My steamer is starting to see better days and I use a shorty most of the year anyway, so thought about investing in a dry suit.

Does anyone have any recommendations or makes/types to avoid ?

Will presume I need to budget about £220 to £250 is that reasonable ?

Thanks
Mark

From my own experience, stay away from Ocean Rodeo, I found that standard sailing dry suits work just as well if not better, are a lot cheaper as well. As much as latex seals work well to begin with, neoprene has a far great life and less memory damage from stretching on and off. Search around and 200 quid should get you a suit and wooly bear to go under. personally ill be sticking to me steamer.

on my second typhoon Mark and they seem to be equal to the other far more expensive units. need to wear 2/3mm socks over the tops of the ankle seals to stop water blasting up as per wet suits. i only wear a pair of wicking long john and long arm thermals and am toasty...........mind you dont stay in the water for long as there is little thermal insulation from the suit when it touches .

My Gul drysuit cost £200 and is still going strong two years later.

I 2nd fat shady, my gul drysuit cost £200 and is quality.

Agree with Shem

Just bought a "Gul Enforcer - back zip" from Watersportswarehouse.co.uk £235 including a thermal suit. You'll need to call them about this model as they only show the front zip version.

All breathable etc.

It's got neoprene neck and wrist seals and has latex ankle seals - but has a neoprene ankle cover that hooks over your foot - so put your boots over the top and no water shoot up your leg.

Here's the link to the page :- http://www.watersportswarehouse.co.uk/shopscr1432.html />
Was hoping to use it this w/e but the winds buggred off!!



Rich


[Edited on 11-1-2008 by baileyman]

Hi Rich / Neil / Shem

thanks for the link.

why buy 'back-zip' rather than 'front-zip' ?

also, my size doesnt quite fit large or xlarge on that link.

i am over 6'3 so only just fitting in the body, but am 35/36 on the waist and only 41/42 on the chest so to get the length I will have to go for a baggy arse and chest, will this have any effect on warmth factor or do I just wear a thicker fleece ?

as it is, I get hot very easily and I dont want to melt.

Mark

Just a thought Mark and I've had no experience or even seen one. It'll break your budget too but Ocean Rodeo now do a proper surfing Dry Suit. Dont even ask me what's different. Worth a few moments research I suppose..............

Like I said I've no idea how good it is or what ever.

me - I'm the one fumbling round in the back of a small car with the engine running trying to get changed without getting the car wet, keeping doors closed and not blinding passers by.

i remember Phill had one made especially large for himself; at the present cannot remember his use name but it might come to me;
you could try Nigel at typhoon 01642486104
he might have a suggestion and even get one made for you. good luck

Well my Ocean Rodeo Pyro Pro is faultless. It costs more i know but has not let me down. But second what everyone else say's about the gul's, they seem spot on.

i'm not sure i'd reccomend one mark.....i used mine all last winter but could never work out if i was wet due to sweating or leaking......i only ever got out of the water dry, once. on the other hand, almost everyone else seemed quite happy with their suit. i'd go with a good wetsuit nextime.

Well I posted this nearly a year ago and never got around to buying a dry suit but carried on with my wetsuit. But another years wear has seen it getting a lot more 'tired' now and it will not do another winter season.

Have been looking into the dry suit option again... Anyone any ideas on this model for suitability ....

http://www.wetsuitoutlet.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=28_97_99&products_id=1631

woww looks a great price. with latex socks fitted you will have to wear a form of boot underneath lest they get cut. my first suit had socks and they are great once you find a suitable thin shoe/boot; my current suit just has ankle seals and i wear thin 2m sock over them to stop the water shooting up the legs. having seen the Gul suits next time i will choose one of those. Nicks comment about being wet; like Col he sweats too much, cut down on the layers underneath; i only wear a pair of wicking long jons and long sleeve top even in winter and i'm toasty without sweating.

yea neils right, i haven't got the layering right yet, i sweat too much, but at least i'm warm..


i'm on third season with the ocean rodeo pyro pro and it's still going strong, i have just had new seals put on, i accidently ripped the neck seal so went for a neoprene neck and latex ankle and wrists, i didn't really need the ankles etc doing but i thought while it was in for repair it'll keep going, if anything i was too hot on saturday, either that or i weeeeeeed again (must be a bladder thing.catching up with neil you know!!)

Shem you must have had a duff suit, the ocean rodeo is still our best selling drysuit at the shop, with over 200 sold in two years, the only returns we get are from people who brought the wrong sizes and are swapping for next size up or down...i mean my suit is a medium but someone put XL in the size label

I wear dry suits day in day out for work in the Winter, but I think they suck for kitesurfing.

I suppose they're ok if its onshore and you stay in you depth, but don't ever try to swim in one. Drop you kite and packdown in the Winter, you'll just be like a big crisp bag going with the rip. Burst a seal or a zip, and all your body heat is gone in a flash.

Beware

Dunk

Hey Mark, that GUL looks the biz for the money. I'm with the Ocean Rodeo boys myself. this was because of the sizing that was available. Being that I weigh about 15 stone and am 6'3", I went for the Large tall which seems to be a perfect fit. The Pyro has latex seals all round and a front loading zip. Like Niel, I wear a fast wicking set of long johns an a similarly constructed thin fleece top as a base layer, however, if it ain't that cold or you have an epic session, you will get a tad damp.

As pointed out by Dunk, beware if you spend any amount of time in the drink, you will soon lose your core temperature but as for swimming, its a matter of technique. I have used drysuits on a number of occasions for white water safety courses which often require you to self rescue from grade 3 and 4 rapids, without any problems. You just have to ensure that you expell the majority of the air.

Anyway..I saw this Drysuit, packed with features and has to be the coolest looker on the market.

http://www.npxwetsuits.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=156&Itemid=306 />

I must say though that I still prefere to use a wettie for as long as is possible before I switch. for the sort of $$ you are considering spending on a drysuit, you could get a fab wetsuit. Check this out, Its suposedly the warmest wettie on the market and has wone awards 2 years on the bounce.

http://xcelwetsuits.com/surf/index.php?area=products />

Good luck buddy

[Edited on 17-11-2008 by jon d hat]

I just priced up new seals for my ocean rodeo, as the seals only lasted one year, and it seems stupid having it sat there doin nothing, but Ive been quoted £90 plus carage both ways for new seals, which seems colstly when I could buy a new dry suit for a little more!!!! I totally back up dunks point of view, for me a wet suit is way better and way safer as well.

Ok, so the link to the wettie doesn't take you straight there. youneed to scroll allong the product screens till you get to the Infinity Hooded 6/5/4 Fullsuit

Hey shem.. there is a lady called Delia Ellard the lives in Rugby who replaces seals. She replaced my neck seal in my Kayack cag ( which is identicle to the O.R seal) for £30. that was with the cost of the seal. I think Dunk knows her. If not, I'll try ang get her tel. no. of one of my mates from the local kayak club

Well some more advice to consider. Dunk scared me a bit the other night with tales of split zips/suits and water filling them up and dragging you to the bottom, but not sure if he wasn't winding me up again or not.

That said, I am more than warm enough in my 5/3 at the moment, it just seems more cosy to be able to get in and out of a dry suit without having to put it on again wet ( sweat damp notwithstanding ).

I like the look of the NPX one and viewed the video on their site but at £450 and not available till next March, I will have to consider an alternative.

[Edited on 18-11-2008 by Loxley]

ta john, the prob is both wrist seals, both ankles and the neck need doing. which came to 90 quid, then theres carrage both waysm, so total is 110 quid. If you could get me the no tho thats be sweet. Thanks again

Thats unusual Shem, I have had my kayak dry cag for 7 years and I tore the neck seal a couple of years ago. No other trouble with it. Had my Pyro for a year and no issues with it yet. Have you ever got oil or petrolium based substances on any of the seals? I know the sort of gear you have knocking about. All of my Kayak mates use these types of seals in their dry gear and none of them have ever recalled all of the seals going. What exactly was the problem? maybe you shouls speak to Ocean Rodeo about this.

Just going back to the safety issue, whilst I take on board what people have reported as their experience, and I know that Dunks zip failed on his suit. If you want to know what happens to a drysuit in the unlikely event of you slashing it or a seal giong, there is a simple experiment that you can do to put your mind at rest. Blow up a plastic bag and seal it so its abit like a baloon, get a bowl of water, submerge the bag, stick a knife in the bag, once all of the air has expelled from the bag, remove it from the water and see how much water has gone into the bag, a minimal amount i'm sure. The theory being that if your drgsuit fails, the water bressure should press the suit tight against your body and not allow too much water in.

I suppose that should your zip fail and you are body dragging, your suit would fill with water but if you expell all of the air from your suit in the first place, it should'nt want to pop like a crisp packet!

Have tx'd you the number of the Drysuit repairers shem

Cheers jon,

But final question.... front chest zip or back shoulder zip ?

any preferences, one better than the other etc ?

My Pyro is a front loader and I find it more conveinient for ease of use, however, this was at a premium price. That wasn't the only reason I chose this suit, as I previousely mentioned, It was largely due to the fact that Ocean Rodeo make their suits in a Large Tall size. The suits also have expansion panels in the knees, shoulders and lower back.

I wouldn't wish to sound like a sales person for Ocean Rodeo so as far as I know, Neil has a back loader and Nick has a front loader with the diagonal zip so may be worth asking for other opinions as I can only speak from my own experience.

front/back. had a front on my first suit and as Jon says more convenient. my current on zips from the back and i use a cleat attached to the stairs on the back of the van to open and close.
a note i had from a diver friend who has used dry suits since Adam and Eve; if using a front zip be carefull to grab and hold on to the fabric where the zip starts when opening and closing , it has been known to rip there if not careful.
i shouldnt think you will look back once you have tried one
re the filling up; once you have your seat harness on and then a vest/impact vest over the top there aint any room for the water to come in!

[Edited on 23/11/08 by mNeil]