I had my entry zipper start leaking on my Kokatat Gortex suit. It was one
of the very first ones as it was nylon not metal. Talking to them on the
phone they stated that they never had made a gortex with nylon zipper and
zippers don't leak.....eventually they agreed to look at it, so sent it in.
Then I got a phone call saying that I couldn't have it back as the suit had
royally failed the pressure test required by gortex, leg seams also had pin
holes, and the zipper did leak. Abrasion I guess as I paddle WW OC1, & 2.
They did give me about 70% credit (if memory serves me) towards a new one.
I was happy with that, got built in booties, LOVE THEM, but the new one
doesn't fit as well and the material is a much lighter weight. Hope it
lasts as long. Original had about 100 user days
So, if you still have your old suit, push Kokatat as they treated me ok (3
yrs ago) after admitting that yes I did have a leaky zipper........
Carol
"Bill Tuthill" wrote in message ...
Grip wrote:
After the trip, he told us "Those weren't real rapids,
there were too many rocks in there." LMAO!!!
Yup, classic comment. Personally I enjoy rocks -- they are
so much safer than down trees.
---
Review of MTI PalmOS Drysuit
I bought a blue Palm Sidewinder drysuit at the end of last season
when it became available with integral socks instead of ankle gaskets.
Regular price is only $379 at a nearby store.
http://www.theboatpeople.com/atr_riv....html#Drysuits
The reason I got it instead of another Goretex Kokatat is that my
relief zipper leaks, Kokatat says that's impossible, even though
I can see water seeping thru the zipper when I take it off. They
refuse to replace it, but it's an old drysuit, so I can't complain.
I saw no reason to pay $150 for another relief zipper option that
might not work. The Palm Sidewinder's entry zipper is positioned
so it can double as a relief zipper (for men).
I don't feel Palm's XP100 tri-laminate fabric breathes as well as
Goretex. That's really the only downside. A friend told me I'd
have to take off my PFD to use the relief zipper, but that's untrue,
all I have to do is unzip my PDF, then partly undo the entry zipper.
The head gasket feels a bit tight. When putting it on, I find it
easiest to first lower the protective collar, then the latex gasket
(reversing this procedure when taking it off).
I can stand in water for many minutes without getting my inner socks
or drysuit liner legs wet, as I could in my Kokatat. But with the
Sidewinder, I can stand in water deeper than my relief zipper!
Question about NRS Wetsuits
The $85 NRS Essentials has what I need (armored knees, full zipper,
ankle zippers) and I could live with 2.5mm neoprene because I use
a wetsuit only in warm weather, but would the lack of glued seams
be a problem, letting too much water thru? Maybe I should get the
$110 NRS Farmer John, though I don't need armored seat. For me,
the shins always wear out before the seat. The Camano of Austria
wetsuit has shin armor, but is no longer imported into the US.