Which drysuit would well in an revolution/adventure?

Well, I am about to become the proud owner of either a Revolution or a Adventure (Leaning towards the adventure)

In the next week I am going to take both of them out to see which one suits me the best.

My primary use would be exploratory trips (sometime multi-day), and fishing. (Puget sound area, mostly salt water)

But my question is more around gear/clothing in cold weather. I am up in the Pacific Northwest area of the US.
(Seattle to be exact)

And it can get dang cold up here, and I would like to use the kayak year round.

Does anybody have any suggestions on what is good gear to keep you warm? I am guessing a drysuit would work.
But I am not to familiar yet with what are good brands/etc that work well with the kayaking sport.

So any suggestions for dry suits or other ways to keep warm would be very much appreciated!

Thanks,

Hank.

Hi
First off I will qualify that I do not live in a cold climate and took the Revo out Tuesday at Newport Harbor in about 85 degree weather (sunscreen, shorts, tank, and bare feet)! But I do a lot of canyoneering and own many wetsuits and drysuits for cold water. First off if you have not had a Hobie mirage kayak before you will be surprised at how dry you stay. With the Revo I seem to always get my feet wet launching. If it is cold out I usually just get away from shore, dry off my feet and put some warm socks and shoes on. Landing I never get wet, just walk out the front of the kayak. With the mirage drive you stay dry in the kayak, wear anything you need to stay warm.

I actually much prefer a wetsuit over a drysuit for the hobie. I have the Ultra Jane suit from NRS and love it. You can layer some fleece under it if cold (Wavelite XT works great). You can also throw on some splash pants if really cold. Drysuits are very hard to maintain (gaskets) and require a lot of layers underneath to stay warm. They are a real pain to put on.

Cheers,
Jill

I use the supernova angler drysuit, weather here in upstate Ny gets quite cold. Wetsuits dont cut it when water temps and air temps dip down. I use mysterioso set or wave lite union suit underneath and a second layer when really cold (water under 40 degrees). No problems with movement in the adventure and since its a semi dry the neck gasket is different material which doesn't require much care, for wrist gaskets I spray 303 protectant on after cleaning to keep in proper condition. It is easy to get in and out of as well. Remember we dress for safety in case of the eventual spill. You never know why or when you will end up in the drink. I had a heart attack couple years ago on the water with water temps under 40 and air temps in the 40's, so I preach that it's not if you go in the water but when. Look on youtube the guys from KFS site did a good test last year in cold water and weather.

Hank,

I live just up the road from you in Everett, WA. I bought my Hobie Revolution last May. The water around here is cold. Everything I have read about safety says you need to dress for the temperature of the water, not the air. Around here that makes it uncomfortable in the summer when the air temperature is in the 80's and the water is still in the 40's! I looked at drysuits. I thought they would be too warm in the summer. I decided on NRS wetsuit pants. These are combined with a Mysterioso long sleeve shirt. I also have the Kokatat splash top and pants. Don't forget some neoprene boots too. I use different combinations of these depending on the conditions.
I went to a local lake and pedaled out to the middle and practiced falling in with this stuff. Wanted to see how the gear would do. The Revolution is pretty stable so falling out shouldn't happen too often. I also wanted to make sure I could climb back in! No problem. I probably should try this in the current 45 degree Puget Sound.
I think the drysuit would be great for fall and winter. I may consider this in the future.

Jay

I fish up in LI sound (CT). The waters get cold as well as the air. I use a wet suit all year long. Different types depending upon the season. Shortie for the summer (bathing suit over it and tshirt). Early spring and late fall. 5mm with shortie on top. Sometimes Mysterioso shirt, pants or underarmour. I wear splash pants (to protect wet suit pants) with drytop. Farmer john before summer and in early fall. No restrictions on movement at all. 2 advantages over dry suit. I will float with wet suit (Acts like another PFD). If it gets cut accidently (maybe cutting bait/sharp object/etc.) and I should fall in, I will still be kept warm. Dry suit-water will leak in....

_________________
John

Hank,
If you have not purchased yet, take a look at the Kokatat Tempest Pants with integrated socks to keep lower body dry. I use my Outback for rec and fishing and am not terribly worried about keeping the top of me dry (usually) but don't ever want to sit in water. The Tempest Pants work great. I bought some cheap tennies with velcro straps to wear over socks and protect socks when wading.

Wet suits get too hot where i live but you still need to prepare for accidental immersion, maybe for some period of time in an emergency.

I find the neoprene collar on this model quite comfortable and no harder to put on than a wetsuit, it breathes and stps you chilling out I also find it more comfortable than a wetsuit.

http://www.kokatat.com/product_detail.asp?code=sno

_________________
Fair Skies, Max.

Thanks all for responding. I ended up getting the adventure. And I also got the Kokatat drysuit
as featured here; http://www.kokatat.com/product_detail.asp?code=gmer

The suit has worked out great, the biggest issue with it is that the neck collar was so tight I was starting to get sick I followed the recommendation of several people which said to take a pan and push it through the collar and leave it for a week.

That has reduced the tightness to a point that it is acceptable.

I have taken the yak out several times in the last few weeks, and it is always around 34 or lower, no problems at all staying warm!

And the Adventure flies! All normal paddle boats hate me

Thanks,

Hank.

I've been using an XCEL 6/5/4 hooded wetsuit up here in Kodiak, Alaska. This is my normal surfing gear. I've been using it for AI trips and some things I don't like about using it for the Hobie happen to be...

1. no relief zipper
2. wind chill is not stopped by neoprene so i have to wear rain gear over the wetsuit.
3. no pockets
4. wetsuits are uncomfortable dry.
5. I dont want fish blood on my surf wetsuit due to large sea creatures that are attracted by sent.
6. changing is cold and annoying because you have to go naked under the suit.