I took the Kokatat Expedition Gore-Tex dry suit for a test paddle this morning. I also was wearing my Reed one piece fleece liner.
The combination kept me warm but not sweaty. I cooled down with a couple of sculling braces in the middle of the lake and then paddled home hard to get hot, sure enough I got hot and a little damp, even the best Gore-Tex is not going to prevent that. I cooled down with a quick roll, discovering that the water was still brutally chilly, instant brain freeze, and the breeze didn’t help that. I pulled up the integrated hood and warmed up quickly.
The suit was easy to get in and out and the cuffs seemed stretchier than my previous suit. The Reed one price liner was great, it has a fairly high neck which unlike my Immersion Research liner meant my neck was cozy warm too. The reed suit has a front zip entry the Immersion Research has a large neoprene neck entry system. Both liners are coming with me on the next Apostles Island trip (only 4 days to go!)
It was good to get a roll in with the kayak loaded and all my gear on, I forget sometimes how different it is to roll in the pool in a Tuilik and my Tahe Greenland compared to an NDK explorer, dry suit, PFD, spray skirt, and a kayak full of gear.
Don’t make your first roll of the season be a surprise…..
