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| Photo credit: Ally |
I have been trying to come with a
comfortable clothing system for cold water SUP for the last few winters, I have
traditionally use farmer john suits and was never that comfortable in
them. They are hot, sweaty and you still
get wet if you end up on the water.
When Nikki showed me the Surge Paddling Suit during the summer, I thought this could be what I was looking for and I
was keen to give it a try. At the
beginning of October I went over to Tofino for the 1st Annual WestCoast SUP Symposium and I got the chance to give the suit a test.
My initial impression trying it on was that
the suit looks and fits great. It is
very easy to get on and off, the switch zip technology allows the suit to zip
completely in half at the waist. The
Medium fitted me perfectly at 5’11” and 185lbs.
This suit has Gore-Tex socks and latex
gaskets in the wrist but it is not considered a dry suit as it uses a neoprene
neck gasket. The neoprene neck gasket is
a lot more comfortable than a latex gasket but is not considered as water
tight. This was definitely something I
was keen to test and see how waterproof it actually was.
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| Photo credit: Ally |
On the water the suit felt great. The fit was awesome, I had full range of
motion for SUP paddling and I never felt restricted. The weather forecast for the weekend for
sunshine and warm weather and I was worried about overheating in a Gore-Tex
suit while paddling. These worries
proved unfounded as the Gore-Tex breathed exceptionally and kept me comfortable
paddling in the unseasonably warm Tofino sunshine.
I ended up in the water more than a few
times trying to test the neoprene neck gasket, including a couple of wipe outs
while trying surf landings with my touring board. I did have a little water get through the
gasket resulting in a damp patch around the neck of my base layer that I was
wearing under the suit. Though
considering how much I was in the water and the fact it is not a dry gasket, I
was very happy with this.
After using this suit touring around Tofino
I can’t recommend it highly enough. The
fit and the option to layer up or down underneath depending on the conditions
make this a really versatile suit for cold water paddling. I think it is an awesome alternative to
wearing neoprene and a Surge Paddling Suit is now on my wish list!
Suit SPECS:
Fabric - Gore-Tex with 330 Cordura, Gore-Tex Pro seat and knees
Entry & Relief - SwitchZip waterproof fully separating entry/relief zipper system
Neck - Neo-Cinch Collar
Wrist - Latex gasket with "hook & loop" cuff
Socks - Evolution 3.21 oz. nylon 3-layer Gore-Tex Pro
Features - Highly breathable and waterproof performance paddling suit featuring SwitchZip technology. Can be worn as a full suit or as a semi-dry paddling top. One zipper for entry and relief. Pant can mate with Passage Anorak w/SwitchZip Technology. Every suit is 100% fill tested; guaranteed to be dry.
Men's colours - Mantis, Electric Blue
Women's colours - Mantis, Electric Blue
Sizes - Men's - S-XXL, Women's - S-L, XLS
$850.00 US MSRP
Pre-order from Ecomarine or your local Kokatat dealer today. These suits will start shipping to shops in January 2016.
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