Dry Suit

[leigh@bessonappraisals.com]

I am looking for opinions on using a dry suit.  Do you use one?  I'm wondering if or how often I would use one.  I paddle a least once a week, ususally Wickford or Allen Harbor, North Kingstown.   I'm not competent at level 3 yet but am working toward it.  (looking forward to the event at the Bay Campus 9/7.)
I wonder if it's only usefull in cold weather when I propbably wont be out there anyway.
Would a shorty wet suit, pants and a spray jacket be more useful?
thanks, Leigh.

[Cat.Radcliffe]

This is my personal perspective; I hope other paddlers respond to your post as well.

Generally, a drysuit is recommended when water temperatures are below 60°F.  If you don't go paddling in cold weather it's probably not worth it.

For temps above 60°F, I personally prefer neoprene hydroskin pants and top rather than a wetsuit, which I find to be too restrictive, but hydroskin is generally only available in .05-1.5mm thicknesses, whereas wetsuits are around 3mm.  

Neoprene apparel works by letting in a layer of water which works as an insulating layer next to your skin.  But if the water's too cold your body won't be able to warm up the water layer; that's when a drysuit comes in.

You can get a lot of information with an internet search, such as "water temp guide" to wetsuits, hydroskin or drysuits.  Also, www.nrs.com sells a wide variety of cold-water apparel with a lot of information.

[leigh@bessonappraisals.com]

Thank you very much for your response, Cat. I greatly appreciate your advice. Thanks for the link. FYI, I have a small sailboat on a mooring in Wickford. The water temperature according to my pool thermostat was 70 degrees Wednesday. I paddle in Wickford a lot. My inground swimming pool (came with the house) is also 70.

[jsharlin]

I've used dry suits for the past 20 years and recently switched to a semi- dry suit and love it.
Firstly it's more comfortable because it doesn't have a latex neck gasket ( neoprene ). It has latex wrist gaskets which keeps the water out.
The Kokatat model I have is a Hydrus material which breathes yet doesn’t let water in. It's much lighter than Gore-Tex and way less expensive plus it’s more flexible. If I do roll or swim very little water comes through the neck because it fits snugly . I prefer to wear it through the cold seasons and regulate my layering underneath with wool as my base layer. Wool ( Smart Wool ) feels soft and if you sweat or get a bit wet will still stay warm.
Personally I'm not a fan of the cold clamy feeling of a wet suit though I use a NRS hydro skin top and bottom and splash jacket for in between seasons. I hope this helps with your information gathering on this topic.

[leigh@bessonappraisals.com]

I've used dry suits for the past 20 years and recently switched to a semi- dry suit and love it.
Firstly it's more comfortable because it doesn't have a latex neck gasket ( neoprene ). It has latex wrist gaskets which keeps the water out.
The Kokatat model I have is a Hydrus material which breathes yet doesn’t let water in. It's much lighter than Gore-Tex and way less expensive plus it’s more flexible. If I do roll or swim very little water comes through the neck because it fits snugly . I prefer to wear it through the cold seasons and regulate my layering underneath with wool as my base layer. Wool ( Smart Wool ) feels soft and if you sweat or get a bit wet will still stay warm.
Personally I'm not a fan of the cold clamy feeling of a wet suit though I use a NRS hydro skin top and bottom and splash jacket for in between seasons. I hope this helps with your information gathering on this topic.

Thank you, very helpful.