Can anyone suggest a good dry suit?

Question

My fiance sometimes takes his Hobie Cat sailing in the wintertime. He needs a good dry suit. Anyone know of what the best kind is? What should I look for? I suppose divers can answer this one??

Answer 1

It's called a wet suit!

Answer 2

I picked up one for wakeboarding a few seasons back @ http://www.adrenalinewatersports.com/Pro...  , the price is right, he offers free repairs the first three years.  The suit is of the baggy variety, I have taken some pretty good wipeouts without any water getting in.  In fact once, I didn't release excess air after zipping it up, when I took a hard face plant, I ended up bobbing around in the water like gumby, that is how air tight the seals are.  I've ridden in water in the 40's and air temps much colder.  The baggy suit allows you to layer clothing under the suit so you can control just how warm you want to be.  When I wakeboard during the Winter, I am typically only trunking it under my suit.  Because I am generating body heat during my session, the air space in the suit keeps me plenty warm.  I ride year round now, a must for anyone looking to extend their season in any water sport.  Check it out and good luck.

Answer 3

For sailing, huh?

There are three principle materials that dry suits are made from.

1/ Crushed neoprene.

2/ Tri laminate.

3/ Vulcanized rubber.

For sailing, you'd probably be better off with the either of the last two.

Crushed neoprene tends to be fairly heavy and bulky and just by itself, is pretty darn warm. I've actually broken into a sweat in one ice diving. You're warm or you're very hot.

Tri lam's and vulcanized rubber are lighter and somewhat thinner. making them easier to move around in. You can wear whatever undergarment is required for the conditions. By themselves, they don't have a huge thermal protection factor.

As for manufacturers, most of the major suit brands make a tri lam, whereas in the vulcanized rubber, Viking pretty well has the market covered.

One big selling feature to look for is zipper location. Front entry would be a definite plus for a sailor, especially if they are by themselves. Rear entry requires the help of someone to zip. Location of the suit'sdump valve would be something to consider here too. You don't want it interfering with things like lines that pass close to the body. Some suits have the dump closer to the wrist, others have it nearer the shoulder on the left side. To get a good fit, dry suits are custom made, so you can specify where you want the valve when it's built. One handy little thing to add, if it's a male sailor, is the addition of a pee valve with the "plumbing apparatus". Beats having to take the suit off to go to the bathroom. All my suits have this feature.

One other thing to consider are the seals. Latex seals are more expensive but require great care so as not to tear them. You're pretty well guaranteed to stay dry. Neoprene seals are tougher but don't seal quite as well 100% of the time.. Some suits offer dry gloves with O ring seals at the wrist. Sort of similar to a space suit's gloves. A pla of mine bought this set up and now wishes he hadn't. He considers them a bit of a pain to put on and without the gloves, there is no seal.

I own an example of each of the three dry suits. A Viking vulcanized rubber with latex seals, a Brooks Seal suit of compressed neoprene and a Deep Sea tri lam. The first two are rear entry and the Deep Sea is a front..

Answer 4

Drysuits are expensive, but they can be a lifesaver.  If you shop around, you can get pretty good deals.  Sometimes Sierra Trading Post has them on sale - but I just checked, and there are none there now.  Make sure he never goes out without a spotter to watch him - dry suits can buy you time in cold water, but they aren't an insurance / safety net.  

http://www.kokatat.com/product_drysuits....

http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product_list....

http://www.outdoorplay.com/store/product...

http://www.ossystems.com/