March 7, 2004

I Can Breathe!

I carried the boat and the gear to the water. This will probably be my last day in this very snug dry-suit. I had arranged to pick up an OS Systems dry-suit from Mike Aronoff in the afternoon. So rather than suffer through much of a day trip I spent an hour or so getting back in touch with my bow rudders, hanging draws - you know, all the fun stuff.

That afternoon Mike told me about his BCU to ACA crossover training he gave down in Georgia during the week. It sounded like a great time paddling with some of the finest paddlers in the US, all BCU 5 star paddlers including one level 5 coach/accessor 5 - truly a world class paddler!

I was anxious to get out in the new dry-suit, but driving from Leesylvania to Mike's I broke my glasses while trying to clean them. Blast! Luckily I had my prescription sunglasses with me.

Saturday night rolled around and I decided I had to go out on Sunday. The weather has just been too nice to pass up a paddling day like this. My sunglasses don't have as good of a prescription as my regular glasses, but I made do with what I had.

It was so nice sitting in my kayak in the new dry-suit and not feeling so constrained. I could move - I could breathe. It brought me back to a better place. On Friday I thought I was very out of shape, but today I know a lot of that was the tightness of the old suit. I *am* out of shape, but not nearly as bad as I had thought I had been.

The OS Systems dry-suit crinkled with every stroke like a plastic grocery bag. I remember my Kokatat being the same way when it was new. But I soon tuned it out and paddled across belmont bay and back - roughly 6 miles in the round about course I took. I even broke out the sail for a few minutes until I got bored and switched back to paddling. It just felt so nice being unencumbered by my old, tight, dry-suit.

I guess I should point out the differences between my 2 suits in the event it might help someone to decide what to buy when in the market.

The OS Systems (Spirit) suit is a thinner material. It doesn't feel quite as durable as the gore-tex Kokatat, but the lighter weight also makes it easier to move around in. It felt more like I was wearing a raincoat than a dry suit. The material may be just as durable as Gore-Tex - time will tell, but I do like the extra mobility it offers.

The neck wrap uses a zipper instead of velcro like the Kokatat. I 'love' this feature because I've often complained about the velcro wrap on the Kokatat catching on everything - hats, skull cap, string, rope, eye glass retainers - seems like anything it got near. But the neck wrap on the OS is a lightweight zipper, so it remains to see how it will hold up through the years.

Held up in each hand, the OS is noticeably lighter than the Kokatat.

I miss the waist pull of the Kokatat. It was nice to pull up above the waist and cinch it down to hold up the dry-suit. It wasn't a problem on the OS, but it would have been a nice extra.

The OS zips from the left shoulder to the right side - opposite of the Kokatat. It isn't any easier or harder with either side.

I only splurged on 2 options: relief zipper and breathable booties. The latex booties slide in/out of shoes easier, but my feet didn't get as clammy in the breathable booties.

The best part was the price! The OS suit uses a breathable fabric, but it isn't as expensive as Gore-Tex. Mike also gives a discount to ACA club members, so I came out a few hundred bucks cheaper than if I had gone with another Kokatat suit. If your in the area, give Mike a call at 703 264-8911 when you are ready to take the plunge and buy that suit for winter kayaking!