So not fair!!!

Anthony

Yeah, that! Between seeing 'yaks going north and now this - it's driving me crazy!

Quote from: e2g on May 07, 2013, 03:42:24 PM

my trident 15 says 500-550.  At my heaviest I was 287 and had no problems with capacity.  I have heard second hand that x factors that have that lower hatch in the tankwell can leak when weighed down.  The edge of the hatch can go underwater.  Never tested it myself though. 

paddled the big game, and did not really care for the way it paddles.

That is somewhat true about the tankwell hatch, I have sealed mine shut since I never use it on the water anyway. Not a fan of opening any hatch on the ocean unless it is a front hatch that is well above the water line.

I have not had that problem with my X. I think I would try the KZ Frog's Butt Upgrade (http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=5204.msg42513#msg42513) or some semblance of it if it was leaking before sealing it shut.

http://www.malibukayaks.com/x-factor.html



    Length: 14'4"
    Width: 33"
    Depth: 13"
    Weight: 62 lbs
    Max. Capacity: 625lbs


Very good in big water, very dry ride, very stable, tons of storage.

.....Conditions were challenging and we watched quite a few struggle..., and get rolled with the swell and wind.  Improved equipment technology does not compensate for training and experience...

Pretty much every season I have a few to several No-Go days. I always prepare myself to accept that.

We check the wind/swell/tide reports, make the pilgrimage to the edge of the sea and assess.

It has looked OK, we suited-up and prepare to get wet, then walk away as conditions have quickly deteriorated. It's difficult, but necessary.

Quote from: Tote on May 01, 2013, 07:45:31 PM

Quote from: jhfish on May 01, 2013, 05:04:25 PM

I have found the plastic shopping bag (HDPE) method to work really well to get the arms and legs in

Elaborate please.
I always thought the lube method would be a total PITA.
After my first try, seeing how easily the suit went on; I'm a big fan.

I've seen the plastic bag trick used with lined suits, but I would never use an open cell without lube.  It's not just about getting in, but comfort and mobility.  Without much lube, the suit will be a lot more restrictive in movement and plain uncomfortable.  With abundant lube and an open cell suit, I can put my wetsuit bottoms on just as fast as a pair of jeans.   



To the original question - I've seen people ab dive with as little as a 3mm open cell wetsuit; however, as a admitted cold-wuss, I personally would never attempt it with less than a 7mm.  As damdan mentions, it's all about how long you want to be in the water and how cold tolerant you are.  One thing to keep in mind is... the better you get at diving, the colder you'll get.  When starting out, you flounder, kick hard, and exert a lot of energy.  This translates into heat.  As you learn to relax, calm yourself, kick less, and lower your heart rate... you expend less energy and subsequently generate less heat.  For example, if I'm hustling and working shallows at a fast pace I never feel cold... but if I start diving deeper and taking longer on the surface to relax and breathe... I'll get cold much quicker, even in the same temperatures.  When in doubt, err on the side of warmth. 

Great info, very true. here is a written overview of the bag technique:

Wetsuit techniques - Entry
A good trick is to use a plastic bag throughout this process, as it makes the suit slide on a lot easier.

    Put your foot into the bag and then pass it through the wetsuit.
    Once in place take the bag off and use it on the other foot.
    Work the suit up into place. It is essential to have the knee pads sitting in the correct position and the crutch as high as possible before proceeding to the top half.
    Once the suit is pulled up nice and high and when you're ready to put your arms through, use the plastic bag again on your hands. The bag reduces any stickiness and lets your limbs slide easily in and out of your wetsuit.
    Pull arm through and remove bag. Repeat with other arm.
    To do the zip up, hook one thumb through the loop at the bottom of the zip and pull downwards. With the other hand, pull the zip cord up while arching your shoulders backwards. Do not force the zip. If it jams in the zip flap, you will need to slide it down before trying to do it up again.
    Once zip is up, fasten the adjustable collar to a firm, comfortable position. A loose collar will let water in and can cause chaffing.

Wetsuit techniques - Exit
Take your time. Your wetsuit will slide easily off your body. You can also use the plastic bag again if needed.

    Undo the zip and unhook the velcro collar. Do not use the collar as a handle.
    Grab onto the shoulder or upper back area, to pull the wetsuit forward off the upper body.
    Lift your arm, upwards and backwards to peel off.
    Then roll or peel off the lower body to the feet, to end with the suit off and inside out.

Then here is a video from YT for a zipless model suit for surfing, but the technique still applies:

About a third of people do not really fit the off-the-rack wetsuits. If you are one of those, custom may be the way to go. Yep, they cost more, but I think it is worth it for the best fit and maximum warmth with usually thinner 'prene. The best heat retention is offered by Yamamoto neoprene, here's why:

"Most wetsuits available around the world are made in China, Taiwan, Thailand or Mexico. These are all made from neoprene sourced from China. The main company being Sheico in Taiwan. Chinese neoprene is petroleum based and is characterized by its heavy weight and that it gets heavier once wet. Also its lower closed cell content which means there is less air and more rubber in the neoprene. You can immediately feel the difference in weight if you hold up one of each type of suit in your arms. Chinese neoprene also takes a lot longer to dry out. Some customers tell me they can take 2/3 days and they are still wet on the inside.
 
Yamamoto's Closed Cell Foams are all produced from 100% CR — Chloroprene Rubber commonly know as Neoprene ® (DuPont Trade Mark). Yamamoto's rubber is made from LIMESTONE — over 99.7% calcium carbonate. The function and quality of all technical foam rubber is decided not only by the purity of the raw materials — the limestone that goes into Yamamoto's technical foam rubbers comes from one source — but also by the independent closed microcell structure.
 
This perfect uniform independent closed microcell structure' has been achieved by employing a special polymer derived from limestone along with the most advanced manufacturing techniques — all developed by Yamamoto Corporation.
 
The individual foam cells do not absorb water, and each independent closed cell is filled with Nitrogen Gas, creating an excellent thermal insulation with optimum heat retaining properties.
 
As a result of its special properties and virtually no water absorption, the weight of our material in dry or wet conditions remains almost the same and therefore wetsuits and other products made of this material do not become saturated with moisture or get heavy when submerged in water.
 
The closed cell content of Yamamoto Chloroprene is more than 93%, 22-33% higher than any competitor's materials, whose closed cell content is typically in the 60-70% range."

I went from a 5-6-7 suit to a 3-4-5 in Yamamoto and outside of really windy days spent on the surface for long periods of time, I plenty warm. As time goes on and I can afford it, I will get another suit of Yamamoto - a thicker version for the really cold days in winter.

There are many great suits made of Yamamoto on the market - I would find a shop that carries several of the brands and try them on to see if you can get the right fir from an off-the-rack. That's my $.02

John

Mendo Locos

John Havemann (jhfish)
Joe Scriven (Coho Joe)

GS7 Paid Registrations:

1.   Abbott, Eric / Roostersoap
2.   Abbott, Lietze / Roostersoap’s Wife
3.   Abiva, Roland / PDW9MM
4.   Abuan, Eduardo    / Jedmo
5.   Abulencia, Dino / islandson671   
6.   Anglin, Don / Danglin   
7.   Anglin, Kuba / Guest
8.   Anglin, Leora / Guest
9.   Anglin, Noah / Guest
10.   Armas, Glen / G-Whiz
11.   Arthur, Thomas / Fish Bonz
12.   Arthur, Tommy / TBONE
13.   Bae, Jonathan / hamachijohn      
14.   Baker, Jeff / JBaker            
15.   Batt, David / batt      
16.   Beckett, Bill / Bio-Bil1      
17.   Belli, Domenic / Domenic         
18.   Bennett, Martin / Fish ‘n Brew   
19.   Bennion, Jim / Cranky
20.   Berg, Eric / EWB
21.   Bosso, Joseph / JBoss
22.   Bray, Robert / Matanaska
23.   Brockman, David / Shark Bait
24.   Calvert, John / Dogwood      
25.   Cameron, James / AbMan
26.   Camu, Mel / Fishing Addict
27.   Charles, Gary / Bull Shark         
28.   Cheng, David / daviator   
29.   Cheng, Lawrence / Flyaker   
30.   Chiu, Tony / fishcomb   
31.   Coca, Chad / FiShadow      
32.   Constable, Etienne / sackyack
33.   Couch, David / killercouch
34.   Davies, Jeff / Codzilla         
35.   Davis, Craig / Ravensblack         
36.   Dickinson, Don / PescaDONo
37.   Dilbeck, Michael / dilbeck         
38.   Drolet, Anthony / 9erfan
39.   Duffy, Tim / fisheducator         
40.   Easter, Brandi / Brandi   
41.   Espiritu, Chuck / ChuckE
42.   Flood, Brian / The Dude         
43.   Fung, Jonathan / Fiver
44.   Gee, Scott / Great Bass 2
45.   Gomez, Andy / baitNbeer
46.   Gosciminski, Jim / jimgosc         
47.   Graebe, Kirk / LilRiverMan         
48.   Grasso, Rob / Diroblo            
49.   Gustin, Jim / DrHabanero   
50.   Havemann, John / jhfish         
51.   Hayashibara, John / bluewrx02   
52.   Hayes, Justin / napajustin      
53.   Heintz, Matthew / Sloshed Sailor      
54.   Hilden, Dana / Yaksurf   
55.   Hobbs, Martin / NorthCoastAngler   
56.   Howard, Jimmy / Shooter      
57.   Huante, Francisco / Zisco
58.   Jackson, Brian / brian1976      
59.   Jackson, Jim / Salty.
60.   Jay, Shannon / SRJ            
61.   Johnson, Adam / Lil Snapperhead      
62.   Johnson, Bill / Snapperhead         
63.   Johnson, Ed / Kayote   
64.   Johnson, Kevin / Dog Paddle   
65.   Jones, Glyn / jonesz      
66.   Jung, Won / SmokeOnTheWater      
67.   Kaai, Eric / Yakhopper   
68.   Kaber, Doug / Crash   
69.   Keane, John / Bird
70.   Kelly, Kevin / brdopry            
71.   Kenney, Jeff / Liv2huntnfish         
72.   Kingstrom, Jeremy / Big Buoy         
73.   Kingstrom, Sarah / Sarah   
74.   Kirk, Howard / Surfingdude      
75.   Klatt, Greg / apex40   
76.   Knoles, Rob / RacinRob   
77.   Koons, Adam / ATD      
78.   Korte, Ian / Rockwalker   
79.   Kuhl, Pat / Sin Coast
80.   Lavoie, Michael / CAWingshooter
81.   Lawson, Alan / Alfredo
82.   Ledesma, Ruben / fishkraft         
83.   Leepin, Allen / otobepelagic
84.   Leepin, Patrick / HOLY TOLEDO      
85.   Lindsey, Jeff / jlstormseeker   
86.   Lo, Her / stringaLing
87.   Lopez, Jose / incalopez   
88.   Marple, Ken / Sc X factor   
89.   Marroquin, Marcos / Rockroach   
90.   Martel, Tim / northeastfreak
91.   Martin, Jim / Baitman   
92.   Martin, Russ / Desert Diver
93.   Martin, Steven / Tiny
94.   Mason, David Kent / Goldendog   
95.   Mason, Gary / Prophet
96.   Matthews, David / David Matthews
97.   Mayes, Chris / Clayman
98.   Mayes, Matthew / MattSwayze         
99.   McGrew, James / KayakJames
100.   McNeil, Brad / Brad M            
101.   Meier, Jim / Rockfish      
102.   Meyers, Eric / eddeeleo      
103.   Mouton, Greg / cajun            
104.   Murphy, Steve / Murfman         
105.   Nakashima, Marco / AnglerFish               
106.   Navari, Joe / Birddog
107.   Nelson, Gabe / BigGabe
108.   Nelson, Matt / Fishmedic
109.   Nguyen, Sonny / Sailfish      
110.   Novelozo, Tony / novofish            
111.   Nunes, Frank / Ghost   
112.   Ocampo, Erwin / Darius
113.   Ochoa, Ramil / sraenii
114.   Ornellas, Jeff / Jeffo         
115.   Ostrom, Aaron / Pac Man
116.   Pali, Harry / Moose         
117.   Palk, Derrick / DerrickA2H   
118.   Pascual, Cameron / cam3087
119.   Pearson, John / John Pearson      
120.   Peters, Aaron / Pond Poacher         
121.   Pham, Kiet / Fried Bluegill         
122.   Pratt, James / Rider            
123.   Price, Chad / Chadrock            
124.   Quinton, Josh / JJQ            
125.   Ramos, Kiel / ReelKnots            
126.   Revelo, Antonio / Cabeza de Martillo   
127.   Reyes, Angel / Pacifico   
128.   Reyes, Herb / Herb   
129.   Rhetta, Eric / OlySpec            
130.   Richards, Jeff / JWR
131.   Riggs, Jeff / jriggs   
132.   Roberts, Charles / IBETHESHELLBACK         
133.   Romero, Luis / ScubaLuis
134.   Rossman, David / NovatoDave      
135.   Rough, Aaron / Roughster   
136.   Royston, Dave / Hobie-Dave
137.   Russell, Jim / BigJim   
138.   Sanchez, Allan / Hightide
139.   Sansano, Allen / polepole
140.   Santos, Rey / LapuLapu   
141.   Sapp, Mike / Solsrf1
142.   Sarmiento, John / Johnnyguns
143.   Satre, Alain / AlsHobieOutback         
144.   Saufferer, Ron / Family Guest         
145.   Saufferer, Terry    / Jacks      
146.   Schmidt, Erik / Browneyesvictim
147.   Schwartz, Connor / Ronnokk
148.   Sciucchetti, Pete / Pine Mountain Pete
149.   Scriven, Joe / Coho Joe      
150.   Shim, Daniel / dpshim            
151.   Shippey, Raydon / raydon         
152.   Shu, Dennis / Old#7            
153.   Shu, Roger / rshu   
154.   Shum, Wesley / Chumchum
155.   Silva, David / Metallidave         
156.   Sintes-Glover, Cherie / PakehaCherie
157.   Sivongsay, Phoxay / Poe      
158.   Smith, Jeff / barefoot1
159.   Smith, Sam / Fishon2426
160.   Sneed, Dustin / Rock Hopper            
161.   Soldano, Suntino / mudshark   
162.   Stafft, Joel / Jstafft      
163.   Stockwell, Eric / Abking / LoletaEric      
164.   Taft, Thom / Freshairinspecter
165.   Takagi, Brian / Ooter1            
166.   Takagi, Steve / Dry Bones
167.   Tanagon, Jason / Str8Fishin   
168.   Totaro, Jackson / CHUB         
169.   Totaro, Mike / Tote            
170.   Tyler, Tim / TyRod            
171.   Uphold, Alan / 3wifes            
172.   Van Arsdale, Aaron / Piski         
173.   Vanhorn, Fred / IslandYak         
174.   Velho, Joe / Strucdog            
175.   Walker, Paul / PNWKA            
176.   Walker, Sean / PICSCEAN   
177.   Waltrip, Ron / Tarponeer
178.   Wang, Tim / Krusty      
179.   Warner, Tim / T-Dub            
180.   Weaver, Tim / Daleshark
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182.   Whiting, Jack / kayakjack         
183.   Wiechman, Ben / beenfishin   
184.   Williams, Ben / Guitarzan      
185.   Woolworth, Victor / vwool
186.   Yen, Hermes / dropnlax         
187.   Yu, Benjamin / Bassmanben         
188.   Ziomek, Tracey / sctrace

Welcome back, Jedmo (gear only), Tom Arthur, Hamachijohn, ChuckE, ATD, Big Gabe, Fishmedic, Mike Sapp, Pine Mtn Pete.  Welcome, Bill Beckett, Jim Bennion, Gary Charles, Brian1976, fishkraft, John Pearson, Sam Smith, Sean White.   

Prizes:

Grand Prize - Jackson Cuda 14

Other prizes for the top 10, SOTD, and big ling/salmon/fish:

- The Squid Anchor!
- Wheeleez Beach Wheel Cart
- Suunto mountable kayak compass
- Bending Branches paddle
- Lowrance Mark 4 B&W GPS/FF
- Lowrance Elite 4 Color GPS/FF
- Kokatat Bahia Tour PFD
- Kokatat Tempest Jacket
- Surf to Summit GTS Pro seat w/ fishing pack
- Surf to Summit GTS Elite seat w/ standard pack
- Surf to Summit Performance Series Tall Back Classic seat w/ pack
- Surf to Summit The Keeper Pole Leash
- Surf to Summit Bungee Paddle Leash

Trophies:

- AOTD receives a 10" ab, a 50” custom redwood Trophy Trough, and a ceramic mini-trough
- SOTD receives a 10" ab
- Lingzilla receives a 10" ab
- Big Fish receives a 10" ab
- Big Salmon receives a 10" ab

A raffle is forming – so far:

-   To be chosen from ladies who enter at the potluck – a $100 gift certificate to Open Weave in Mendocino
-   If you wish to donate a raffle prize, please volunteer to run the raffle.

What, no Bigfoot? Who's gonna give the great big 'but a lap to dance on?