neoprene neck, Tropos (goretex-light) booties instead of latex, front zip, relief zip (mens & womens styles). I will never go back to latex booties!


Mike Dobbs
Tornado CAN 99 "Full Tilt"
Page 1 of 2 1 2

Moderated by  Damon Linkous 

Search

Who's Online Now
0 registered members (), 444 guests, and 85 spiders.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
Darryl, zorro, CraigJ, PaulEddo2, AUS180
8150 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
Forum Statistics
Forums26
Topics22,404
Posts267,055
Members8,150
Most Online2,167
Dec 19th, 2022
--Advertisement--
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.1