Home Forums General Discussion Kokatat drysuit question

Viewing 2 reply threads
  • Author
    Posts
    • #2843
      jacobsviper
      Participant
      • Total Posts: 418

      OK I know this is going to be a huge debate but my dry suit is what they call “wetting out” I guess? the last time I used it I felt like I was wet and clamy and felt soaked (this was in cold weather) trying to find out whats the best method of getting the water to bead off again like new without harming the drysuit beings its still like brand new! Thanks for your time

    • #2857
      Bilbo
      Participant
      • Total Posts: 159

      I would stop short of blaming the drysuit just yet.  A few points:

      A lot of this has to do with what you are wearing underneath and its wicking capability.  Dry suits can only allow sweat vapor of a certain atomized size to pass the membrane outwards, and cannot pass large amounts of collected sweat.  If your underlayer is doing more absorption and less wicking outwards, you will retain moisture.

      If you suspect that your drysuit is not dry, close off the openings and fill it with water while the garment is completely inside out.  This will tell you if water is coming in.

      If there is a lot of immersed time in the water during the winter, there will be more pressure from the outside of the drysuit than from the inside.  You see these optimistic diagrams on how Gore-Tex works under ideal conditions, but there is no such thing as a simultaneous bidirectional repulsion and outward vapor passing.  Are you just in the water more than not?

      The final things to compare would be to question whether the suit felt clammy and wet if you were not exerting your self as much (generating a lot of sweat), and if you tried paddling flat water without getting wet from the outside.  Then drill down further.

      Bill

      • #2860
        jacobsviper
        Participant
        • Total Posts: 418

        well I did do a lot of swimming early in the year so that’s prob. what it was thank you bill for explaining that to detail that I could understand. Ill try it out next year and see about getting better under layers. I just know when I first got the suit about 5 times of wearing It I started noticing heaviness In the arms like it was soaking through. when I got out of the water it felt like it was Holding alot of water and felt like it wasn’t shedding the water as I figured it should. I will fill it with water like you mentioned and experiment with it. I just thought I was suppose to put like water repellent stuff on it like I do my dry jackets for fishing to bead the water off. like (DWR) … ReviveX Spray-On, Nikwax Direct Wash-in or Nikwax Direct Spray-On. yearly or something like that But Im convinced now it was prob. the excessive immersed time in the water of me swimming. Thank you again for your time writing that out.

        jacob

        • This reply was modified 9 years, 3 months ago by jacobsviper.
    • #2869
      JohnKuthe…
      Participant
      • Total Posts: 293

      NikWax!! That’s what I could not think of. Gordo used to speak highly of the wash in kind I believe.

      I have a really ancient Kokatat drysuit that desperately need some of that. Wet it’s several lbs heavier from the water the outer fabric soaks up. (Of course what it also need is replacement built in neoprene boots, which Kokatat doesn’t even make anymore!)

Viewing 2 reply threads
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Shopping Cart