From the fringes of the bell curve.....

Been wearing a PolarTec pullover under my semi-dry top/long john
combo, but am looking for something with comparable insulation,
but less water absorption - and therefore better insulation, less
weight when wet.

"Semi dry" because after a few trips through the rinse cycle
(surf use) there is significant water penetration into the top.

Thought "Mysterioso" at first, but it seems like it's main claim
to fame is that it has a non-absorbent skin - reducing
evaporative cooling: moot with the dry top.

I'm looking for long sleeves, but with max freedom of motion.

I'd think the ideal would be some sort of
super-light/super-flexible neoprene cut very loose (since the dry
top would supply the flush-control normally supplied by a neo
suit's tightness.

Suggestions?
--
PeteCresswell

(PeteCresswell) wrote:
From the fringes of the bell curve.....

Been wearing a PolarTec pullover under my semi-dry top/long john
combo, but am looking for something with comparable insulation,
but less water absorption - and therefore better insulation, less
weight when wet.

"Semi dry" because after a few trips through the rinse cycle
(surf use) there is significant water penetration into the top.

Thought "Mysterioso" at first, but it seems like it's main claim
to fame is that it has a non-absorbent skin - reducing
evaporative cooling: moot with the dry top.

I'm looking for long sleeves, but with max freedom of motion.

I'd think the ideal would be some sort of
super-light/super-flexible neoprene cut very loose (since the dry
top would supply the flush-control normally supplied by a neo
suit's tightness.

Suggestions?


From someone who's also outside the normal sizes (XXL-Tall): I've
started using microfleece shirts instead of my old Helly Hansen thermo
shirts. Different brands give them different names, mine are from Hiko,
but I bet you can find them in U.S. brands as well.

They are at least as warm as fleece, but don't absorb as much water, and
I stay a *lot* more warm when wet than when wearing normal fleece.

--
Wilko van den Bergh wilkoa t)dse(d o tnl
Eindhoven The Netherlands Europe
---Look at the possibilities, don't worry about the limitations.---
http://kayaker.nl/

Per Wilko:
From someone who's also outside the normal sizes (XXL-Tall): I've
started using microfleece shirts instead of my old Helly Hansen thermo
shirts. Different brands give them different names, mine are from Hiko,
but I bet you can find them in U.S. brands as well.

They are at least as warm as fleece, but don't absorb as much water, and
I stay a *lot* more warm when wet than when wearing normal fleece.

Just drove up to a nearby REI store (camping/hiking/outdoors
stuff) and checked out what they had.

They had a house-brand micro fleece, and even had a few pullovers
in XXL... but they were cut wrong for paddling - not enough
freedom in the shoulders.

But at the same store they had a rack of "Mysterioso" tops.

Turns out my assumption about Mysterioso was wrong. I must've
been looking at an ad for some specialized subset of the product.
Plain old Mysterioso, seems like PolarTec except that it's much
more "open" weave-wise. Also the shirts were raglan-cut at the
shoulders for freedom of motion. Only problem was they didn't
have XXL, much less XXL-Tall.

I think I'm shopping for a Mysterioso pullover in XXL-Tall now.
--
PeteCresswell

i am a fan of Immersion research gear.....they have great customer
service and would probably be able to custom fit something if needed
outside of their normal realm of gear....