What did I do before I had a dry suit? Now I cannot imagine paddling or training without my Kokatat Goretex Meridian Dry Suit. If I am going to spend an extended period of time in the water coaching clients it is invaluable.
Who should have a dry suit? Anyone who participates in water sports where the water is cold. A beginner or intermediate paddler will greatly benefit from the boost in confidence and increased safety resulting from staying warm and dry.
What to wear under your drysuit
The warmth of the dry suit relies on you base layers - fabric that remains warm when wet and dries quickly and can wick any moisture or perspiration away from your skin.
Your level of activity and the temperature of the environment will determine the level of warmth of your thermal layers - generally long sleeve top, long thermal pants and warm socks are a minimum for comfort.
Care and Maintenance
Wash: After every use I hose the suit down (while still in it!) or use the handy outdoor showers on the foreshore. Periodic washing with a good Goretex wash such as Grangers Performance Wash is recommended - cool water, can be by hand or gentle machine wash.
Hang the suit to dry and store it loose. Do not use bleach or dry cleaning.
Zippers: to keep zippers running freely, particularly for when you need them in a hurray, they should be treated regularly with a Zipper Lubricant stick.
Gaskets: Gaskets start off tight - resist the temptation to trim them and practise stretching them over some neck-sized can or football the night before use. Treat your gaskets frequently with a protectant such as 303 Protectant.
Avoid getting sunscreen or insect repellant on the gaskets or anywhere on the drysuit. Take care of gaskets when putting on the suit and removing it - avoid wearing a watch or spiky earrings.
I get about two years solid use out of my gaskets as the suit gets a lot of use in the course of work. They then need to be replaced. Gasket replacement is best done by a professional, but can be DIY if you are handy, purchasing just the gaskets, or with a tool kit Kokatat has put together. Factory repairs can be organised within Australia.
Socks: To maintain the waterproof-ness of the suit, you need to look after the socks. Take care when changing in and out of the suit - have something to stand on such as a rubber mat to avoid small punctures. Always wear water shoes - you may find that you shoes for wearing with your drysuit will need to be a size larger than you would normally wear. If you do put a small hole in the socks, it can be sealed with Aquaseal.
Availability and Styles
The Kokatat Goretex Meridian Dry Suit is manufactured in Arcata, California USA. *There is usually some stock available in Men’s and Women’s sizes in the Goretex Meridian, but it is best to check before ordering as not all colours or sizes may be available and will have to come from the USA.*
It is even possible to have a custom suit made for you but expect that this will take a couple of months, depending on the time of year and how busy the factory is.
There is a variety of other styles of Kokatat dry suits, plus some in different fabrics such as Hydrus 3L, imported on demand.
Styles without the double tunnel are available (Legacy Goretex). The double tunnel does pull in the waist and improve the fit for any paddler, but for canoeists, SUP paddlers and other water sports enthusiasts (or people allergic to neoprene as it is possible to leave off the neoprene protecting the latex gaskets - custom build) the Legacy style may be preferred.