Waders or Wetsuit

Question.....would this be a safe thing to wear out in the Ocean (instead of wetsuit)? Will this keep you warm enough when you get separated from your kayak and miles away from shore?

I have worn mine out on the blue many times...and with the right under layers, and with it worn properly the seal between the top and bottom are very good. 

Mooch,
If you're trying to be safe "separated from your kayak and miles away from shore", you need to be in a full drysuit with appropriate insulation underwear. A drysuit is MUCH MUCH warmer than a wetsuit, because in a wetsuit you are wet and water transfers heat 20 times faster than air. As it's name implies, a drysuit keeps you dry.

Again, not trying to advertise, just give information.  Kokatat's core expertise is in drysuits.  We've been making them for nearly 30 years, and in addition to paddle sports enthusiasts, we make them for the US Coast Guard, swiftwater rescue teams, Navy SEALS, etc. And now we have made one especially for kayak fishing. Sean refused to wear the test model we sent him for several months because he'd never worn one and thought he looked silly in it.  But you should ask him about his experience off Shelter Cove in February.  We have sponsored expeditions to the Arctic where guys are swimming with icebergs comfortably in our drysuits.

You wouldn't consider climbing a 20,000 foot mountain with clothing made for weekend backpacking.  If you're going to be in conditions where you are likely to become "separated from your kayak and miles away from shore", you had better have appropriate clothing on.  That would be a drysuit and nothing less.

Kit Mann
Kokatat

Cool. I've never worn a dry suit before, that's why I asked.

How much is it gonna cost? (The dry suit with the approprate insulation underwear?) What are the neccessary steps of taking proper care of the suit?  Is it easy to get in and out of? Is it puncture resistant - just in case I get a lap dance form a spiny rockfish  I'm only asking cause I may consider getting one.

We carry the neoprene farmer john kokatat wetsuits at our store (with relief zipper) and that's what I'm currently using.

Is it puncture resistant - just in case I get a lap dance form a spiny rockfish   I'm only asking cause I may consider getting one.

Yes the fishing version has a reinforced lap.  I have deliberately tortured all of this stuff from Kokatat and it is a tough as anything you can buy...very well made.

Sean refused to wear the test model we sent him for several months because he'd never worn one and thought he looked silly in it.  But you should ask him about his experience off Shelter Cove in February.

..and I felt uncomfortable at first have been in farmer johns.  As it turns out the proper place to test gear is not your living room.

I bit the bullet and wore it fishing at Shelter on a blustering feb. day with Abking.  The weather wasn't horrible, but it wasn't pleasant either.  It was windy and  choppy and I was get wet and sprayed repeatedly...the kind where you get soaked by the end of the day.  I was wearing a layer of Simms wader wick fleece underneath.  I was so warm and cozy it was ridiculous.  What I really noticed however was the incredible range of motion that I had versus neoprene...it was incredible.  I forgot all about the neck gasket, and discovered a new level of comfort and warmth.

When we finally landed I zipped out and was already good to go in a dry fleece outfit, poor Abking was doing the freezing cold towel change we've all done a zillion times.  I was an instant convert.

 

Sean, you were wearing the drysuit during your experience in February and not the top and bottom combo, am I correct?  How might the top and bottom fared in this situation?

Michael

You would have been every bit as dry and even more comfy...but not quite as immersion safe.

What about these???

http://www.anglerarmour.com/

Those are real close to what were talking about from Kokatat.  The neoprene feet socks are not my favorite, because then you have to put on bulky shoes.  The Kokatat pants have Gortex socks so you can just put your dive booties on over the top so you don't have to try and fit a clunky wading shoe into a small footwell.

Sean, you were wearing the drysuit during your experience in February and not the top and bottom combo, am I correct?  How might the top and bottom fared in this situation?

Michael

 Do you sweat alot in these while paddling to your destination? I was using waders but wanted to get a wet suit; now these look like tge way to go. The other plus; our economy sucks, so anything made here is GREAT!!!

Do you sweat alot in these while paddling to your destination? I was using waders but wanted to get a wet suit; now these look like tge way to go. The other plus; our economy sucks, so anything made here is GREAT!!!

That is what is so great about these systems...you can make them as warm/cool as you need them to be by changing what you wear underneath.

There is another safety issue with what you wear that is not talked about much. That is having AIR - and therefore FLOTATION - in places that you may not want it...  Like your feet.   Personally, when in the water, I like my mouth and nose to be the highest point, not my feet.

So it's important to 'burp' the air out of pants or drysuits before getting in the water.  This is also a reason to be wearing some kind of footwear OVER the sock - to lock the air out of the foot area.  Any kind of sock or bootie without outer footwear ends up being a flotation balloon making it harder to manuever or swim, and depending on what kind of flotation you have on your upper body and the wave/chop conditions, can actually end up pushing your head down.  Most people are afraid of waders filling with water (which is of course a very serious problem), but the reverse - having them filled with air - can actually be equally dangerous.

Waders are designed for wading, not paddling.  Wetsuits are made for immersion, not the air.  The solution is clothing designed specifically for the water/air interface.

BTW, MSRP on Kokatat's Tempest Pant will be $159.

Kit Mann
Kokatat
www.kokatat.com

You would have been every bit as dry and even more comfy...but not quite as immersion safe.

Perfect, thanks!

Michael

BTW, MSRP on Kokatat's Tempest Pant will be $159.

Seems reasonable enough to me.  Any idea on the price of the jacket?

Michael